Leonidhion Plaka 7/10, A laid back small Greek tourist resort with several tavernas and a very simple store. A very worthwhile place to visit if you have time is to go inland 2km to the bustling market town of Leonidhion — tucked under great cliffs. Take a taxi to the monastery further in, hacked impossibly out of yet another overhanging cliff.

Astros  6/10. A good quay, usually with enough space. A pleasant, spacious Greek holiday village.

Navplion  9/10, Give this lively and attractive town three nights if you can, tolerating the harbour smells. The pedestrian area has lovely architecture and lies just a few streets inland from the quay. Three castles hover above the town for the fit to explore. Shopping is good, and entertainment is, well, entertaining.  'Bouboulinas', along the harbour front, is a good paseo for watching beautiful people, with a row of very classy bars together with a couple of cheaper ouzeries. Some bars stay noisily open until 6am on Friday and Saturday nights, so choose your day to visit. There's a small cluster of good restaurants (Bysantio, Kakanarakis and Omorfi Tavernaki) just two streets inland from the visitor's quay . For open mouthed entertainment go to Lathos (ΛΑΘΟΣ), 9/10 (a small bar — translates as 'Mistake'). Run by a pair of brothers, this must be one of the most eccentric bars in Greece, if not Europe (It's very similar to Bojangles, in Alice Springs. Except that's a bit further from the water). Only open in the evenings, it looks like an abandoned junk shop during the day. Just go and listen to their rather classy selection of vinyl jazz, played disco style, and revel in their visual jokes. It's just east of 'Syntagmatos', the main pedestrian square in the west of the town. 

Tolon 1/10. You can usually find an anchorage among the moorings off the beach here, but this town is so dense with tourists sharing so few facilities that I won't return.

Anchorages. 8/10. A great strength of this area is the large number of quiet small bays, ideal as day anchorages (even night anchorages), on the coast between Khaidhari and Spetsai.

Khaidari/Drepano  5/10, very well sheltered anchorage off a small working village serving local fish farms. Good tavernas.

Koiladia. A well sheltered small bay, with some moorings available, suitable for a winter layup afloat.

Porto Heli  4/10. A good anchorage and quay for stern/bows to, but a dull town. Boatyard with moorings and haul out facilities.  The southern corner of the quay is pretty, but the restaurants there are rather expensive. Better are those to the east — 'Rozos' can be recommended.

Spetsai  6/10 A very pleasant and now rather smart small town. Sadly, very difficult to find a good berth (2/10) although, with some ingenuity, we've always just managed to find a place in the old harbour. Otherwise, visit by ferry from Kostas on the mainland. The main town quay is very popular with rich Athenians, who moor their enormous motor yachts alongside each other, competing to display opulent interiors to passing gawpers — like us.

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Hydra  7/10. A lovely old town, busy with visitors. Grossly overcrowded harbour (1/10), with yachts moored stern-to up to three deep at times. My view — don't take the yacht, visit from another haven.

Poros  8/10, A very pretty small town perched on an old volcanic plug, crowded, busy with passing ferries and tourists. To avoid the tourist crowds, climb up to the clock tower on top, where nearby you'll find a couple of good value tavernas set in a shady square. Lots of sheltered anchorages in the lagoon between the island and the mainland add to the charm of the area, and there is good yacht support available. Boatyard with haul out facilities and moorings, regular fast ferries to Athens/Piraeus. Noisy bars at night at the east end of the quay. Pontoons on the west quay. Snags - rather a lot of ferry wash on all the quays, so moor well clear of the hard stuff.

Methana  4/10. A very faded small spa town with a small, excellently sheltered but rather shallow (2m) 'marina', very cheap. Close to Athens (regular fast ferries to Piraeus) and a suitable place to leave the boat for a month - or a year - afloat. Sulphurous waters will leave your chain an odd colour.

Epidavros  8/10 for the great classic sight nearby, best visited early in the morning before the visitors crush the place out, or after they've gone!

Corinth Canal  8/10. If you didn't go through it, you must go and have a gawp at this magnificent cleft through the isthmus.

Aegina  4/10. A pleasant small island, but no high spots I'm aware of, apart from their wonderful crops of pistachio nuts. There are three boatyards on the north coast convenient for Athens and suitable for wintering ashore.  Kanonis and Asprakis have 50 ton lifts, while Planaco (email: info@planaco.gr , or tel +30 22970 29040) uses hydraulic trailers.

Salamis. Only mentioned for its cheap options for wintering ashore, just opposite Piraeus. Wooden sled pull-out near Salamis town, or a large travel hoist at Ambelaika boatyard on the E coast. These are what I'd call 'ethnic' choices for layup..

No comments about the Athens area coastline; big motor yacht territory. There are many marinas, but they're too crowded and expensive for my taste: Zea (big boats, big prices!), Vougliameni,  Kalamaki (also called Alimos), Glifada and Faliron (also called Flisvos). And then you reach - 

Cap Sounion 7/10. This fairly open anchorage near the end of the Athens peninsula is well sheltered from the meltemi, and has a lovely old ruined temple on the headland above. Nip up there to watch the sunset — with a glass of something nice to hand. This is a favourite jumping off point for the Cyclades.

Kithnos  5/10. A quiet island, but a very good landfall from mainland Greece, since there are many well sheltered and pleasant anchorages, ideal for a lunch time swim, within an hour's sail of Merika, the main port.

Serifos  6/10. Another quiet island, popular with yachts, but very little affected by tourism. From Livadhi, the main harbour, it's worth a visit to the Hora, one of the least spoilt such villages in the Cyclades. Take the bus, or a 40 minute walk. Vathi on the SW corner, is a well sheltered bay with a pleasant little hamlet of nicely converted cottages, good beaches, a surprisingly large number of small tavernas and a very upmarket small hotel. We liked a taverna a fair way around the bay for its draft beer — and green beans to die for!  Lie to the quay if there's space. If not, anchor off, but consider two anchors in the meltemi, which produces some very strong gusts through the anchorage.

Milos  7/10. A group of islands, really a small cruising ground in it's own right, and a good jumping off point for a westward journey to the Peloponese. The sheltered sailing area within Kimolos, Poliegos and Milos has a number of quiet, sandy, turquoise blue anchorages.  One extraordinary anchorage (a bit prone to some swell, but well worth a visit) is just east of the south west corner of Milos ( chart ). It's an area drilled with holes and caves, and two islets surrounded by a 5m shelf of sand (dotted with the occasional shallow rock to keep the lookout alert). Spend a couple of days in Adhamas, the capital of Milos, a town visited mainly by Greeks. Moorings were tailed to the south side of the L-shaped quay in Jun 2006, but these arrangements do come and go. Careful here, ferry wash is occasionally a problem. For a blissful evening experience  (8/10) catch a bus (or taxi, €6) up to Plaka, the old town above. Climb further up to the 'Kastro' for magnificent views. Time your visit for sunset — take a drink, and if the visibility is good, watch for the green flash. Stroll back down to the bus stop, dine at Archontoula (αρχοντουλα)  (a couple of metres toward the tiny village alleys) for its draft beer, interesting traditional menu, and good, discreet sound system playing a modern style of Greek music. For sheer interest, next morning visit the mining museum, just under 1km east around the bay. Top up your geological knowledge, listen to interviews with those who worked the mines, find what perlite does for plants, bentonite does for cats and pozzolan does for . . . it's a great visit.

Syros, Ermoupolis  8/10, the crowded (35,000 pop) capital of the Cyclades. The town is predominantly Greek, few tourists, busy, quite classy and not too expensive. Ferry wash is a problem — moor well off the quay. A new harbour/marina (physically complete, but not operating 2006 Jun) in the south of the bay provides good shelter. Suitable for leaving a boat untended, it's 4km from town centre but there's a freebie shuttle bus between the nearby supermarket and town. There's haul out by wheeled sled at the fishing harbour, with good chandlers nearby, so wintering ashore is possible, but you can't sleep on  the boat when ashore. Frequent ferries to Athens/Piraeus. Ermoupolis has wonderful tavernas cluttered around the back alleys just east of the town square. Or search out 'Vlachos' ('BΛAΞOΣ') 50m west of the square off the market street. The quaysides are a great place for people watching, either from your boat or a quayside café. Good shopping and markets. Climb up to the monastery on top of the hill, wander round the tiny alleyways of the old city.

Syros, Finikas  7/10.  Finikas is a favourite yacht stop, and has several resident yachts as well. There are many quiet day anchorages within an hour's sail. Barbalinas is our favourite restaurant here — has a big takeaway trade with the locals. Try either the octopus or the (spicier!) kalamari stews. Many other bays around the island are suitable for anchoring, some completely deserted - just turquoise water and a small stretch of sand.

Mykonos  8/10, an international resort. Simple architecture, very beautiful people (and they know it), expensive bars with wonderful sunset views and some very posh restaurants. Also, some more simple spots. Get lost in the beautiful maze which is the town, ignore the tourist tat for sale, gawp at the prices in the art galleries, marvel at the polished turnout of the visitors, sit and recover with a cheap draught beer (takes a bit of searching). Yachts go to the marina (no facilities in early 2007), 2nm north of the town (frequent buses). The town harbour is reserved for ferries. Recover from sensory overload by anchoring in the quiet shelter of Rinia island another night, and visit the magnificent ruins of Delos.

Paros 6/10. Well established as a tourist island, especially around Naoussa. A new marina is in commission here, but very busy with charter yachts at weekends. The main harbour and ferry port is Parikia, with some typical Cyclades architecture. Go inside the harbour here if there's room. Mooring on the outside harbour wall is feasible, but leaves you exposed to the wash of some of the more careless ferries, so have plenty of chain out. However, there are lots of delightful quiet anchorages around Naoussa bay and the small coves facing Naxos. These make the island well worth a visit.

Naxos 8/10. A good harbour. Go alongside by the entrance or bows/stern-to on the first quay. A big island, with a lovely main town which richly rewards some exploring. Sadly, it's now well established as a tourist island, though you can escape the worst by exploring the inland villages. The channel between Naxos and Paros creates a powerful funnel when the meltemi blows, with 35kt winds quite common — windsurfer's paradise, of course. Yottie's will have to reef their gin and tonics. Many islands, bays and anchorages surround the area, especially among the Minor Cyclades — a string of small, quiet islands just south, and it's quite possible to spend a week poking around and exploring afloat, though working back north is a bit of a slog. In Naxos Town we can recommend two restaurants. First, for classic Greek food try Lucullus, 'The Oldest Restaurant in Naxos — 1908'. Run by a pair of identical twins, it has a pretty street setting, and spotless kitchens. You'll find it by heading slightly left from the root of the quay and looking out for an archway labelled 'The Old Market'. Go in, turn left and search (you may be misled by a sign 'The Oldest Family Restaurant in Naxos — 1951'; we haven't tried that one). Second, if you're in need for some really well prepared red meat, try 'Café Picasso', Mexican. Serves tasty filet steak (or even an expensive buffalo filet steak!) as rare as you wish. It's just south of 'Plateia'; OK, to find this go right from the yacht quay for about 400m, then turn left inland along 'Papavassilou', then first right after about 100m. 'Plateia' is a round-about,150m up the hill. Café Picasso is just beyond. Don't rush up there or you'll miss two gems. The first is the Spice and Cheese Shop (on Papavassilou, about 100m beyond your right turn to Plateia) — well worth a look. The other is the beer house on Plateia — more types of draft beer than you can shake a mug at, and quite a good spot for a bit of people watching. And while you're at Plateia, pick up your weather forecast from www.poseidon.ncmr.gr at the broadband internet café.

Thyra, Santorini  9/10. If you go here, you're going to have to beat northward again. It's worth it. But the hilltop towns of Thyra and Ia offer some of the most stunning views in the world outside the great mountain ranges. Moor in Vlikhada marina off the southern coast (it's much easier to enter than some pilot books imply).  If the glamorous restaurant/hotel down at harbour level isn't filled with its own clients, have a draft beer there (Craft!) and ask if you can book in for an evening meal. It won't bust the bank, it's good cuisine and excellent decor by Greek standards. All this should entitle you to a fresh water swim in their pool. Other activities? Hire a car for a day or two, tour the vineyards and sample the wines (some very good). See the nautical museum, watch a sunset from Ia and allow yourself to be stunned by the quality of the villas with swimming pools and the apartments to rent along the crest of the crater. Ignore the tourists who'll clutter your path, and try not to trip over the honeymooners.

Ios  3/10. Although a useful first stop when returning northward from Thyra, this is a tourist dense island whose otherwise charming Hora is now hidden by a thick veneer of shops, bars, kiosks, noise, booze and everything else people want tourists to buy. Since you're stuck with a visit to Ios, two recommendations should help. First, walk up the path to the Hora from the harbour (20 minutes) a little before sunset. Look out on your right before the top for the 'Ios Club', a civilised sunset bar. It's reached by turning right when you reach the road, and almost immediately turning right again past an 'Irish' pub. Lovely views, a quiet setting. Afterwards, seek out the 'Lord Byron Mezedhopolion' on the way to the Hora, which has interesting Greek food and, often, live rembetika music.

Levitha  3/10. Right out to the east, this tiny island provides a very useful staging post travelling to or from the Dodecanese. The only resident family has laid about 10 moorings for visitors in their very well sheltered inlet, and mum will provide dinners for the crew.  If there's no moon, take a torch for the walk back from their house. There's nothing else!

Amorgos  6/10. A popular yacht spot, with three or four tavernas ranked along the quay at Katapola to serve crews with a good profit margin. Much nicer is to take a half mile walk around to the head of the bay on the left, where there's a cheaper taverna with better food. Take time to explore the Hora, 8/10, one of the best preserved of such villages in the Cyclades. Then go on to visit the monastery on the south coast, 7/10. Both are accessible by bus or scooter, with a stiff path to climb to the monastery from the parking spot!

Rhodes  9/10 for world heritage city/castle. Wonderful. Pity about the intrusive port police (though 2007 reports show they have eased up considerably), and the appallingly crowded harbour. Visitors are only welcome on the NW pontoon — first on the right as you enter, though charter companies occupying the east quay will occasionally make space. Much better is to anchor 1nm SE of Mandraki, at the southern end of Limin Akandia, the commercial harbour. Anchor off with a line to some construction blocks. The projected marina south of Mandraki was not in evidence in 2007.

Khalki  3/10, is quiet, with just one genteel little village of renovated villas around the harbour, mainly rented to up market holidaymakers from UK. A pontoon on the north side of the harbour caters for yachts. There's a good, isolated anchorage in Alimia, an island a couple of miles east. Otherwise, little of interest.

Tilos  4/10 is quiet and friendly, though port police are sometimes intrusive. The harbour at Livadia has been enclosed to the east and has good shelter inside. Go alongside or bows/stern-to. It's a small harbour, so you can expect some anchor wrestling at departure time. Water and electricity are available. The inland village is now all but deserted, and the island lives off a small tourist trade of repeat visitors and walkers. Nothing special, just peace and quiet.

Symi  6/10. A very steep sided, rather barren island, with many deep inlets providing anchorages around the shores. Symi Town is settled by quite a few English expatriates, and invaded daily by noisy tripper boats from Rhodes. The quay manager will point out a suitable berth for you. Water and electricity are available. In 2006 the port police still insisted on entry and exit stamps for all visitors. Lovely old houses (many ruined or vacant) line the hillside to the south. Climb one of the great staircases to the Hora. Hunt for the old museum there — you'll probably get lost — it's worth it. On the south quay of the harbour is a very good restaurant, Mythos. Expensive, but great if you're looking for a change from the usual Greek diet; the chef trained in Spain. You'll need to book. 

Nysiros  8/10, a steaming volcano crater. Go stern or bows to in Palon, hire a scooter, go and visit the crater. Mandraki, the main town, has a rather exposed quay, usually full of excursion boats. Take a taxi or scooter there in the evening, past the quayside and keep going into the maze of the old town. The centre is a small shaded square with lots of character and a forgettable taverna.

Astipalea  4/10, is worth a visit for its multitude of different anchorages. It's a place for a sailboat to explore. In July and August the island springs into life with visitors from various Greek cities who have holiday homes there; the Hora comes to life with little music bars and cafés. The rest of the year is very quiet; the town a little run down and isolated.

Kos  6/10. Kos Town is an amazing mix of tourist tat, wonderful spreads of old ruins, a bar area (which throbs with muscular boozing and dance music), old Italianate squares and a market. And a very good full service marina 9/10 (link), excellent for winter lay up. Many charter flights to UK in season, flights and ferries to Athens.

Pserimos  2/10. A tiny island, population 25, with an idyllic little sand cove grossly overloaded by hundreds of day visitors and caiques from Kos and Kalymnos. A possible evening visit when they've gone - but the beach brollies remain. How to spoil a lovely beach . . .

Kalymnos, Pothia  5/10. The noisy, busy principal town, about 15,000 population, authentically Greek. Go alongside or moor bows/stern-to in the area originally designated for the marina. Good place to stock up on meat and vegetables. The pleasant area of harbour front cafés and restaurants (some run by UK expats) is rather spoilt by passing motorbikes demonstrating their wheelie skills through the pedestrian crowds.

Kalymnos, Ormos Vathi  7/10. Sometimes difficult to squeeze into, but this lovely little cleft in the rocks is served by four very attentive tavernas. Competition is good for service . . .

Leros, Pandeli harbour. 7/10. Go alongside. Most of the harbour is dredged to 3m. Pretty and peaceful, and as you look to the shore, the left hand most restaurant has been consistently good. Go inland, climb to Platanos on the saddle of  the hill to the north. Divert up to the Kastro for some splendid views, then descend to Alinda. Try a side road on the way back. Numerous day anchorages, and Nisos Archangelos (to the north) provides a peaceful overnight anchorage.

Leros, Lakki  3/10. A very spacious, rather charmless town, once a harbour for the Italian fleet. There are two marinas. Angmar Marine runs the older place to the east of the bay's head, electricity and water at all berths. Leros marina lies on the opposite side of the bay, and boasts a 50ton travel hoist, a large capacity crane, and an extensive hard; a good place for laying up ashore. Angmar marina also has a shore hard at the north of the island, some 7km distant, with a 70 ton travel hoist and a full range of yacht support facilities, thus it is another good spot to leave the boat ashore over winter. Internal flights to Athens.

Lipsi  8/10 for peace and quiet. Moor in the main harbour for comfort, rather than alongside the small pontoon. A tiny island, good for walking, with a tiny, characterful hilltop village and a bunch of ouzeries around the harbour, many run by Australian repatriates. Lipsi is at the centre of a small archipelago of islets, most of which provide anchorages and moorings, usually served by small tavernas.

Patmos  10/10. Pretty port, at times very busy with tourists from cruise ships. If you're there when they are not, you win. Wonderful hilltop monastery surrounded by a delightful Hora, one of the prettiest I've seen. Occasional cafés and tavernas dotted around the Hora. Lots more down below. Idyllic sand anchorages scattered richly along the south of the east pointing peninsula, some with cafés, others empty. For me, this is the epitome of a small Greek island, protected from overdevelopment by the monastery, which owns much of the land. Also (a little north of the ferry quay) a nice first floor bar 'Art Café', run by Nikos and Catherine — who hails from Bavaria — hence the fine Bavarian draft beer. If you want a change of food, seek out 'Veggera'. With its French style cuisine it is more expensive than average, but deservedly popular. You'll usually have to book.

Fourni  9/10 for time warp. Not really Dodecanese, but it's only a short hop further north. These islands have the rare quality that they never de-populated during the '39 –'45 war, nor the ensuing civil war. Nor have they ever been easily accessible to tourists. My recent visit reminded me what Greece was like in 1974. A simple, self-sufficient community, where each shop specialises in selling almost everything. Visitors are welcome, tourists are rare, tavernas are good. Don't moor up to the village quay, it rocks in northerlies. Try bows to on the small quay in the sandy bay half a mile south and suffer the breathless walk over to the town. Take a torch.

Samos. 5/10. This large, green island is popular with north European tourists. Prices are quite high in the resorts, which mainly cater for older couples. A range of fine sweet Muscat desert wines are made here. A good, full service marina recently opened (2007) just west of Pythagorion, is suitable for lay-up ashore or afloat. Charter flights to UK, internal flights to Athens, and good ferry connections.

Ikaria. 5/10. Ikaria makes a good landfall if you're coming from the northern Cyclades - Tinos or Mykonos. It is a strong contrast with Samos; being rather barren, with few visitors. Locals carry on their life with little special effort to woo tourists. This appeals to me, and I like Ayios Kirikos, the well sheltered and rather ethnic main harbour. Concrete has been poured to create a marina framework at Evdilos, reports wanted! The meltemi blows strongly over the island. Ferries to Samos.

1  Greek Waters Pilot, Rod Heikell, published by Imray Norie and Wilson. Available in most chandlers. See: http://www.imray.com/record.cfm?i_stock_code=068D