Xylocastro is a seaside town on the Northern Edge of The Peloponnese, Southern Greece and home to Artvali Kayaks.
Artvali specialise in making traditional kayaks, with wood and fabric construction. They also organise an annual meeting, open to all with an interest!
We went this year, taking our tandem touring kayak and our smaller whitewater boats as well.
We arrived on Friday evening to join Vassilis and a few others in admiring George's wooden kayak. He spent 2 years building it from scratch, with only the plans to work from, and the finished item truly is a work of art - particularly when you consider this was his first attempt.
We had a few drinks together and had a lovely meal in a taverna overlooking the sea, then retired to Hotel Arion for the night.
Saturday morning we moved a little bit west along the beach for the main event! The format for the weekend was pretty flexible, with everyone joining in with organised events as they wanted or doing their own thing for a while.
There were a few excursions, mixed with skills workshops for both beginners and more advanced paddlers. On Sunday we also had the opportunity to practise in the swimming pool.
Saturday night was spent camping on the beach, although Em and I chose the relative comfort of the trailer instead of a tent!
The weather was great for the weekend, and we had a great time. The quality of the handmade kayaks was excellent, and it was good to see some of Vasillis' designs from around the world, showing Sea Kayaks from different areas.
Thanks to everyone involved, both for organising the weekend, and for making Em and I so welcome, we had a great time.
There are more photos here
Alaric.
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