Come to Vassiliki for a new career
Cloudless blue skies, picturesque whitewashed bars and tavernas, a turquoise swimming pool beside an olive grove… and a deliciously brisk Force 4 wind blowing across the bay. It could only be Vassiliki, and it could soon be yours.
If you’ve got a couple of months to spare – because you’re on a gap year, have been made redundant or are looking for a new career for any other reason – why not spend them in Greece training with Flying Fish?
Sailing, diving and windsurfing courses are all held at Vassiliki on the Ionian island of Lefkas
The village, situated on a wide, sheltered bay on the south coast, is the second largest holiday resort on the island and one of the windsurfing capitals of Europe. There’s good reason why Flying Fish holds its windsurfing and dinghy sailing courses here – ‘Vass’ has an unusual local weather effect, with a calm sea until about 10am (perfect for wake-boarding), then a gentle Force 2-3 onshore breeze which is ideal for novice windsurfers and dinghy sailors, followed by that stiff Force 4 afternoon wind, known locally as 'Eric', which provides a challenge for more experienced sailors. The sight of hundreds of sails speeding across the bay is enough to make your heart sing.
Windsurfing and dinghy sailing are based at Club Vass, the largest and best equipped windsurfing centre in Europe, and race training and advanced dinghy sailing take place at the adjacent club, Wildwind, which has a large fleet of catamarans and high performance dinghies. Because the enclosed bay is so sheltered, the water is flat, making it ideal for learners to train on.
If you go with a partner or friend who doesn’t want to sail or windsurf, there’s plenty to keep them busy – the mountainous terrain makes for great biking, and there is a burgeoning business in diving.
Not many years ago, diving in Greece used to be almost impossible due to vigorous enforcement by the authorities seeking to protect any antiquities there were underwater. But recently the rules have been relaxed, and Flying Fish runs courses at the Nautilus Diving Club, where owner-manager George Kyriacos shares his local knowledge of the area’s historic and natural splendours and sometimes exciting discoveries.
Entry-level diving and fast-track training up to PADI Rescue Diver level are both available at Vassiliki.
Come the evening, there’s a great social life to be had in Vass, with the bars and tavernas clustered round the harbour just a short walk from your accommodation, and events such as a cocktail night, live music and the mid-week Vass barbecue.
Vassiliki is 40 km from Lefkas Town (about 40 minutes by car), and 60 km from Preveza Airport (about an hour by car).
For anyone taking a Flying Fish course, accommodation is usually at the Fish House, where the 14 twin-bedded rooms, shared kitchens and laundry facilities and large courtyard for communal meals make it a fun environment if you’re one of those who enjoy Vass’s famous party atmosphere. Or there is sometimes accommodation available at Andromeda which, set in the olive groves between the village and Club Vass, has 12 spacious, air-conditioned self-catering studios and apartments, all with balcony, en-suite shower room, TV, breakfast bar and simple kitchenette – and privacy, peace and a pool!
Whether you are looking for a recreational holiday on which you can learn a new sport such as windsurfing, dinghy sailing or scuba diving, or you want to train for a new career or gap year employment as a Yachtmaster, windsurf or sailing instructor, mountain bike instructor or divemaster, there are plenty of options from March to the end of September.