Igoumenitsa Visit on 7 September 2022

After having spent over two weeks in Aegina with my family as part of my summer vacation in August 2022, I returned to Athens on 1 September 2022, having two months ahead of me before I began working in the offices of the Greek shipping company Eastern Mediterranean Maritime. During that time, I would go on to perform meetings and interviews with various shipping professionals, in addition to spending more time with my family and friends based in Athens. In addition, I would also go on to find more free time in order to do more shipspotting and see various other ships of the Greek coastal service for the first time. One such occasion happened when I took a six-day-long holiday at the start of September, during which I stopped by Preveza on the Ambracian Gulf on the Ionian Sea for two days (in order to visit a friend from my Master's degree), followed by a four-day stay in the island of Corfu. This trip marked the first time that I went to the island from which my ancestors from my father's side were based for many generations, and it was therefore a great opportunity to explore it while also getting to see many friends that live there. In order to head there, I took the bus from Preveza in order to arrive in the port of Igoumenitsa, whereupon I would take a ferry to Corfu. I arrived there on 7 September 2022, which was more than four years since the last time that I had been in that port, as I had passed by there when I was traveling from Patras to Ancona in Italy on 25-26 August 2018, with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION of ANEK Lines. Because the bus arrived two hours before my scheduled trip to Corfu, I had the chance to explore the city and take several pictures of the various ferries that I managed to see during my stay at the port.

Before showing you all these pictures, I thought that it was a good idea to provide you with a quick overview of the port of Igoumenitsa. Indeed, the latter is located in the regional unit of Thesprotia in the region of Epirus in Northwest Greece. The city itself is located right South of modern-day Albania, inside the eponymous Igoumenitsa Gulf which faces the Southern tip of the island of Corfu. The port's geographical position has helped it become one of the most important ones in Greece. Indeed, it is the second largest port on the Ionian Sea and Western Greece (after Patras), as well as the main port of the region of Epirus. It is considered to be one of the two main gateways for ferries arriving to Italy from Greece, and a key point of connection between Italian ports, Patras as well as the islands of the Ionian Sea. As such, ever since ferries began operating on the Greece-Italy service during the early 1960s, Igoumenitsa has been included in services to and from Patras, while also being the base port for services towards Southern Italian ports like Bari and Brindisi, as well as Otranto in the past. Since the late 2000s, following the completion of the construction of the Egnatia Odos motorway (which links Igoumenitsa with the town of Kipoi in the regional unit of Evros, next to Turkey via Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace), the port has seen its role further enhanced, as it marks the starting point for many tourists that want to visit Northern Greece from Italy and the Balkans, while also enabling lorry drivers heading between Turkey and Italy (in addition to the Balkans and the remainder of Europe) to stay in Northern Greece without needing to head down to Patras to board a ferry there. As such, Igoumenitsa plays a vital role for international services on the Adriatic Sea, but also in the regular ferry connection of the Ionian Sea. Indeed, it is the main port that links mainland Greece with the islands of Corfu and Paxoi, with the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line being one of the busiest services of the Greek coastal service, with 16 ferries operating there during the 2022 season (in addition to the larger cruiseferries and Ro-Pax ferries that would also operate there as part of their itineraries to Italy). Considering the continued importance of the port and its regular ferry services, in recent years it has undergone several developments, with new piers being under construction in order to accommodate larger cruiseferries as well as cargo vessels in the long run.

Another note that I need to make about the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, which is quite important as you will see several pictures of landing craft and double-ended ferries, which have been the main ships operating there ever since the service began in 1955. Despite lasting about 90 minutes (hence longer than services like the Piraeus-Aegina line on the Saronic Gulf, or the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and the Kyllini-Kefalonia line on the Ionian Sea, which use conventional ferries that make their trips in just one hour), these types of ferries have remained the most prominent ones in Corfu, with few conventional ferries having operated there since they first began service there almost three decades ago. Despite this, many prominent Greek companies have experienced much success on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, with some like Agapitos Lines or Fast Ferries having spent the first years of their histories there before eventually expanding to the Cyclades and the Aegean Sea. Other Corfu-based family-owned companies, such as Gerontakis Shipping and S&L Ferries (now both operating as Kerkyra Seaways), have been operating landing craft since 1973, while other now-defunct companies such as Xanthoula V NE were also active for several decades. Over the years, ships also began to link Igoumenitsa with Paxoi as well as with the port of Lefkimmi in Southern Corfu.

Having said all of this, it is impossible not to be able to enjoy a day at the port without seeing numerous ships arriving and leaving for various spots of the Ionian Sea and of the Adriatic Sea. In the two hours that I had available while waiting to sail to Corfu, I had the chance to walk around the port and take many pictures of the ships that I encountered, as well as some other items related to the Greek coastal service such as models and advertisement signs. Without further ado, here are all the pictures that were taken in Igoumenitsa.

The port of Igoumenitsa is split into two major sections, namely the Western part (which is where ships operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line dock) and the Eastern part (which is used by ships operating between Greece and Italy). I first had a look at the former, with the first ship that I found there being the ferry AGIOS SPIRIDON of Kerkyra Seaways. She has been operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line since 2015.

Next to the AGIOS SPIRIDON was one of her fleetmates, namely the landing craft AGIA EIRINI. Built in 1994 in Greece, she has been operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line since 2007.

The AGIA EIRINI seen docked in Igoumenitsa. She was previously known as the MIAOULIS I, operating for the now-defunct Greek company Miaoulis Shipping from 1994 until 2007. During her spell under the latter, she spent her first two seasons on the Piraeus-Aegina line on the Saronic Gulf, before heading to the Agia Marina-Nea Styra line on the Petalioi Gulf in 1996, where she was mostly based until 2007 (while also spending the 2003 season on the Rion-Antirrion line). In 2007, she joined the Greek company Gerontakis Shipping (which has been operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line since 1973), and she underwent a major conversion in Perama in order to begin service on the Ionian Sea, after having been renamed AGIA EIRINI. Gerontakis Shipping operated three landing craft, and in 2018 they would go on to join the Corfu Ferries joint venture together with S&L Ferries (which had bought the AGIOS SPIRIDON in 2015). The latter was rebranded as Kerkyra Seaways in 2019, while in 2020 all three ships of Gerontakis Shipping joined that company, which has since had a fleet of six ships.

The AGIA EIRINI seen resting in Igoumenitsa, during her third full season since she began operating for Kerkyra Seaways.

Another view of the AGIOS SPIRIDON, which was spending her eighth consecutive season on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line. She was built in 2001 in Greece, being originally known as the THASSOS VI of ANETH Ferries. She operated on the Keramoti-Thassos line from 2001 to 2012, after which she moved to the Kavala-Thassos line. After 14 years of operations in Thassos, in 2015 she was acquired by S&L Ferries, which in turn gave the landing craft AGIOS PANTELEIMON (which they had originally bought in 2013) to ANETH Ferries. As such, a trade between the two ships was completed. The THASSOS VI was renamed AGIOS SPIRIDON, and she began operations on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line, sailing under the North West Ferries I brandname until 2019, when her company was rebranded as Kerkyra Seaways.

The AGIA EIRINI seen once again as she is resting in Igoumenitsa.

Just as I was looking at the AGIA EIRINI, I spotted the landing craft IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS of Lefkimmi Lines arriving in Igoumenitsa. She is one of the three ships that serve the Southern port of Lefkimmi in Corfu, instead of serving the island's main town.

A view of the IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS, which was spending her fifth season linking Igoumenitsa with the port of Lefkimmi in Southern Corfu. Built in 1999 in Greece, she was previously known as the MAKEDONIA II of the Greek company Makedonia NE. Under the latter she operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 1999 to 2006, after which she moved to the Megara-Salamina line. She was acquired in 2018 by Lefkimmi Lines, and, following a conversion in Salamina, she began service on the Ionian Sea during that same year after having been renamed IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS.

Another view of the AGIA EIRINI while she is resting in Igoumenitsa. Until she was transferred to Kerkyra Seaways, she was the flagship of Gerontakis Shipping, being the youngest and largest of the three landing craft that the company owned from 2007 to 2020.

The IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Igoumenitsa. She is named after the well-known Greek statesman who served as the first Governor the newly-independent country of Greece from 1828 to 1831, following the success of the Greek War of Independence against the former Ottoman Empire. He was born and raised in Corfu, and, due to being widely considered as one of the architects of the establishment of modern Greece through the revolutionary war, he is widely revered both in Corfu and in Greece as a whole.

The AGIA EIRINI seen while she is docked in Igoumenitsa. Since she began her service on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in 2007, she has been operating smoothly and with no incidents so far. This is in sharp contrast to her early career back when she was still known as the MIAOULIS I, having experienced numerous incidents including two major collisions with other ships, numerous engine breakdowns, as well as grounding near the islet of Skouronisi next to Nea Styra in 2002. Fortunately, ever since she was acquired by Gerontakis Shipping, she has been looked after properly and she remains a reliable ship for the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line.

Looking further down towards the Eastern part of the port, I noticed the conventional ferry HERMES of Kerkyra Seaways. Built in 1997 in Japan, she was spending her second consecutive season on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line.

Two ships of Kerkyra Seaways seen docked together in Igoumenitsa, namely the AGIA EIRINI and the HERMES.

The AGIA EIRINI seen once again in Igoumenitsa. The other two landing craft of Gerontakis Shipping (which also went on to join Kerkyra Seaways in 2020) are the NANTI (built in 1973) and the ELENI (built in 1993). The former just completed her fiftieth consecutive season on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, thus making her the first ship in the history of the Greek coastal service to have spent half-a-century on the same service, in addition to her being the only ship to have spent her entire career on the same line without any interruptions for five decades. The latter was a notable presence on the Saronic Gulf in 2021, having been briefly deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina line in order to cover the service that was usually provided by the conventional ferry AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries (coincidentally, a ship that was formerly known as the MIAOULIS II, as she was being built by the former owners of the AGIA EIRINI, namely Miaoulis Shipping, during the mid 1990s, before she was eventually completed in 1999 as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU for the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company), which was temporarily assigned to operate on the Sporades instead of her fleetmate, namely the SYMI, which was taken off service following a major engine failure. During her brief spell on the Saronic Gulf, I went on to travel with her three times from Aegina to Piraeus, with the first time being on 21 July 2021.

A view of the HERMES while she is docked in Igoumenitsa. She was acquired by Kerkyra Seaways in 2019, after having previously spent the first 22 years of her career in Japan under Nankai Ferry (under two different spells) and Rinky Ferry (for just one season, back in 1999). She was converted in Salamina and in Drapetsona, and she eventually began service on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line 2021. She became the flagship of her company, and she notably distinguishes herself from the rest of the fleet, as she features a red livery, while her remaining fleetmates all carry a navy blue livery instead.

The AGIA EIRINI seen once again, as she is resting in Igoumenitsa.

Another view of the AGIA EIRINI, which received the updated navy blue livery of Kerkyra Seaways in late 2021, hence just before the 2022 season started.

The AGIA EIRINI seen once more in Igoumenitsa. When she was acquired by Gerontakis Shipping in 2007, she underwent a lengthy conversion in Perama, during which her aft section was fully remodeled, while her accommodation superstructure was extended and slightly rebuilt so that she could carry more passengers than she did back when she was sailing as the MIAOULIS I.

The next ship that I got to see was the double-ended ferry ANO CHORA II of 2way Ferries. Built in 2004 in Greece, she has spent her entire career under her current owner, while she has been operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line since 2005.

The ANO CHORA II seen in Igoumenitsa. She is the only ship of 2way Ferries that has remained on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. Before that, the company also used to operate another one of its double-ended ferries, namely the ACHAEOS, on that service from late 2006 until the summer of 2013 (with a sole interruption between 2011 and 2012, when she was on charter to the Italian company Blunavy). Since 2014, the company has deployed that ship on the Saronic Gulf, where it now operates three ferries (the other two being the POSIDON HELLAS and the APOLLON HELLAS, which were bought in 2015 and in 2016, respectively), while it also operates the veteran landing craft KANARIS on the Agia Marina-Nea Styra line on the Petalioi Gulf since 2020. In addition, 2way Ferries also operated two more double-ended ferries on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, namely the sister ships DORIEUS and IONAS. The former operated for them from 2012 until 2014, before being sold for service in Russia and later returning to Corfu as the CORFU SPIRIT for Kerkyra Lines. The latter operated for the company for just one month in 2014, before being chartered in Russia and then in Estonia, and ultimately returning to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line in 2017, after being acquired by S&L Ferries (which was subsequently rebranded as Kerkyra Seaways in 2019).

The HERMES seen in Igoumenitsa once again. In addition to being the flagship of Kerkyra Seaways, and the most modern conventional ferry of her company and of the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line altogether, she is also the fastest ship that operates on that service. Indeed, she heads from Igoumenitsa to Corfu, and vice versa, under only one hour and 15 minutes, therefore 15-20 minutes quicker than most of the landing craft performing the same service.

The HERMES seen while docked in Igoumenitsa. This was her second summer on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line.

A view of two landing craft operating for Kerkyra Seaways, namely the AGIA EIRINI and the AGIOS SPIRIDON.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON spotted in the port of Igoumenitsa. Despite having only been acquired by Kerkyra Seaways (then still known as S&L Ferries) in 2015, she has already become their longest-serving active ship of their current active fleet.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen together with the ANO CHORA II, as they are both resting in Igoumenitsa.

The ANO CHORA II and the HERMES, which are widely considered to be the two best ferries operating in Corfu at the moment, seen together in Igoumenitsa.

A view of the ANO CHORA II in Igoumenitsa. She is also known to feature a different livery compared to that of her fleetmates, having always operated under a white-painted hull, whereas the the ships operating on the Saronic Gulf are painted in blue.

Another view of the ANO CHORA II together with the HERMES.

While seeing all these ships, I also had the chance to witness another arrival, most specifically that of the conventional ferry AGIA THEODORA of Kerkyra Lines which was returning from Corfu.

The AGIA THEODORA seen heading towards her docking spot in Igoumenitsa. Built in 1989 in Japan, she became the third ship to join Kerkyra Lines, in addition to being the second conventional ferry that they bought. She was bought in 1999, and, following a lengthy conversion in Perama, she began service later in that same year on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line.

The AGIA THEODORA seen once more as she arrives in Igoumenitsa. Having started operations on the Ionian Sea in late 1999, she is currently the ship with the second longest spell in Corfu amongst the active vessels serving the island, after the NANTI which has been operating there since 1973.

The AGIA THEODORA seen once more as she is heading towards her docking spot in Igoumenitsa. In addition to being the longest-serving ship in the history of Kerkyra Lines, she was also the company's flagship from 1999 until the arrival of the conventional ferry KERKYRA EXPRESS in 2015.

The AGIA THEODORA seen once again as she begins her maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIA THEODORA, a ship that I finally got to see in front of my eyes for the first time in my life, seen while beginning her maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIA THEODORA seen while undergoing maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa.

A view of the AGIA THEODORA, with the well-known side ramp extension on her starboard side, as she is maneuvering in the port of Igoumenitsa.

The AGIA THEODORA seen while undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa. She is not only the current longest-serving conventional ferry on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line, but also the longest-serving such ferry in the service's history.

The AGIA THEODORA seen after having completed her maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIA THEODORA seen as she is about to dock in Igoumenitsa. When she began her career in Japan, she was known as the YUKAZURU MARU of the Japanese company Awaji Ferry Boat. She was operating on the Kobe-Oiso line on the Akashi Strait, together with her three sister ships. One of them, namely the CHIEZURU MARU (built in 1990), also went on to operate in Greece later in her career, and coincidentally, also on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. However, she was not operating for Kerkyra Lines, but for Fast Ferries, which bought her in 2003. The ship underwent a lengthy conversion in Salamina in order to be rebuilt according to the demands of the Greek coastal service, although her aft section differed largely from that of the AGIA THEODORA. She was renamed PLATITERA and she began service on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in 2004. She only stayed there fore three years, as she was sold in 2007 to the Italian company Medmar, for whom she remains in service today as the MARIA BUONO on the Pozzuoli-Procida-Ischia line on the Naples Gulf.

The AGIA THEODORA seen as she is about to dock in Igoumenitsa, with the ANO CHORA II watching. Both ships' companies operate together under the Kerkyra Ferries joint venture.

The AGIA THEODORA spotted as she continues to dock in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIA THEODORA seen about to dock in Igoumenitsa. Having now operated in Corfu for 24 years, she is one of the most popular ships of the Ionian Sea, and she continues to be appreciated by many passengers using her on a regular basis. Additionally, when she first began service back in 1999, she was viewed as a very innovative ferry for the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line, and she remains a ship of very high standards more than two decades later. Her longevity has also been noted, while also considering the fact that she was her company's sole ship from 2007 until the arrival of the landing craft KERKYRA in 2012. Since then, Kerkyra Lines went on to acquire numerous other ships, and as of today the company's fleet consists of ten ships (one of which has been under charter to the Maltese company Gozo Channel Line since 2019). Their most recent acquisition has been that of their first-ever high speed craft, namely the hydrofoil KONSTANTINOS I of Thassos Fast Ferry Lines, which was recently renamed PAXOS ISLAND. She is scheduled to operate on the Corfu-Paxoi line during the summer.

The AGIA THEODORA seen once more, as she is about to dock in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIA THEODORA seen about to dock in Igoumenitsa, next to the ANO CHORA II.

The AGIA THEODORA seen in Igoumenitsa together with another Japanese-built conventional ferry, namely the HERMES.

A view of the AGIOS SPIRIDON together with the AGIA THEODORA, which is about to dock next to her.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen together with the AGIA THEODORA in Igoumenitsa. It is noteworthy to state that Kerkyra Lines also used to own a ship named AGIOS SPIRIDON. Indeed, this was the company's first-ever conventional ferry, which operated for them from 1994 until 2007. Also built in Japan, she had an acclaimed career in Greece for 30 years, having previously operated as the CHRYSSI AMMOS III for Polemis Epirus Line and then as then as the THIRA II and as the HELLAS EXPRESS for Nomicos Lines. She notably served the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea during her that period. She was bought by Kerkyra Lines in 1994, and she spent 13 years on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line before being sold to the Turkish company Asya Ro-Ro Turizm Nakliyat in 2007. She operated for that company for four years on the Trabzon-Sochi line on the Black Sea as the LİDER CLIPPER, before she was sold for scrap to Turkey in 2011.

While the AGIA THEODORA was docking in Igoumenitsa, the AGIOS SPIRIDON (therefore the second ferry to have had that name over the past three decades) was seen departing the port of Igoumenitsa.

The AGIA EIRINI and the AGIOS SPIRIDON seen once more, as the latter departs the port of Igoumenitsa.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen as she is departing the port of Igoumenitsa.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen about to begin her maneuvering procedure in order to leave Igoumenitsa for Corfu.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen while she begins to leave Igoumenitsa.

Another view of the IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS while she is also resting in Igoumenitsa.

The IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS seen in Igoumenitsa. The other ship owned by Lefkimmi Lines is the landing craft AGIA TRIADA, which has been operating for them since 2008.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON about to begin her maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen beginning her maneuvering procedure in order to leave the port of Igoumenitsa.

Two different types of ferries serving two different ports of Corfu seen together in Igoumenitsa, namely the IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS and the AGIA THEODORA.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen continuing her maneuvering procedure as part of her departure from the port of Igoumenitsa.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen once more while she is undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen during her departure from Igoumenitsa. After having been one of the most reliable ships to have ever operated in Thassos, she has also become a successful ship in Corfu and in Paxoi as well.

Another view of the AGIA EIRINI, which continues to rest in Igoumenitsa.

The HERMES seen in Igoumenitsa while watching her fleetmate, namely the AGIOS SPIDIRON, undergoing her maneuvering procedure.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen about to complete her maneuvering procedure in Igoumenitsa.

Another view of the HERMES together with the AGIOS SPIRIDON in Igoumenitsa.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen having completed her maneuvering procedure, and now ready to begin sailing towards Corfu.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON now seen sailing towards Corfu and heading towards the exit of the Igoumenitsa Gulf.

The AGIOS SPIRIDON seen leaving Igoumenitsa, while another larger ship linking Greece with Italy was seen arriving in the port. Indeed, this was the Ro-Pax ferry FLORENCIA of the Italian company Grimaldi Lines, which operates on the Igoumenitsa-Ancona line on the Adriatic Sea.

The IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS seen once again, while she is resting in Igoumenitsa.

Another close view of the AGIA EIRINI, one of the many ships that began their careers on the Aegean Sea before establishing themselves on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line.

The Ro-Pax ferry FLORENCIA seen arriving in Igoumenitsa. Built in 2004 in Italy, she is part of the prominent Visentini-class. She was initially known as the GOLFO ARANCI of the now-defunct Italian company Lloyd Sardegna, and she operated for them for three years on the Piombino-Olbia on the Tyrrhenian Sea. She was bought by Grimaldi Lines in 2007, and she has operated for them across various services on the Mediterranean Sea, while having also operated under charter to other Italian companies such as Grandi Navi Veloci (from 2013 to 2015) and TTT Lines (from 2016 to 2018). She first operated on the Adriatic Sea in 2012, back when she was the first ship of Grimaldi Lines to begin service on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Brindisi line. She also operated on this service from 2018 until 2020, while in 2021 she was deployed on the Igoumenitsa-Ancona line.

One last view of the IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS in Igoumenitsa.

The FLORENCIA seen approaching the port of Igoumenitsa. She was performing the service on the Igoumenitsa-Ancona line for the second year in a row together with her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the VENEZIA (also built in 2004, and also previously owned by Lloyd Sardegna). The latter ship would also operate in Corfu during the summer, thus operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line.

After having seen most of the ships that were docked in the port of Igoumenitsa, I also went on to have a walk around the city's coastline, which features numerous travel agency offices offering their services to passengers and vehicle owners. Due to the port's importance and the numerous operators that have served it over the years, there are many signs and items displaying various ships and companies that have been in Igoumenitsa across various eras. As such, I got to see, amongst others, a model of the cruiseferry EL. VENIZELOS of ANEK Lines, which used to operate on the Adriatic Sea during the start of her career, having been deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Trieste line from 1992 to 1999 and from 2001 to 2022, before spending her last season on the shortened Patras-Igoumenitsa-Trieste line in 2003 (while she also had two brief comeback spells during the winters of 2005 and of 2006). Since 2004, that ship has alternated between summer seasons under charter to various foreign companies, services on the Piraeus-Chania line and occasional periods of lay-up. She has been currently experiencing the latter condition, having been languishing in Perama since 2020. While her future is uncertain, she nonetheless remains a major ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service and of the Adriatic Sea, and her operations during the 1990s came at a time during which ANEK Lines was thriving on the Adriatic Sea, despite the heavy competition that existed during that period. The model is therefore a reminder of the ship and her lasting impact on the Greece-Italy service. She still remains one of the largest ferries to have ever operated there.

A view of various signs posted on the wall of the main building of the Igoumenitsa Port Authority. It features the names and logos of various prominent companies that operate or that used to operate on the Adriatic Sea. Indeed, one can see ANEK Lines, Minoan Lines, Superfast Ferries and Ventouris Ferries, which continue to operate in Igoumenisa. Blue Star Ferries remains active, but it last had a ferry on the Adriatic Sea during the 2009 season, while European Seaways, which has been known as A-Ships Management since 2018, did not have a ferry in Igoumenitsa during the 2022 season, instead only operating the cruiseferry GALAXY on the Brindisi-Vlöre line (where she has been operating since 2020). Adriatic Lines was a short-lived operator which deployed two large Ro-Ro carriers, namely the RO-PAX 1 and the RO-PAX 2, on the Adriatic Sea from 2009 to 2010, when they abruptly ceased operations and gave away their ships to NEL Lines, which renamed them AQUA HERCULES and OLYMPUS, respectively. Agoudimos Lines and Endevaor lines also operated ships to Bari and Brindisi for many years, before they both ceased operations on the Adriatic Sea following the 2012 season, as a result of financial difficulties caused by the Greek financial crisis at the time. Maritime Way was an Italian-Greek operator which operated from 2002 to 2006, having bought three former ships of Minoan Lines together with the Ro-Pax ferry ELLI T (today known as the OLYMPUS of Sea Speed Ferries), and deploying them to Brindisi, Bari and Monfalcone (the latter only during the 2002 season). They ceased operations in 2006, after which they gave their last two remaining ships to Endeavor Lines. Finally, RML Lines was another short-lived company that operated the Ro-Ro carrier RUZGAR (which is mentioned in the company's sign) on the Igoumenitsa-Brindisi line during the 2011 season, before ending their services the following year, with the ship having since moved to the Red Sea, being known as the AZIZ EXPRESS of the Egyptian company Namma Lines and operating on the Suakin-Jeddah line since 2022. A small picture with a few signs, yet filled with history and numerous interesting facts worth sharing.

Another travel agency building in Igoumenitsa, which features the logo of five companies at the top. These are European Seaways (now known as A-Ships Management), Superfast Ferries, Minoan Lines, ANEK Lines and Grimaldi Lines, which have also been operating on the Adriatic Sea for several years. Underneath these logos is that of Ventouris Ferries, which has its main office in Igoumenitsa in this building. One can also see four pictures showing three of their ships, these being the BARI, the RIGEL II and the RIGEL I. Since 2015, the company only serves Igoumenitsa during the summer season, operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line along with occasional extensions to Kefalonia and Zakynthos. These were performed by the BARI from 2015 to 2019, and by the RIGEL I from 2017 to 2020, and since 2020 they have been covered by the RIGEL VII. The RIGEL II has been operating on the Bari-Durrës ever since she began service for the company in 2015. She is the only ship out of the three that is still operating for Ventouris Ferries, as the RIGEL I was sold for scrap to India in September 2021, while the BARI also experienced the same fate by heading to Bangladesh only a month later. Right next to the signs of Ventouris Ferries, one can also see a picture of the OLYMPIA PALACE of Minoan Lines in her original livery back when she was operating on the Adriatic Sea at the start of her career (she is currently known as the new KNOSSOS PALACE since 2020, when she was deployed on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line) along with the SUPERFAST XII of Superfast Ferries, which also spent many years on the Adriatic Sea, being eventually sold in 2018 to Grimaldi Lines, for whom she has been operating as the CRUISE AUSONIA.

Another travel agency building, which features a few more signs including one of ANEK Lines at the top, while displaying the OLYMPIC CHAMPION which operates on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line. At the corner of the building, one can once again see the logo of ANEK Lines along with that of Superfast Ferries, and right next to the latter there is another picture of the SUPERFAST XII together with the logos of Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines. Next to the logo of ANEK Lines at the bottom is another very interesting sign, which shows the cruiseferry VÄSTERVIK during her sole season operating on the Adriatic Sea, having operated on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line during the summer of 2016 for European Management Maritime Company. Built in 1986 in Japan, this ship first arrived in Greece in 2009, after having been bought the previous year by Endeavor Lines, for whom she was supposed to be introduced on the Adriatic Sea as the PRINCESS T. Since then, the ship experienced multiple years of bad luck and unfortunate decisions, having failed to complete her conversion and instead remaining laid-up in Perama, Salamina and Drapetsona for several years. Endeavor Lines then ceased operations in 2012, despite this the ship went on to complete most of her conversion in 2013, and she was due to be chartered in 2014 to the Swedish company Gotlandsbåten (having been renamed VÄSTERVIK) before technical issues and disagreements with the charterers prevented her from heading there. She was then acquired by the Greek company European Management Maritime Company in 2015, but she only began operating for them the following year, thus finally starting service on the Adriatic Sea eight years after she had been acquired by Endeavor Lines. However, in 2017 she was arrested by her crew in Igoumenitsa as a result of the company's debts, after which she was sold to the Moroccan company Inter Shipping, for whom she continues to operate today on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait as the MED STAR. Overall, a very eventful path for a ship that never had a real chance to make her mark in Greece, and her case remains one of the biggest 'what-ifs' of the Greek coastal service had she been acquired by another company. Despite this, her single season in 2016 is still remembered, as shown by this sign that still features the ship six years after her final year of service.

After having seen these various travel agencies and interesting signs, I began to head towards the HERMES, which was the ship that I would be traveling with in order to head to Corfu. Next to her, I saw another landing craft which had arrived in Igoumenitsa, namely the LEUKIMMI of Sarris Lines. Built in 2003 in Greece, she has spent her entire career linking Igoumenitsa with the port of Lefkimmi in Southern Corfu.

Another view of the LEUKIMMI, while she is docked in Igoumenitsa.

And this therefore concludes this Blog post, which gave you an idea of the importance of the port of Igoumenitsa within the Greek coastal service and the regular connection of Greece with Italy. It remains a very busy port which provides several services on the Ionian Sea and on the Adriatic Sea, with many ships calling it every day in order to head to Corfu and Paxoi, as well as to Patras and Italian ports. I was able to see several of these ships for the first time in my life, and there is no doubt that my photo collection became richer despite having spent just two hours walking around the port. I would go on to travel to Corfu for the first time by embarking onboard the HERMES of Kerkyra Seaways, and the next post will feature a few more pictures from Igoumenitsa which I will be sharing soon.

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