Polis beach, below the northern village of Stavros, stands motionless under a blue sky in Winter. This favourite beach on Ithaki is abandoned by the tanned bodies scattered across its' pebbled front during the mayhem of the Summer season, and left to driftwood and seaweed washing up on its' shores.

The voices of the young ex-pats and the Stavros locals, who gathered around the Polis Beach Cantina for chips, calamari and drinks, are a distant echo, forced deeper into our Ithacan Summer memories with the cold north wind blowing down the mountains and across the bay today.

During the Summer, the community of Polis Beach congregated under the tree, where Lucky rented out banana lounges and umbrellas and McGyver gave body massages, where girls came to have their nails done and friends met after a hot mornings' work.  Tug of war and beach volleyball games were organized under this tree, dates at Bemenis and Summer love affairs were ignited in its' shade. The tree is an Oasis on a hot Summers' day, a hub for the Polis beach community, but in Winter, it stands like a scarecrow, warding off intruders until Lucky, the lion king of ex-pats, returns to his lair, to breath life back into this strip of beach that is so loved.

Fisherman reclaim Polis Bay for themselves in Winter. The sleepy bay where little, but ordinary life, happens.  Serene beauty and still views.

Over the winter months, plastic bags and tar from passing boats pollute this smooth, pebbled beach.  The natural beauty of washed up driftwood and seaweed is obscured by the mess of modern convenience.

All around, the fields of Polis are green and lush after endless days of rain. December storms, with heaving oceans, have forced the pebbles closer inland. Rippled mounds of smooth stone, polished into the colours of winter by an unforgiving sea, are set in gold on a sunny, blue-sky day.

The sign to Polis Beach from Stavros, once read 'Ancient city sank'. It's hard to believe anything could sink in the buoyant waters of Polis, but yes it is true.  An ancient city lays deep below the surface of the bay at Polis. Polis bay is also known Loizos Cave, where ancient artefacts were discovered before the cave, caved in. The modern day appeal of this beach is that it is a sleepy fishing port in Winter, with its' tranquil views and reflecting sea, and its' high octane Summer life during July and August, where people from all over the world come to enjoy the Polis community.