Ionian Islands

The Ionian is the classic first sailing holiday in Greece. Mornings are calm, the afternoon breeze is moderate and predictable, and Meganisi, Kalamos, Ithaca and Kefalonia are short hops apart across sheltered water. This loop from Lefkas takes in quiet village quays, the windmill-guarded inlet of Kioni and the Venetian harbour of Fiskardo.

Where the charter boats are

Most charter companies in the Ionian are in two places on the island of Lefkada: Lefkas Marina, at the island's north end and about half an hour from Preveza airport, and Nidri, on the sheltered east coast. This week starts in Lefkas Marina. From Nidri the loop is the same, with a shorter first day to Meganisi.

Main bases: Lefkas Marina and Nidri. Marinas: Vliho Bay, Lefkada · Preveza

When to go

• The season runs from late April to October.
• May, June and September are the sweet spot: warm water, steady afternoon breezes and room on the quays.
• July and August are hot and busy, so the popular harbours fill by mid-afternoon, but the breeze stays moderate.
• April and October are quieter and greener, with lighter winds, cooler water and the odd thunderstorm.

Weather

The Ionian has the gentlest summer sailing in Greece: calm mornings, a reliable afternoon breeze and quiet nights.

Forecasts

• Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) marine forecasts at emy.gr.
• Poseidon wind and wave forecasts from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, at poseidon.hcmr.gr.
• VHF weather bulletins from Olympia Radio, in Greek and English, and your charter company's check-in briefing.

Sea temperature: Around 19 °C in May, 25 to 27 °C in August, 23 °C in late September.

Where you moor

Filling up: water, power and fuel

A sample week

Saturday: Saturday is check-in day. Most crews fly into Preveza, about half an hour away by road. Boats are usually ready from late afternoon: do the boat briefing, stow the shopping and spend the first night in the marina, a short walk from the cafes and tavernas of Lefkas old town.

1. Sunday · about 15 nm

   Lefkas → Vathi, Meganisi

   South down the Lefkas canal into the sheltered inland sea, past Nidri and the wooded island of Skorpios, to the small island of Meganisi.

   On the way: Lunch and a swim in one of the bays along Meganisi's north coast.

   • Walk over to the hilltop village of Spartochori
   • Swim in the clear bays east of the harbour
   • Dinner at a taverna on the waterfront

   Overnight: Stern-to on the quay in Vathi, the island's main harbour, or on the taverna quay in Spilia bay, just to the west.

2. Monday · about 12 nm

   Vathi → Kalamos

   East across open water to Kalamos, a steep, wooded island with one main village and a friendly quay facing the mainland mountains.

   • Walk up through the village for the view across to the mainland
   • Swim from the pebble beach beside the quay
   • Dinner at a taverna on the quay

   Overnight: Stern-to on the village quay. It is small, so arrive early and lay your anchor well out.

3. Tuesday · about 18 nm

   Kalamos → Kioni, Ithaca

   South past the islands of Kastos and Atokos to the north-east corner of Ithaca, the home island of Odysseus.

   • See the three ruined windmills on the harbour headland
   • Take a taxi to Stavros and its little museum of ancient Ithaca
   • Swim from the rocks at the harbour mouth

   Overnight: Stern-to on the quay in Kioni's narrow inlet, or at anchor with a line ashore. It fills early in summer.

4. Wednesday · about 10 nm

   Kioni → Fiskardo, Kefalonia

   Round the north tip of Ithaca and across the channel to Fiskardo, the prettiest harbour on Kefalonia, whose Venetian houses survived the great earthquake of 1953.

   • Walk out to the Venetian lighthouse and the ruined church on the headland
   • Swim at Emblisi bay, a short walk north
   • Browse the delis and bakeries along the quay

   Overnight: Stern-to with your own anchor or alongside the quay. Arrive by early afternoon in summer.

5. Thursday · about 14 nm

   Fiskardo → Sivota, Lefkada

   North across the open water to the south coast of Lefkada and the long, sheltered inlet of Sivota, usually on a beam reach in the afternoon breeze.

   • Swim in the clear bays near the entrance
   • Dinner at a waterside taverna
   • Walk up the hill for the view over the inlet

   Overnight: Stern-to on the town quay or a taverna pontoon. The harbour is narrow, so anchors often cross.

6. Friday · about 18 nm

   Sivota → Lefkas

   East along the coast, north through the channel between Meganisi and Lefkada, and up past Nidri to the canal and the marina.

   • Morning swim before leaving Sivota
   • Refuel at the marina fuel berth before the Friday queues build
   • Last evening in Lefkas old town

   Overnight: Back in Lefkas Marina by Friday evening for the check-in inspection.

Friday evening and Saturday: Be back in Lefkas Marina by Friday evening, refuelled, for the check-in inspection. Saturday morning is check-out, usually by nine.

Navigation and mooring

• The Lefkas canal is narrow and shallow outside the marked channel. Keep to the channel and keep your speed down.
• The floating bridge at the north end of the canal opens to a timetable that changes from year to year. You only need it if you head north to Preveza: ask the marina for the current times.
• Stern-to with your own anchor is the norm on town quays. In Fiskardo, Kioni and Sivota, arrive by early afternoon and expect crossed anchors.
• The afternoon breeze funnels between the islands, especially in the channel between Ithaca and Kefalonia. Reef early.
• Lefkas Marina is the only fixed fuel berth on this loop; elsewhere fuel comes by tanker. Keep the tank topped up.