There is a pocket of the Mediterranean where the weather gods appear to have made an agreement with skippers. Mornings are glassy calm. By early afternoon, a clean north-westerly fills in from 10 to 18 knots, and by dusk the sea is flat again — as though someone drew a curtain on the breeze. This is the Ionian, and for those of us who approach it by water, the Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca triangle is the sweetest stretch of it. Three islands. Short passages. Anchorages that will make you question why you ever go anywhere else.
Lefkada to Fiskardo is barely 18 nautical miles. Fiskardo to Vathy, Ithaca is under 10. The whole cruising ground can be covered in a week and never fully exhausted in a season. What follows is written entirely from the helm — not from a hotel terrace.
Weather, Wind and When to Go
The Ionian’s defining meteorological gift is the Maistros (also called the Maestro or Maestral) — a north-westerly sea breeze that builds gently around midday, peaks in the afternoon at Force 3–5, and dies down by sunset. In the height of summer, it is said you can set your watch to the wind — not a breath before 11am, then a gradually building medium breeze ideal for a relaxed afternoon passage, before the wind goes to sleep shortly before dusk.
Unlike the Aegean’s notorious Meltemi, the Ionian is much calmer — largely sheltered from the Meltemi, with lighter NW winds of Force 2–5 most days and a predictable daily wind cycle of calm mornings and moderate afternoons. For motor boaters, this is perfect: run early before the chop builds, anchor for a long lunch, then make the short afternoon hop as the Maistros provides welcome cooling at 35°C. Lighter winds in the Ionian can make the heat feel more oppressive, so adequate cockpit shade and good ventilation are essential from June through September.
The prime window is June through September. June is widely regarded as the easiest month for skippers who value predictability. Temperatures are comfortably warm, rainfall is uncommon, and the afternoon breeze has settled into a pattern you can plan around. It is an excellent month for first-time charter guests, partly because conditions are straightforward and partly because the marinas are not yet at full July–August chaos. September is the insider’s choice: the quiet favourite of many regular charterers, with water at its annual peak, the main wave of tourists gone, the wind steady, and the evening light turning golden.
One critical note for motorboat skippers: the wide bays on the western coast of the islands — Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia — are not suitable for overnight anchoring, as waves from the open sea can arrive strong at any time. Work the sheltered eastern shores.
Lefkada: The Canal, the Marina and Vlicho Bay
Your approach to Lefkada from the north is the first test of seamanship this cruising ground sets you. Approaching from the north is tricky, especially for a first-time visitor, and even more so if there are fresh to strong NW winds with the afternoon sea breeze, which cause a difficult swell as they break on the shore around the entrance. The Lefkada Channel is dredged and buoyed, with depths generally 4–6 m. Entry is controlled by a swing bridge at Lefkada town operating on scheduled openings. The channel is narrow, with shoals outside the marked limits.
The bridge does not wait. The bridge opens for 10–15 minutes, or practically until waiting vessels have passed. During the night (23:00–07:00) the bridge will open upon request on VHF Channel 12 if a vessel is waiting, but don’t count on it. Plan your arrival for a scheduled opening and have your engine-room cool and throttles ready — this is not the place to drift.
Once through, D-Marin Lefkas sits immediately to starboard. The total capacity is 620 berths for vessels up to 45 metres length and a draft of 4 m, with 280 dry berths. Contact the marina on VHF Channel 69 upon arrival and go to the office to process check-in paperwork. Facilities include a fuel station at the entrance, toilet and shower blocks, and a laundromat. Pre-book your berth through a service like Navionics — its Dock-to-Dock routing feature is particularly useful for timing arrival around bridge openings, and the updated chart layers give you accurate channel depths that older plotters can misrepresent.
For those who prefer to anchor, Vlicho Bay on the eastern coast is one of the finest overnights in the southern Ionian. A long, sheltered, natural bay, its calm waters and excellent protection from all wind directions make it one of the safest anchorages in the Ionian, even during strong blows. The bay is popular among cruisers for extended stays thanks to its easy anchoring, good holding, and proximity to yacht services. Anchor in mud in 5–7 m depth with excellent holding. In places there is seaweed, so a strong reverse is required to dig the anchor beneath it. A short dinghy ride reaches Limanaki Taverna, where berthing is free with the obligation to dine at the restaurant. We have never regretted that arrangement.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo, Assos and Myrtos — From the Water
Of all the stops in this Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca, Kefalonia has the widest range of moods. Approaches are made in open Ionian waters with generally deep, steep-to coastlines allowing close approach. The island is prominent, with high terrain providing clear visual identification; access is straightforward from all directions. Mount Ainos, rising to over 1,600 metres, acts as a natural windbreak, creating lee shores along much of the coastline.
Fiskardo is the jewel. Because the town was not destroyed by the 1953 earthquake that flattened most of Kefalonia, it is the most architecturally picturesque town on the island, and as a result tourists flock here. From the water, you enter a small natural harbour ringed with Venetian pastel houses, superyachts balanced against wooden caiques. The small harbour is almost always crowded and it pays to arrive early, especially during July and August. Even arriving as early as midday, your only option may be to anchor on the north side of the harbour with lines ashore. Quay space is limited, so consider longlining outside. Stern-to on the quay if you are lucky enough to find space. Hail on VHF 12 as you enter. Fiskardo charges €15–€25 per night in high season, collected by a port authority officer in the evening.
For anchoring near Fiskardo, Foki Bay — a short hop south — is the better choice for motorboats wanting privacy. Located a couple of bays south of Fiskardo, it is very popular in summer with superyachts, but it is possible to anchor and take a long line ashore. This is a great anchorage for an overnight stay so long as the forecast is settled. The bay has crystal-clear water home to sea turtles and is surrounded by Mediterranean pine trees.
North of Fiskardo, Assos rewards patience. The bay provides exceptional protection in a dramatic setting surrounded by towering cliffs. Fiskardo Bay serves as the island’s primary yachting hub, though Assos is particularly striking. The surrounding cliffs provide complete wind protection, though space is limited to around 10–12 yachts. The bay maintains consistent depths of 4–8 m with excellent holding in sand and weed. Day-trip south to Myrtos Beach for a swim stop: revered globally for its turquoise waters and towering cliffs, Myrtos is best visited midday for the famous Ionian water colour. A quick anchorage or swim stop yields memorable photos. This is one of those beaches accessible only from the water — there is no road approach that delivers you here with the same sense of arrival.
For full provisioning, Argostoli is your base. Argostoli provides the most developed berthing on Kefalonia, with extensive town quay berthing and a municipal marina area. Berthing is stern-to or alongside, with depths typically 3–3.5 m alongside. The port supports 200+ berths with access to water, electricity, fuel, chandlery, and technical services. Load up here before the quieter hop to Ithaca. The Navionics Boating app is the Nautiful team’s preferred tool throughout this triangle — particularly its SonarChart depth layers, which flag the notoriously uneven depths off Argostoli’s inner quay before you reverse in.
Ithaca: Vathy, Kioni and the Anchorages Homer Knew
There is something quietly extraordinary about arriving in Vathy by boat. Vathy, the main harbour and administrative centre of Ithaca, lies at the head of one of the most naturally sheltered bays in the Ionian Sea. The entrance is narrow and well defined, opening into a long, enclosed inlet. The main port lies on the SE coast and is entered through a narrow, well-defined inlet. Depths reduce from 30–40 m outside to 10–15 m at the entrance, then 5–8 m inside the bay. Stand off the approach until the angles clarify — there are no navigational hazards, but on a hazy afternoon the entrance headlands compress and the bay appears from nowhere.
The port of Vathy is a natural harbour providing excellent anchorage, known from Homeric times as particularly sheltered. Anchored boats find a safe haven without additional support. It is protected from all winds except the north-west, which blows in gusts. Anchor off the town in 5–10 m, where holding is moderate to good in mud and weed once your anchor is well dug in. Shelter is adequate in the prevailing winds and usually only uncomfortable until the afternoon seabreeze, which regularly reaches F4–5 in summer, dies down.
One practical warning: around the ferry dock, the ships will give you a good shake when they come in, and some of these ships are huge. At night and early in the morning, incoming and outbound ferries generate high noise and a lot of swell. Moor on the main yacht quay rather than near the ferry berth. In the northeast of the harbour, at Mylos, there is a filling station for vessels (fuel, lubricant, water).
North of Vathy, Kioni is Ithaca’s most beautiful anchorage and the one skippers come back to year after year. A pretty and surprisingly traditional village under wonderfully wooded hills — the three ruins of windmills on Cape Psigadi will guide you on the approach. The best berths are stern-to at the quay near the green harbour light. To cope with violent westerly gusts, take a wide-angled line from the midship cleat to the quay. Muddy seabed provides perfect holding and, despite the mud, the water is clear and clean.
On Ithaca’s west coast, Polis Bay rounds out an exceptional island. The bay has interesting history including the Cave of Louizos and a very old church built into the hillside behind the beach café. The bay is quite deep — you can longline on the north or south shore, or free swing in the middle, though anchoring can be challenging in 10–20 m with a weedy bottom. Come in the evening when the charter boats have gone and you may have it to yourself. This is part of what makes this Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca circuit endlessly repeatable — every bay holds something different depending on the light, the season and the tide of traffic.
Practical Passage Notes: Fuel, Charts and Booking
A few hard-won observations for skippers planning their route through this triangle:
- Fuel: Fuel is concentrated in Lefkada Town at the channel and marina area, including D-Marin Lefkas, where marine diesel is available via a fixed fuel berth. Nidri has supply via road tanker delivery to quay with advance notice required; Vasiliki has limited and less reliable supply. On Kefalonia, Argostoli is your best diesel stop.
- Cash: Town quay fees are almost always cash-only in euros. Keep €50–€100 in small notes aboard at all times.
- Arrival timing: In July and August, arrive before 13:00 at popular spots like Fiskardo. This applies equally to Kioni and Vathy on Ithaca.
- Charts: Navionics+ (available from around €29.99/year on iOS and Android) is the go-to chart solution for this area. Its SonarChart layers are particularly valuable in Kefalonia’s unnamed coves where official charts under-represent depths. Always cross-reference with the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service charts for harbour layouts.
- Longlines: In smaller coves without docks, the common practice is to anchor and take a long line ashore to a rock or tree. Be prepared with a sturdy 30–50 m line for this technique.
- Marina pre-booking: For D-Marin Lefkas in particular, booking ahead via the D-Marin app or through platforms like Nausys saves the risk of arriving at a full marina after a long passage from Corfu or Preveza.
Charter Base and Boat Recommendations for this Circuit
Lefkada is the logical charter hub for this circuit. You start an Ionian Sea charter at Lefkada Town — the most popular base with fastest access by air. Lefkada has the largest charter fleet in the Ionian, with sailing yachts and catamarans from 38 to 50 feet. For those chartering or delivering their own boat, the circuit runs naturally: Lefkada → Nidri/Vlicho → Fiskardo → Assos → Argostoli → Vathy → Kioni → back north via the channel between the islands. A comfortable 7-night loop.
If you are running a motorboat in these waters — which is increasingly the smart choice for the short, stop-start passages of 8–20 NM — the Ionian rewards boats that do not need deep drafts. A Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 or an Axopar 37 Cross Cabin are ideally suited: enough range to run from Lefkada to Argostoli in a single morning blast before the Maistros builds, enough shallow draft to push into Assos and Foki Bay where catamarans struggle to find sand clear of weed. Larger vessels — a Sunseeker Predator 65 or a Princess V58 — will find D-Marin Lefkas fully equipped to receive them with 45 m berths and a 150-tonne travelift. Whichever boat you bring, stern-to Mediterranean mooring is the universal grammar of these harbours. Practise it before you arrive.
This Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca barely scratches the surface of what is a genuinely inexhaustible cruising ground. There are unnamed coves on Ithaca’s east coast reachable only by tender. There are bays south of Assos where the limestone turns the water a colour that has no name in English. There are fish suppers at quayside tavernas in Kioni where the owner brings the catch out to show you before they cook it. For sailors, the most beautiful moments often come at anchor, when the island quiets down and the sea turns glassy. None of that is visible from the road. All of it is yours from the water.
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