There is a moment, somewhere in the strait between Kefalonia’s northern headland and the rocky shoulder of Ithaca, when the engine note drops and you let the throttle breathe. The water turns from deep indigo to something between jade and turquoise. You are fifteen minutes from a quayside taverna and a world away from a hire car. This is the Ionian at its most seductive — and the only honest way to see it is from the helm. This Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca is written for the skipper who arrives by sea, because that is the only arrival that counts.
Why the Ionian Is Europe’s Premier Motorboat Cruising Ground
The Ionian does not punish you the way the Aegean does. The Ionian Sea is one of the most reliably predictable sailing destinations in the Mediterranean, its weather consistency coming from three interlocking factors: a daily thermal breeze called the Maistros that cycles like clockwork from May to September, an island chain that physically shields the region from the stronger Aegean winds, and a summer-long Mediterranean high-pressure system that suppresses storm risk. For a motorboat skipper, that translates directly into confidence. You can plan passages, commit to anchorages and leave fuel reserves for exploration rather than battling chop.
In summer, the Maistro dominates — a northwesterly breeze that starts around midday, builds in the afternoon, and eases at sunset, with speeds usually sitting between 10–20 knots. The practical rhythm becomes second nature within a day: depart early, make your passage in glassy conditions, anchor before the afternoon wind builds, then motor to dinner by dinghy as the breeze dies. The prevailing wind is channelled and funnelled by the significant mountainous land masses, so it can vary in strength and direction quite quickly — which means your Navionics app, loaded with the Adriatic and Ionian Sea chart pack, should stay on the chart table rather than the galley.
Be warned that the channel between Ithaca and Kefalonia can suffer from a nasty swell in a southerly blow — one of the few passages in this guide where you should check the forecast twice before committing. Load Navionics on your tablet before you depart; the real-time depth shading and SonarChart Live layers pay dividends in the narrower bays where older charts are vague about actual depths.
Lefkada: The Canal, the Marina and the Secret West Coast
Every southbound skipper on the Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca circuit comes through Lefkada first, and the island announces itself with a navigational test before you’ve even unpacked. The floating bridge at Lefkada is one of the most talked-about features of the marina approach, opening only at scheduled times throughout the day, and if you are arriving from the north or planning to depart northward, you must time your passage carefully to align with the bridge opening schedule. A current marine cruising source notes the bridge monitors VHF Channel 12 as “Floating Bridge Santa Maura” and publishes seasonal opening schedules, which can change. Check the schedule before you leave Preveza — missing a slot means a wait of an hour or more.
The canal approach requires careful navigation — use up-to-date charts and follow the buoyed channel precisely, particularly at lower water levels. Once through, D-Marin Lefkas is your base. With a capacity of 620 berths, it can accommodate vessels up to 45m length and 3.30m draft. Approaching the marina, you will receive guidance through VHF Channel 69, while the marina staff will welcome you at berth. Facilities include a fuel station at the entrance to the marina, three toilet/shower blocks, laundromat, and post office. Book your berth well in advance for July and August — D-Marin marinas fill quickly during peak charter season.
The eastern Lefkada anchorage scene revolves around Nidri, where the sheltered lagoon behind Madouri islet offers calm water and a string of island stops reachable by tender. From Nidri you can explore Madouri, Skorpios, Abelake Bay, Spartochori, Dessimi, and the east coast on a single tank. For the west coast experience — Porto Katsiki’s famous white cliffs, the turquoise arc of Egremni — there are beautiful beaches of Lefkada that are unreachable by land, which means they are yours alone if you arrive under power before 10:00. Anchor in 4–6m off the cliffs’ base on sand and hold position with a stern line to a rock bolt. The water clarity here, in 35°C August heat, is your reward for the passage south.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo, the Fjord Coves and Argostoli
Mount Ainos, rising to over 1,600 metres, acts as a natural windbreak, creating lee shores along much of Kefalonia’s coastline — geographical features that make the island particularly attractive for Mediterranean yachting, as you can find suitable anchorage regardless of wind direction. Arriving from Lefkada, your first landfall is Fiskardo at the northeastern tip, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.
Approach Fiskardo at 38°27’31N / 020°34’58 WGS84 — the lighthouse on the north side of the entrance is easily identified and will guide you to the bay. With only about 25 berths making good use of all available moorings, it is difficult to find space in high and very high season. Arrive before 09:00 or plan to anchor. Along the north shore of the harbour there is a good anchorage for 10–12 yachts in depths of 10–12 metres, taking lines ashore to stainless steel rings set into the rocks, though holding is only moderate in sand and some weed — make sure your anchor is well dug in. Inbound, watch out for ferries that often whiz by at fairly high speeds and are not visible from a distance because of the lay of the coast.
South of Fiskardo, the east coast of Kefalonia offers some of the most rewarding motorboat cruising in the Ionian. The relatively sheltered channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca provides a safe and interesting cruising area, ideal for both beginner and experienced captains. Foki Bay, a few coves south of Fiskardo, rewards those with a stern line and patience. 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. The water is clear to 12 metres on a calm day — a natural aquarium visible from the swim platform.
For provisioning and fuel, press on to Argostoli. Navigating to Argostoli requires careful attention due to the presence of reefs and shoal patches at the entrance to the Gulf of Argostoli — sailors should use a good chart and stay at least 200 metres off the headland when rounding it, as extensive shoals are found on both the northwest and northeast sides. The Doric-style lighthouse on the peninsula’s headland serves as a key landmark, and the marina entrance lies directly opposite the customs quay on the east side of the bay, with depths at the jetties ranging from 3.5 to 4.0 metres. Argostoli provides the most comprehensive provisioning on Kefalonia, with major supermarkets including AB Vasilopoulos, Lidl, and Sklavenitis. Fuel can be delivered by road tanker from the nearest garage — ask the harbourmaster on arrival for the current contact number.
Ithaca: Vathy, Kioni and the Anchorages of Odysseus
No Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca is complete without honest directions into Ithaca’s harbours — and Ithaca deserves more than a tourist paragraph. Cross the channel from Fiskardo at first light and the island resolves from a dark ridge into something extraordinary: steep valleys plunging to hidden coves, olive groves climbing limestone cliffs, and the narrow entrance to Vathy glinting at the end of a long enclosed inlet.
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 narrow and well defined, opening into a long, enclosed inlet. Vathy provides anchoring in 5–10m over mud with reliable holding and high shelter from all directions. Go stern-to the west quay if space is available — this is the best spot in Vathy as the winds during summer are typically westerlies, offering good holding and good shelter. The bay is known to be susceptible to gusts from the northwest, with winds reaching up to 25–30 knots, but the bottom is mud and provides excellent holding. Beware local gusts funnelled by valleys, ferry traffic in Vathy, and shallows near headlands. Fuel and water are available at the Kassianos station on the east side of the bay — the Kassianos fuel station re-opened in June 2024.
Thirteen nautical miles north by fast RIB, Kioni is a different world entirely. Kioni is one of Ithaca’s most picturesque villages, nestled in a sheltered bay on the island’s northeast coast, the waterfront lined with tavernas and cafés, while three well-lit windmills grace the southern end of the bay, creating a magical night-time setting. Kioni Bay provides anchoring in 5–10m over mud and sand with good holding and protection from prevailing winds, though limited space is available. The typical north-westerly wind in the afternoon can be strong in the bay, but swell is minimal. There are two mooring options: the Town Quay at approximately 38°26.963′N, 20°41.480′E — the preferred choice — and the Southwestern Rocks. In either case, drop plenty of chain because the prevailing NW wind will be perpendicular to your boat, adding strain to the anchor.
Frikes, between Kioni and Vathy on the northeast coast, suits those wanting a calmer overnight without the mid-July crowds. Frikes provides anchoring in 5–8m over mud with good holding and moderate shelter. The port of Frikes lies in the northwest shore, in front of the eponymous village — a natural harbour with a quay, the edge of the bay marked by a red flashlight. Take your tender to the waterfront and eat grilled octopus at one of the three tavernas that have fed visiting crews here for decades.
Charts, Planning Tools and Booking Your Berths
A well-executed Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca passage runs on good digital charts and confirmed berths. For chartplotters and tablets, the Navionics Boating App covering the Adriatic and Ionian Sea gives you the combination of official chart data, SonarChart depth overlays, and Community Edits from other skippers — invaluable for verifying the actual holding quality in anchorages like Foki Bay and Kioni where conditions change with the season. Run Navionics alongside a paper backup: Imray Chart G12, covering the South Ionian from Lefkada to Zakynthos and corrected to January 2024, combines the latest official survey data with first-hand information gathered by Rod and Lucinda Heikell. Like all Imray charts, it is printed on water-resistant Pretex paper for durability, and includes many anchorages, facilities and inlets not included on official charts — the kind of coves you anchor in at noon and reluctantly leave at dusk.
For marina berths, book D-Marin Lefkas through the D-Marin portal at least six weeks ahead for July and August — the 620-berth capacity fills with charter fleets and private vessels simultaneously. For Fiskardo and the smaller Kefalonian ports, arriving early and hailing the harbourmaster on VHF 16 before entering is standard practice. Agia Effimia on Kefalonia’s east coast deserves special mention: in Agia Effimia you will be assigned a berth by the obliging harbourmaster on VHF 74 — a refreshing human touch in an age of digital booking platforms.
Charter operators based out of D-Marin Lefkas and Argostoli offer bareboat motorboats from compact RIBs up to fully equipped flybridge cruisers in the 30–50ft range. If you are stepping aboard a Jeanneau Cap Camarat 9.0 WA or an Axopar 37 Cross Cabin for the first time in Ionian waters, brief yourself hard on stern-to berthing. Berthing is typically stern-to, with depths of 3–5 metres alongside and good holding in adjacent anchorage areas. In the tight confines of Fiskardo or Kioni, a bow thruster is worth its weight.
Timing Your Cruise and the Skipper’s Honest Verdict
The season runs from May through October. Choose June for predictable weather, quieter marinas, and a relaxed early-summer pace. Choose September for warmer sea temperatures, reduced crowds, and what many experienced sailors consider the most well-rounded month in the Ionian calendar. July and August deliver the full intensity of the Ionian experience — crowds at Fiskardo quay, competition for anchorage space at Kioni, and the compensating reward of 28°C sea temperatures and skies of uninterrupted blue.
The distances work beautifully for a motorboat skipper. Lefkada to Fiskardo is 25 nautical miles — two hours on a 25-knot cruiser, less on anything pushing 35. Fiskardo to Vathy on Ithaca is 8 nautical miles. The whole three-island circuit, including a slow day around Kefalonia’s east coast fjords, fits inside a seven-night charter without rush. Kefalonia offers protected waters, sheltered bays and direct routes to Zakynthos, Ithaca and the surrounding Ionian islands, and a motorboat lets you cover longer distances between anchorages, reach remote coves and explore the island’s dramatic limestone cliffs and sea caves.
The Nautiful Team has run this circuit on everything from a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 895 to a Sunseeker Predator 55, in June flat-calm and in August afternoon Maistro. The verdict is consistent: this is European motorboating at its most complete. Arrive by water. Leave by water. Everything else is just tourism.
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