There are stretches of the Mediterranean — the Côte d’Azur, the Amalfi approach, the coves of Montenegro — that get talked about endlessly. And then there is the southern Ionian. Quieter, greener, deeper in mythology. Three islands that sit within easy throttle of each other, each with a completely different character from the water, each rewarding the skipper who arrives under their own power rather than by ferry. This Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca covers every approach bearing, anchorage depth and marina berth you need — written entirely from the helm, for people who get here the right way.
Reading the Ionian Before You Leave the Dock
The southern Ionian’s great gift to motor boaters is its weather system. The primary summer wind is the Maistros — a north-westerly sea breeze that builds gently around midday, peaks in the afternoon at Force 3–5, and dies down by sunset. That predictable cycle defines every passage decision in this cruising ground. 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 run, before it goes to sleep shortly before dusk. For a motor cruiser this means glassy mornings for fast, fuel-efficient passages and a building chop by mid-afternoon if you push into the NW on the nose.
Compared to the Aegean, you are sheltered here from the notorious Meltemi gales. The typical summer wind is the Maistro, blowing from the northwest and building only by midday. Its consistency makes route planning straightforward, and most anchorages are located on the sheltered eastern sides of the islands. Plan your longer hops for 0800–1100 and you will arrive with flat water under the keel and time to pick your berth. Push into the afternoon with 20 knots on the nose and you will spend the passage pitching into a short, steep chop that the Ionian does surprisingly well.
Before casting off, load the Navionics Boating App — Adriatic & Ionian Sea on your plotter or tablet. It covers the entire region with harbour plans, depth contours and sonar chart data that is crowd-sourced and regularly updated — invaluable for spotting shoaling inside anchorages that older paper charts miss. Pair it with Imray Chart G12 South Ionian Islands, which is corrected to January 2024, includes detailed inset plans of the Levkas Canal, the Gulf of Argostoli and Vathy on Ithaca, and combines official survey data with first-hand information gathered by Rod and Lucinda Heikell. Two sources, different strengths — use both.
Lefkada: The Canal Arrival and the Satellite Islands
Most skippers approaching Lefkada from the north encounter the canal before they encounter the island. Approaching from the north, you pass through the Lefkada Canal — a shallow, dredged channel connecting the lagoon to the open sea near Aktion. Pay close attention to the channel markers: depths can be limited, and local knowledge or an up-to-date pilot book is strongly recommended on a first-time approach. The Lefkada Floating Bridge controls access and is a floating swing bridge that rotates to allow vessel transit between the Ionian Sea and the inland waters. It operates on a fixed schedule with periodic openings during the day, during which all road traffic is stopped and marine traffic is managed in sequence.
From 08:00 to 22:00 there is a full rotation of the bridge every hour. From 23:00 to 07:00 the bridge also rotates fully, but only if a ship is waiting, on request via VHF 12. Note for 2025–26: due to a new underwater pipeline project, opening times for yachts and vessels are temporarily irregular — worth confirming with the marina before committing to a northern approach.
Once through, D-Marin Lefkas Marina is your base. Contact the marina on VHF Channel 69 and proceed to the office for check-in paperwork. All berths carry 220V and 380V electricity and fresh water. The marina’s total capacity is 620 berths accommodating vessels up to 45 metres and a draft of 4 metres. Entry is from the south, between the wavebreak pontoon and the jetty — the fuel berth sits at the end of that jetty. Book your berth well in advance for July and August — D-Marin marinas fill quickly during peak charter season.
The real reason to linger around Lefkada is the satellite islands to the south-east. Scorpios is a private island in the Ionian Sea, located between the east coast of Lefkada and the west coast of Etoloakarnania, three nautical miles from Nidri. You can anchor off the northern beach and swim in superb clarity, but landing is not permitted — boats queue for the privilege of a swim stop. More rewarding is Meganisi. A gem in the Ionian Sea, it sits just south-east of Lefkada. Reached by boat from Nidri, passing Scorpios, the contrast between the bustle of that busy resort and the quiet solitude of Meganisi’s lonely bays couldn’t be more marked. Papageorges Cove on the southern tip of Meganisi, just opposite Kithros island, is a small cove sheltered from the prevailing wind with incredible rock formations overhead. Drop anchor in around 8–10 metres in sand — good holding, but take a long line ashore.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo First, Then Work South
The Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca would be incomplete without Kefalonia’s crown jewel from the water: Fiskardo. 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. There are no dangers in the approach. Fiskardo harbour can be difficult to spot when arriving from the north, but the old Venetian lighthouse on the headland and the taller modern lighthouse above it are conspicuous once close in. Beware of ferries entering and leaving at speed — they will not be seen until around the headland if you are approaching from north.
The small harbour is almost always crowded and it pays to arrive early, especially in July and August. Even arriving as early as midday, your most likely option will be to anchor on the north side of the harbour with lines ashore. Along the north shore 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. Holding is only moderate in sand and some weed, so make sure your anchor is well dug in.
South of Fiskardo along the eastern coast, the Kefalonia–Ithaca channel opens up. The relatively sheltered channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca provides a safe and interesting cruising area, ideal for both beginner and experienced captains. The first inlet south of Fiskardo without major tourist development is Fóki — the sea caves there are frequented by Mediterranean monk seals. Anchor in 3–5 metres. For a bigger stop, Assos bay sits further south. Assos Bay offers perhaps the most spectacular setting, with its narrow entrance opening into a well-protected circular bay. The surrounding cliffs provide complete wind protection, though space is limited to around 10–12 yachts. The bay maintains consistent depths of 4–8 metres with excellent holding in sand and weed.
If your passage takes you to the capital, approach with care. The approaches to the Gulf of Argostoli from both east and west are full of dangers, and under no circumstances should you enter during darkness. Inside, Argostoli provides a deep, enclosed harbour with high shelter and minimal sea state. Navigation is straightforward but influenced by ferry traffic. Anchorage is limited but holding is good where available. Most visiting yachts moor on the quay immediately south of the customs quay, where depths range from 2.5 metres at the south end to 3.0 metres at the north end.
Ithaca: Three Harbours, One Perfect Island
Ithaca demands patience. It is one of the most distinctive sailing destinations in the Ionian, offering exceptional natural shelter within a compact and mountainous island. Its coastline is deeply indented, forming narrow bays and fjord-like inlets that provide protection in conditions where more open islands become uncomfortable. As a result, Ithaca has been a natural haven for sailors for centuries.
Enter Vathy from the north and let the approach do its work on you. The coastal structure is remarkable — a deep fjord-like entrance opens into a wide, sheltered bay, providing safe and prestigious anchorage. Vathy lies at the head of one of the most naturally sheltered bays in the Ionian Sea. Protection is excellent overall, though expect gusty NW winds. Holding is excellent in mud. Boats typically moor at the west pier — around 20 berths marked with yellow lines — stern or bow-to, using the anchor dropped in 3.5–4 metres over a discrete seagrass and mud bottom. A fuel station sits at the east end of the harbour bay, open 0800–2000. There is a small but functional supermarket a short walk from the quay and several waterfront tavernas reachable without moving the tender.
The northern anchorage that every skipper remembers is Kioni. The entrance is marked by three derelict windmill turrets on the headland. Kioni is one of Ithaca’s most picturesque villages, nestled in a sheltered bay on the island’s northeast coast. Yachts moor at the quay bow-to or stern-to in a water depth of 2.5 to 10 metres. The steeply sloped seabed means it makes sense to use a long chain. The afternoon does bring strong NW gusts which makes mooring stern-to on the quay challenging with a crosswind. Arrive early, get moored up before the wind builds, and then relax while you watch other boats coming in later. Do not consider Kioni in easterly or southerly winds — the swell can get significant, and the holding is not reliable enough. The bottom is weedy and the depth where most boats drop anchor is over 10 metres.
For a wild swim stop reachable only from the water, head to Gidaki Beach on Ithaca’s east coast, north of Vathy. There is no road access. Anchor in 6–8 metres over sand and deploy the tender or simply swim ashore — the water clarity here is extraordinary, the beach completely undeveloped. Sailors report this spot as boasting the clearest water they have encountered anywhere, accessible only by boat and teeming with fish.
Planning Your Circuit: Timing, Fuel and Charter Bases
The natural circuit runs Lefkada → Meganisi → Fiskardo → Assos → Vathy → Kioni → Fiskardo → Lefkada in seven to ten days, with passages rarely exceeding 20 nautical miles. The main season runs from early May to the end of September. June and September are considered the best months by experienced charterers — the weather is reliably warm, the Maistro fills in dependably at midday, and the bays aren’t yet or no longer overcrowded. If you are chartering, both Lefkada and Argostoli have established bases. For a bareboat motor cruiser, a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 895 or a Sessa Marine C35 are popular fleet choices that handle the short afternoon chop without drama and fit comfortably stern-to at all three main marinas.
Fuel is available in Lefkada Town at the fixed fuel berth inside D-Marin, and at Vathy on Ithaca. Lefkada town also has a good selection of chandleries and marine equipment suppliers — useful if you need spare parts or gear before a longer passage south. Provisioning by dinghy is straightforward in Vathy and Fiskardo — both have waterfront shops. For online berth reservations at D-Marin Lefkas, book directly through the D-Marin website well ahead of July and August. For discovering and reserving anchorages en route, the Navionics Boating App with its Active Captain community layers is genuinely useful — skippers log recent depth soundings and holding reports that update in near real-time.
The Ionian from the Helm — An Honest Verdict
This Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca covers the essential framework, but the real discovery happens when you switch off the engine south of Fiskardo and drift in the silence for a moment. The islands of the southern Ionian sit close enough together that no passage feels like a slog, yet each one is completely distinct: Lefkada is social and well-serviced, Kefalonia is dramatic and varied, Ithaca is intimate and mythological. Together they make a circuit that experienced skippers return to year after year.
The Ionian Sea offers more moderate and predictable conditions than almost anywhere else in Greece. It is dominated by a north-westerly breeze known locally as the Maistro, which typically begins around midday, strengthens through the afternoon to 10–20 knots, and eases by evening — creating ideal conditions for planning tight daily itineraries. For a motor cruiser, that means early departures with flat water, afternoon hours in the anchorage swimming or tendering ashore, and evenings on a quiet quay with a glass of Robola from Kefalonia’s own vineyards.
Start planning with Navionics charts for the Ionian loaded and a reserved berth at D-Marin Lefkas as your anchor point — then let the Maistro do the rest of the work.
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