There is a reason every seasoned Mediterranean motor boater eventually turns the bow northwest and points toward the Ionian. The light here is softer, the water a deeper, more saturated blue, and the anchorages arrive one after another with barely an hour’s run between them. Our Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca covers the southern Ionian triangle in the way it deserves — from the water out, written for skippers aboard a twin-engine express cruiser or flybridge motor yacht, not for someone stepping off a coach.
Why the Southern Ionian Is the Mediterranean’s Most Motor-Boater-Friendly Cruising Ground
The Aegean gets the glamour, but the Ionian gets the conditions. The Ionian Sea is not affected by the Etesian Meltemi winds that dominate the eastern Greek islands, but instead experiences a reliable Maistro wind throughout the sailing season. 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. For a motor boater, this is close to ideal: plan short passages for the morning, anchor by noon, and let the afternoon breeze cool the cockpit while the crew swims.
The shape of the southern Ionian, sheltered by its largest islands — Lefkada and Kefalonia — means that you are almost always running in flat water. Mount Ainos on Kefalonia, rising to over 1,600 metres, acts as a natural windbreak, creating lee shores along much of the coastline. Temperatures in July and August regularly hit 35°C on deck — keep the swim platform down, keep the canopy up, and time your fuel stops before the midday heat builds.
For charting this cruising ground, load the Navionics Adriatic & Ionian Sea subscription onto your chartplotter before you leave the dock. The Navionics Boating app offers a one-year subscription specifically covering the Adriatic and Ionian Sea. It is the fastest way to call up anchorage depths on the fly as you approach an unfamiliar bay. Back it up with the paper Imray G12 South Ionian Islands chart — it includes harbour plans for Kólpos Aetoú on Ithaca and Órmos Argostolíou on Kefalonia, combining the latest official survey data with first-hand information gathered by experienced pilots.
Lefkada: Threading the Canal and the Satellite Islands
Arriving at Lefkada from the north, your first challenge is the Lefkas Canal and its famous floating bridge. The current summer schedule (until 15 September 2026) sees the bridge open for marine traffic at 08:00, 10:00, 14:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00 and 22:00. All road traffic onto and off the island is halted during the period of opening, so the bridge operator is naturally anxious to close it again as soon as possible. Do not dawdle: the operator will not wait for you if you loiter. The bridge listens on VHF Channel 12 — call ahead if you are unsure of the timing. Stay strictly within the channel marked by buoys; throughout the canal the depth is approximately 3.5 metres.
Once through, D-Marin Lefkas Marina lies immediately to port. The marina offers 620 berths on seven pontoons and associated quays in depths of up to 4.0 metres. Hail the marina on VHF Channel 69 on approach. There is a fuel station at the entrance to the marina, plus toilet and shower blocks and a laundromat. High-season berths here are not cheap — it is one of the most expensive marinas in Greece, with daily berthing charges among the highest in the southern Ionian — but it is an excellent base for the islands to the south and east.
Lefkada has a coastline of approximately 117 kilometres and nine satellite islets, including Meganisi, Kalamos, Kastos and Skorpios. From Nidri, it is a short run east to Meganisi: Vathý is the main ferry port of Meganisi, and the deep Vathy bay offers several mooring options including the old harbour in the southeast, a marina directly west, and a short quay at Taverna Karnagio. The holding is reliable, and the bay is almost completely enclosed — one of the best overnight anchorages in the region in any wind direction.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo, Assos and the Eastern Anchorages
The passage south from Lefkada to Kefalonia is typically 25–30 nautical miles depending on your departure point — a comfortable two-hour run in a typical flybridge cruiser at 14 knots, completing it before the Maistros builds. The northern tip of Kefalonia is dominated by Fiskardo, and it is one of the great motor-boating destinations of the Mediterranean.
The approach to Fiskardo at 38°27’31N / 020°34’58 is free of dangers; the lighthouse on the north side of the entrance is easily identified and guides you into the bay. Go stern or bows-to the quay where space is available, except the SW corner which is reserved for local fishing boats. 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. Holding is only moderate in sand and some weed, so make sure your anchor is well dug in. The quay fills quickly in summer; many skippers go stern-to with a bow anchor.
In peak July and August, Fiskardo is busy — brilliantly so. The quays are lined with pastel-coloured Venetian-style houses and the harbour is a constant bustle of activity. Three supermarkets in the village make provisioning by dinghy straightforward. The restaurants along the waterfront — Tassia and Nicolas, both reachable in thirty seconds from a Med-moored stern — are genuinely good; book ahead if you want a table by the water.
Thirty minutes to the southwest by motor, Assos is a dramatic alternative overnight stop. Assos Bay offers perhaps the most spectacular setting, with a narrow entrance opening into a well-protected circular bay. Space is limited to around 10–12 yachts. The bay maintains consistent depths of 4–8 metres with excellent holding in sand and weed. Note the weather caveat: Assos is untenable in strong W or NW winds. If the afternoon Maistros looks like building above Force 4, continue south to Agia Effimia instead, where the east-facing quay gives good protection.
For larger vessels heading south toward Argostoli, the approaches to the Gulf of Argostoli from both east and west are full of dangers, and under no circumstances should you enter during the dark. Argostoli provides the most developed berthing on Kefalonia, with extensive town quay berthing and a municipal marina area. Berthing is stern-to or alongside in depths typically 3–3.5 metres, with access to water, electricity, fuel, sanitary facilities and technical services.
Ithaca: Vathy, Kioni and the Anchorages Only Reachable by Boat
Ithaca is the quiet heart of this Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide — and deliberately so. Many of Ithaca’s best anchorages are accessible only by boat, rewarding crews with clear water, quiet surroundings, and dramatic landscapes rather than organised facilities. The crossing from Fiskardo to Vathy takes under an hour on a decent motor boat and the contrast in atmosphere is immediate.
Vathy — meaning “deep” — is the main harbour and administrative centre of Ithaca, lying 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. Vathy provides anchoring in 5–10 metres over mud with reliable holding and high shelter from all directions. Around 20 yachts can moor at the quay in depths ranging from 4.0 metres at the north end to 3.5 metres at the south end. Note that the Kassianos fuel station on the east side of the bay re-opened in June 2024. Provisioning is excellent — a proper supermarket, bakery and a good chandlery are all dinghy-reachable from any anchorage in the bay.
Four miles north of Vathy lies Kioni, a postcard village tucked under wooded hills that descend steeply to the water. The three ruins of windmills on Cape Psigadi guide you on the approach from the north. Go stern-to on the main quay if there is space. The depth in the middle of the bay can drop off past 15 metres, so watch your depth gauge carefully before dropping anchor. Do not consider Kioni in easterly or southerly winds — the swell can get very large, and the holding is not good enough at the depths where most boats anchor. The tavernas on the waterfront — Mills, Calypso and Lizzy’s — are all reachable by stepping directly off a Med-moored transom.
The prevailing NW summer wind makes the eastern side of the island the primary cruising ground. Most harbours and anchorages are concentrated here, often requiring stern lines due to rapidly increasing depths and limited swinging room. Katabatic gusts spilling down from the steep terrain are common, sometimes strong and localised, making careful positioning and generous scope essential.
Practical Pilotage: Key Numbers and How to Plan Your Passages
This section of our Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide exists because the southern Ionian rewards those who plan specifically and punishes those who improvise at 15:00 when the Maistros is building. Here are the numbers you need.
- D-Marin Lefkas Marina: VHF Channel 69, 620 berths, max draft 4.0 m, fuel dock at entrance, email lefkas@d-marin.com
- Lefkas Canal Floating Bridge (summer 2026): Opens at 08:00, 10:00, 14:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00 and 22:00; VHF Channel 12; allow 10–15 minutes per opening
- Nikiana Harbour (Lefkada east coast): Request a berth on VHF Channel 20 or call +30 6974 034034; moor stern-to using the lazy lines.
- Fiskardo: Approach 38°27’31N / 020°34’58E; anchor N shore 10–12 m, moderate holding; fuel available in harbour
- Assos: Depths 4–8 m, sand and weed, good holding; avoid in strong W or NW winds; space for ~10–12 boats
- Argostoli (Kefalonia): Quay depths 3–3.5 m, full services including fuel and technical; do not enter Gulf of Argostoli in the dark
- Vathy (Ithaca): Anchor 5–10 m over mud, excellent holding; quay depths 3.5–4.0 m; fuel from Kassianos station east side of bay
- Kioni (Ithaca): Stern-to quay, depths to 15 m in centre; avoid in E/S winds
For marina booking in advance — particularly D-Marin Lefkas in high season — use Noforeignland or contact the marina directly. For charter enquiries across the whole southern Ionian triangle, check Navigare Yachting and Kavas Yachting, both of which operate fleets out of Lefkada and offer skippered options if you want a local hand for the first day through the canal. Keep your Navionics Adriatic & Ionian subscription updated before departure — sonar chart overlays in the tighter anchorages around Assos and Meganisi have saved more than one keel from a bad surprise.
When to Go and What to Expect Aboard
The Ionian season runs effectively from early May through late October. By June, Greece is in warm weather without the extreme heat of August. Daytime highs are in the upper 20s to low 30s°C, and in the Ionian you get gentle north-westerly afternoon breezes — the Maestro — which reliably pick up around midday and calm by dusk. June and September are the finest months for motor boating: temperatures peak in the mid-30s°C in July and August, and anchorages fill up by 14:00 in peak summer. Arrive by noon or accept a lesser spot.
Practically aboard: carry a good cockpit awning — 35°C at anchor in August is not comfortable without shade. A quality anchor snubber is essential; the gusts that funnel down the Ithaca hillsides at night are short but sharp, and you do not want to be dragging toward a quayside at midnight. Most anchorages in Ithaca require stern lines due to rapidly increasing depths; katabatic gusts from the steep terrain are common, making generous scope essential.
The passage from Lefkada to Vathy on Ithaca covers roughly 40 nautical miles. On a Jeanneau Leader 46 or a Galeon 500 Fly — both popular in this cruising ground — that is a comfortable three-hour run at easy passage speed, leaving the morning flat and arriving as the tavernas are opening for lunch. That is, frankly, the perfect Med motor-boating day.
The Southern Ionian Triangle: A Circuit Worth Repeating
As a Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide, this piece can only sketch what the water reveals in full. The triangle of Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca is compact enough to circuit in a week yet rich enough that experienced Ionian hands return for their tenth season and still find anchorages they have never visited. Vathy serves as the main service centre, while smaller ports such as Kioni and Frikes provide charming stops with limited space and a strong local character. Many of Ithaca’s best anchorages are accessible only by boat, rewarding crews with clear water, quiet surroundings, and dramatic landscapes.
The coves south of Fiskardo — the fjord-like inlets where cypress trees run to the waterline and monk seals occasionally surface beside the swim platform — are frequented by Mediterranean monk seals and only truly accessible from the water. The beaches on Lefkada’s west coast, Porto Katsiki among them, are surrounded by extraordinary cliffs and are accessible only by descending 80 steep steps — or arriving by boat. The motor boater’s advantage, as always, is not just getting there faster. It is getting there at all.
Plan your passages carefully, load your charts, book Lefkas Marina early, and point the bow south. The southern Ionian will do the rest.
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