There is a triangle of Greek islands that rewards the boat-borne explorer above almost everything else this sea has to offer. From the moment the Lefkada Canal opens up ahead and you push the throttles forward into turquoise water, you understand why the Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca has become the defining circuit for serious Mediterranean motor-boaters. Distances are short, anchorages are deep and clean, the summer wind is your ally, and every one of the finest stops on this route is unreachable without a boat. This is written for the skipper at the helm — not the passenger on a bus.
Reading the Ionian: Winds, Passage Planning and the Motor-Boater’s Advantage
The Ionian is not the Aegean. Compared to the Aegean, you are sheltered here from the notorious Meltemi gales. The typical summer wind is the Maistros, blowing from the northwest and building only by midday. Mornings are often calm. For a motorboat skipper, this daily rhythm is pure gold. In the Ionian in the height of summer, it is said that you can set your watch to the wind — not a breath before 11am, then a gradually building medium breeze, before the wind goes to sleep shortly before dusk.
The practical consequence: depart early, run your passage in glassy conditions, be anchored with a cold drink in hand before the afternoon chop builds. Distances between islands typically run 10 to 25 nautical miles, or two to five hours of motoring. The shape of the southern Ionian, sheltered by its largest islands of Lefkas and Kefalonia, also means that you are almost always running in flat water. For owners of a Jeanneau DB 37 or an Axopar 37 Cross Top, this is exactly the operating environment where a twin-outboard or IPS-drive boat earns its keep — fast passages in calm conditions, then stern-to berthing in harbour by early afternoon.
Air temperatures warm steadily from about 22–26°C in May, rising to 30–34°C in July and August, before easing back to 24–28°C in September. September is the quiet favourite of many regular charterers. Water is at its annual peak, the main wave of tourists has gone home, the wind is steady, and the evening light turns golden. Anyone with flexibility should look at the second half of September seriously.
Before departure, load your Navionics+ chart for the Ionian region (chart code EU005) onto your chartplotter and cross-reference with the current Imray G11 for the north Ionian. Chart accuracy around Kefalonia is generally reliable in main approaches, ports, and shipping routes, but variable outside these areas due to mixed survey quality — with high confidence in major ports such as Argostoli, Sami, and Fiskardo, and lower confidence in remote or nearshore areas. Always corroborate with visual pilotage on arrival.
Lefkada: The Canal, the Marina and the East Coast Run
Most circuits of this Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide begin at Lefkada, and for good reason — Lefkada is one of the principal charter bases, providing access to different parts of the Ionian cruising grounds. For private owners arriving from the north, the approach via the Lefkada Canal demands attention before anything else.
When approaching from the north, you will pass through the Lefkada Canal, a shallow, dredged channel that connects 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 for a first-time approach. The channel leads past the famous floating bridge. 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, only if there is a ship, on request via VHF 12. Do not dawdle when the bridge opens — road traffic queues on both sides and the operator will not wait.
D-Marin Lefkas Marina is your base. The total capacity of the marina is 620 berths up to a maximum length of 45 metres, with a draft of 4 metres. Hail the marina on VHF channel 69 on approach. The marina lies inside a long L-shaped wavebreak pontoon that shelters the berths from east and north; entry is from the south between the wavebreak pontoon and the jetty with the fuel berth at its end, and you can moor to the fuel pontoon from either of its three sides. Depths alongside are generally 3–5 metres with stern-to berthing on laid moorings. Book your berth well in advance for July and August — D-Marin marinas fill quickly during peak charter season.
Once provisioned — Lefkada town has a good selection of chandleries and marine equipment suppliers, useful if you need spare parts or gear before a longer passage south — head down the east coast. Nidri, 12 miles south, is the social heart of the east coast with anchorages and a quay-side scene. South of Nidri, the island of Meganisi offers some of the Ionian’s finest anchor-and-swim spots before you set course for Kefalonia.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo, Assos and the Anchorages the Maps Don’t Photograph Properly
The passage from Lefkada’s east coast to Fiskardo runs approximately 18 nautical miles south-southeast. Make it an early departure and you will round Cape Doukato in glassy conditions. The island’s geological structure forms numerous protected coves and inlets that remain calm even when open waters experience rougher conditions. Mount Ainos, rising to over 1,600 metres, acts as a natural windbreak, creating lee shores along much of the coastline — making Kefalonia particularly attractive for Mediterranean yachting, as you can find suitable anchorage regardless of wind direction.
Fiskardo is the first landfall and the most celebrated. Approach at 38°27′31N / 020°34′58E WGS84 — free of dangers, the lighthouse on the north side of the entrance is easily identified and will guide you into the bay. Go stern or bows-to the quay where space is available, except the southwest corner reserved for local fishing boats. Good shelter, good holding — but care must be taken on anchoring as the shape of the quay makes crossing anchors easy. In high season, arrive early for a quay spot. If the quay is full, 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.
Note that the whole town quay is converted into terraces for all the tavernas — even the small piers have tables set, so your gangway will be within touching distance of diners. Order the robola — Kefalonia’s crisp, mineral white wine — and watch the sun drop behind the Venetian lighthouse ruins. It is one of the finer stern-to experiences in the Mediterranean.
North of Fiskardo, Assos is a day-stop of breathtaking geometry. Assos appears from the sea as a village pinned to a narrow isthmus with a wooded peninsula behind it; the Venetian castle wall runs along the ridge of that peninsula, and from a boat the whole layout of harbour, neck of land and fortress hill sits inside one frame. Approach at 38°22′80N / 020°32′20E WGS84 — from the north you will see the massive fort on the peninsula. Go stern or bows-to the mole with a long line ashore; keep distance from the mole which is bordered by rocks. You can also stay in the bay on free anchoring or with a long line to the rocks — the bay is quite deep at 7–12 metres, though the holding is not good everywhere, so let out as much scope as possible. Assos is only suitable in lighter air; the anchorage quickly becomes untenable in rougher conditions, certainly in northerlies. Treat it as a lunch stop in a settled forecast, not an overnight in July.
For a secure overnight south of Fiskardo, Fiskardo Bay and Assos Bay provide the most reliable protection from seasonal winds in northern Kefalonia. The southeast coast’s bay of Kato Katelios also rewards motor-boaters — the sandy bottom with a few rocky patches offers good holding in 3–5 metres of water. The charming village of Kato Katelios is easily accessible by dinghy from the beach, with a selection of waterfront restaurants.
Ithaca: Vathy, Kioni and the Anchorages of Odysseus
The crossing from Fiskardo to Ithaca is the highlight passage of this entire Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca circuit. Primary approaches are from the north and south via the channel between Ithaca and Kefalonia. The channel is deep and clear, with depths of 50–150 metres mid-channel, shoaling to 20–40 metres within one mile of either coast. In a fast twin-outboard motorboat, the crossing to Kioni from Fiskardo takes under 30 minutes. By 10:30 on a summer morning the surface is often a mirror.
Ithaca 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. The prevailing northwest summer wind (Maistro) 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.
Kioni is the jewel of the northeast coast, and one of the finest afternoon arrivals in the Ionian. The entrance can be identified from seaward by three ruined windmills on a promontory at the southern part of the bay. Yachts moor at the quay bow-to or stern-to at a water depth of 2.5 to 10 metres — the steeply sloped seabed means it makes sense to use a long chain. Alternatively, boats can anchor in the bay or inside the harbour. Kioni is safe in prevailing northwest conditions, but the afternoon does bring some strong northwest gusts which make mooring either stern-to on the quay or longlined to the cliffs challenging. It is advisable to go early, get moored up without battling the wind, and then relax as you watch other boats coming in later. No fuel at Kioni — top up before arrival; the closest fuel is at Fiskardo or Sami. The waterfront tavernas are the real draw: taste fresh seafood at Calypso and Mythos Taverna on the waterfront.
Vathy, Ithaca’s capital, sits at the head of a long enclosed inlet four miles south of Kioni. 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 northwest, which blows in gusts. It is possible to anchor off the town in 5–10 metres, where the holding is moderate to good in mud and weed once your anchor is well dug in. Vathy has the most reliable services — water, fuel, small supermarket, and chandlery. The fuel berth at Mylos in Vathy handles diesel and water. For provisioning runs ashore, the dinghy dock near the main quay is the practical choice.
Practical Skipper Notes: Berthing, Fuel and Timing
- Lefkada Canal bridge: If arriving from the north or planning to depart northward, time your passage carefully to align with the bridge opening schedule — always confirm the current schedule before departure, especially if you have a ferry or flight to catch.
- Fiskardo fuel: Chart confidence is high at major ports including Fiskardo — and there is a service station at the harbour. Fill up here before heading to Ithaca.
- Stern-to technique: This is standard throughout the Ionian. Stern-to mooring on laid lines is standard; quay spacing is limited and fendering is required. Motor-boaters with bow thrusters will find the manoeuvre significantly easier in the afternoon cross-winds at Kioni and Fiskardo.
- Anchorage timing: The bays fill up, and at places like Vathy on Ithaca or Fiskardo on Kefalonia you will have to compete for berths in the late afternoon. Aim to be anchored or berthed by 14:00 at the latest in high season.
- Weather awareness: The Maistros wind that affects the channel near Lefkada can be lively in summer — check local forecasts carefully. Windy.com and meteo.gr are the most reliable local tools.
- Navionics Sonar Charts: The crowd-sourced depth data in Navionics+ is particularly valuable around Kefalonia’s less-surveyed coves. Load updates before departure; some inshore areas carry older, sparser survey data and visual pilotage remains essential.
Charter, Ownership and Planning Your Circuit
Whether you arrive aboard your own Sunseeker Predator 65 or a chartered Jeanneau Leader 10.5 out of D-Marin Lefkas, the circuit of Lefkada–Kefalonia–Ithaca works beautifully as a seven-day loop. The Ionian is to Mediterranean motor-boaters what the Bahamas is to Caribbean charterers: the easy cruising ground where you feel at home from day one. Distances between islands typically run 10 to 25 nautical miles — two to five hours at passage speed. A Pardo 43 or an Azimut S6 will cover the full circuit with time for two nights at anchor in remote coves, two nights stern-to in harbour, and still have a buffer day for weather.
For charter operators based in Lefkada, Istion Yachting and Sail Ionian both run well-maintained fleets from D-Marin with bareboat and skippered options. The Lefkada charter base is perfect for exploring the Ionian islands, including the popular Zakynthos and Kefalonia to the south and Corfu to the north, as well as a multitude of smaller gorgeous islands in between. For marina bookings across the circuit, platforms such as Marinaguide and MarinaReservation.com allow you to pre-book D-Marin Lefkas berths online, removing the anxiety of arriving in August without a confirmed space.
This Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca circuit is, in our view at Nautiful, the finest one-week motor-boating itinerary in the European Mediterranean. The water is clear enough to read your anchor chain from the helm, the anchorages are mostly uncrowded before 14:00, and the evenings — stern-to at Fiskardo with a cold Mythos and the smell of grilled fish drifting across the water — are worth every mile of the passage.
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