The engine note drops to a murmur. You ease back on the throttle, and suddenly the Ionian does what it always does at this hour — it turns to hammered copper in the low afternoon sun, the kind of light that makes every bay look like the anchorage you’ve been searching for your whole life. Three islands lie ahead. You have fuel, cold water, and a week. This is what the Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca was built for.
Why the Southern Ionian Is the Mediterranean’s Finest Motor Cruising Ground
Ask any skipper who has run a powerboat from the Adriatic to the Aegean and they will almost always say the same thing: nothing compares to the triangle formed by Lefkada, Kefalonia, and Ithaca. The geography is almost implausibly good — a cluster of mountainous, deep-water islands that create sheltered channels, short passages, and an extraordinary density of anchorages within easy day-run distances. A Jeanneau Cap Camarat 10.5 WA or a Bénéteau Flyer 10 can knock off the Lefkada-to-Fiskardo run in under two hours. An Axopar 37 Cross Top barely notices it.
Compared to the Aegean, you’re sheltered here from the notorious Meltemi gales. The typical summer wind is the Maistro, blowing from the northwest and building up only by midday — mornings are often calm. Afternoons bring a steady 12 to 20 knots, sometimes up to 25, almost never more. For a motorboat this is ideal: depart at first light in glassy conditions, cover ground fast, anchor by noon before the chop builds, and spend the afternoon swimming off the stern. The prevailing wind is channelled and funnelled by the significant mountainous land masses in its way, so it can vary in strength and direction quite quickly — something to watch on the passages between islands, particularly when rounding exposed headlands on Kefalonia’s western flank.
Before you leave the dock, load Navionics+ with the Adriatic and Ionian Seas chart region onto your chartplotter and phone. This is not optional. Anchorage depths, particularly in the smaller coves of Kefalonia and Ithaca, can vary significantly from older paper charts, and having sonar-corrected data overlaid on your track makes anchoring in 5-metre sand patches next to 20-metre drop-offs a precision exercise rather than a gamble.
Lefkada: Threading the Canal, Working the East Coast
D-Marin Lefkas is located at the northern end of Lefkada island, on the eastern shore of the narrow channel that separates the island from the Greek mainland. The marina sits inside the lagoon formed by this channel, offering excellent shelter from open-sea swells. For most crews beginning a Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide itinerary, this is the natural starting point — practical, fully serviced, and surrounded by chandleries and provisioning options.
Lefkas Marina has 620 berths available for yachts up to 40 m in length (stern berthing). You can reach Lefkas Marina by calling VHF 69. Depths alongside are generally 3–5 m 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. The fuel berth lies at the end of the entry jetty on the port side as you come in from the south; the marina lies inside a long, L-shaped wavebreak pontoon that shelters the berths from E and N, with entry from the S between the wavebreak pontoon and the jetty. You can moor to the fuel pontoon from either of its three sides.
The canal transit north towards the floating bridge is where Lefkada earns its reputation for character. The canal approach requires careful navigation — use up-to-date charts and follow the buoyed channel precisely, particularly at lower water levels. A current marine cruising source notes the bridge monitors VHF Channel 12 as “Floating Bridge Santa Maura” — hail it well in advance and have your fenders down, as you may be waiting with half a dozen charter cats jockeying for position. There are many cars waiting for the bridge to close, so do not assume the operator will wait for you if you dawdle.
Once you’re through and heading south down the sheltered east coast, Nidri is the next logical stop — a busy charter hub but genuinely useful for reprovisioning by dinghy. The 5+ pontoons mostly belong to various yacht charter companies operating out of Nidri; aim for Vlicho Yacht Club or Limanaki Taverna for a berth and dinner. Vliho Yacht Club is a welcoming destination accessible by sea, offering safe anchorage, delicious food, and yacht charter services. Anchor in the bay, run the tender in, and walk the waterfront — the east coast of Lefkada is scattered with similar-sized working tavernas that beat anything you’ll find by arriving in a hire car.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo to Assos — The Big Island’s Best Water
The passage south from Nidri to Fiskardo runs approximately 22 nautical miles and is one of the most visually dramatic runs in the whole Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide. You clear the southern tip of Lefkada, the sea opens up, and Kefalonia fills the horizon — a mountain almost 1,600 metres high rising straight out of the water. Mount Ainos, rising to over 1,600 metres, acts as a natural windbreak, creating lee shores along much of the coastline. Time your departure for first light and you’ll arrive at Fiskardo in the late morning, before the anchorage fills.
Approach Fiskardo (38°27’31N / 020°34’58 WGS84) free of dangers — the lighthouse on the N side of the entrance is easily identified and will guide you to the bay. Beware of ferries entering and leaving at speed, which will not be seen until around the headland if approaching from N. Along the N 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. Go stern or bows-to the quay where space is available, except the SW corner of the quay which is reserved for the local fishing boats.
Fiskardo is the most photographed harbour in the Ionian for good reason — its quays are lined with pastel-coloured houses in the Venetian style and the harbour is a constant bustle of activity. But the real find is what lies south of the village. 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. Push through into Assos on a settled morning and you will understand why people extend their charters by a week.
Water depths in most of Kefalonia’s bays offer excellent holding ground with sandy or sandy-mud bottoms, making anchoring straightforward and secure. The exceptional water clarity, often exceeding 30 metres’ visibility, allows you to see your anchor and assess the seabed conditions easily. For provisioning, Argostoli provides the most comprehensive provisioning on Kefalonia, with multiple supermarkets including AB Vasilopoulos, Lidl, and Sklavenitis. Bring the tender to the town quay and walk five minutes — this is the place to restock for the crossing to Ithaca.
Ithaca: Vathy, Kioni, and the Anchorages Only Reachable by Boat
The short crossing from Fiskardo to Ithaca — barely 3 nautical miles across at its narrowest — is one of the great small-boat passages in Mediterranean boating. The relatively sheltered channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca provides a safe and interesting cruising area, ideal for both beginner and experienced captains. Just keep in mind that the wind picks up in the afternoon, so it can be a bit choppy if you return to the Kefalonia coast later in the day — cross in the morning and stay the night on Ithaca.
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 main harbour, Vathy, is reached via a long enclosed inlet on the east coast. 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.
The jetty is clearly marked with yellow paint along its edge and supplied with plenty of yellow bollards and recessed stainless steel mooring rings. Around 20 yachts can anchor-moor at the quay here in depths ranging from 4.0 metres at the N end to 3.5 metres at the S end. If the quay is full — and in July and August it will be by early afternoon — the bottom is mud, and holding is excellent, so anchor off the town. There is also a fuel station at the horseshoe dock, open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vathy’s waterfront restaurants are all reachable by tender — tie up at the small dinghy steps on the town quay and walk straight into any taverna on the esplanade.
For the anchorage that defines a Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide itinerary, press on 4 miles north to Kioni. Kioni sits on the north-east coast of Ithaca, about 4 NM south of Frikes. The bay opens gently between wooded slopes and reveals a compact waterfront village that has the visual charm sailors come for and the practical shelter overnight crews need. Yachts moor at the quay bow-to or stern-to at a water depth of 2.5 to 10 m — the steeply sloped seabed means it makes sense to use a long chain. Arrive before noon in peak season. In summer, by mid-afternoon the port space is often completely sold out.
Kioni is safe in the prevailing NW conditions but note that the afternoon does bring some strong NW gusts, which makes mooring either stern-to on the quay, or long-lined to the cliffs, challenging with a crosswind. Certainly do not consider Kioni in Easterly or Southerly winds — the swell can get really big, and the holding is not good enough, with the anchor dropping in over 10m of weedy bottom. Get it right, though, and you’ll find several tavernas, a couple of minimarkets and bakeries, and some really cute cafés and bars all within a two-minute walk from wherever you tie up. Don’t miss Gidaki — one of Ithaca’s most beautiful beaches with turquoise waters, reachable only by boat or via a long and demanding walk. Drop the hook in the bay, swim off the bow, and accept the fact that this is exactly where you were always supposed to be.
Practical Skipper Notes: Timing, Charts and Charter Planning
The sailing season for this triangle runs from late April through October, with June and early September the sweet spots for experienced motorboat owners who prefer space over guaranteed sunshine. The best time to explore Kefalonia and Ithaki is during the late spring and early autumn when the weather is warm and the crowds are smaller. High season berths at Fiskardo and Kioni in particular are first-come, first-served and the competition from charter fleets is real.
For chartering, the Ionian is well-served by established bases at D-Marin Lefkas. Checking platforms such as Click&Boat or The Moorings for bareboat motorboats is a sensible first step for those not bringing their own vessel — a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 Fly or a Bénéteau Gran Turismo 46 chartered out of Lefkada gives you everything you need for this circuit. Build a Navionics route from Lefkada town south to Nidri, then cross to Fiskardo, south to Assos, east across to Vathy, north to Kioni, and back up across the strait to Lefkada — roughly 120 nautical miles total for a comfortable week with four nights at anchor and three in marinas or quay-side. Fuel budgets at current pump prices of approximately €1.75–€1.90 per litre for marine diesel in the Ionian should be factored at around €350–€500 for a typical 7-metre twin-outboard RIB and €900–€1,200 for an inboard cruiser, depending on throttle habits.
The Maistro wind that affects this area can be lively in summer, particularly in the channel near Lefkada — check local forecasts carefully. Wide bays at the western coast of Kefalonia are not suitable to stay overnight at anchor, as the waves from the open sea might come strong at any time — always position yourself on the eastern and northern aspects of the islands for overnight stops. And carry an analogue backup: the Imray G12 South Ionian Islands chart, at 1:100,000 with harbour plans included, is worth every euro of its cover price for the moments when electronics require confirmation.
The Circuit You’ll Return to Every Year
There is a reason that experienced Mediterranean motorboaters who have done Croatia, Sardinia, the Amalfi Coast, and the Turkish Gulfs tend to come back to this corner of Greece. The water is extraordinary — the exceptional water clarity, often exceeding 30 metres’ visibility, allows you to see your anchor on the bottom. The anchorages are varied enough to feel fresh on a fifth visit. The passages are short enough to be genuinely relaxing rather than passage-making endurance events. And the culture, encountered entirely from the water — the smell of grilling fish drifting from a Fiskardo quay, a fisherman coiling lines at 06:00 in Vathy while you pour the first coffee — is the finest in Greece.
Whether you’re arriving aboard your own flybridge cruiser or stepping onto a bareboat for the first time, this Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca triangle rewards the prepared skipper and forgives the enthusiastic one. Study your Navionics charts before you go. Book the marinas. Load your Ionian anchorage guide onto a tablet as backup. Then point the bow south from Lefkada and let the copper-coloured water do the rest.
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