There is a stretch of the Ionian that stays with you long after the lines are ashore. It is not the sheer number of islands — though three of them in close proximity would be enough for a lifetime of cruising — but the way the cruising ground works from a motor boat perspective. Calm glassy mornings for pressing south under power, an afternoon breeze that builds just enough to put a crease in the water, and anchorages so well sheltered that the only sound you hear at midnight is another skipper’s anchor chain paying out. The Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca exists because these three islands sit within a day’s run of each other and reward those who approach with a nautical chart rather than a road map.
Understanding the Ionian from the Helm: Weather, Wind and Timing
Before you raise the throttles, get to know the wind that governs your days here. The Maistro — also known as the Maestral — is the defining wind pattern of the Ionian sailing season, a northwesterly breeze that dominates from late May through September, creating a predictable daily rhythm. Mornings typically arrive calm, with light or non-existent winds; by midday, around 2pm, the Maistro begins to build from the northwest, with wind strength ranging from 10–20 knots. The breeze maintains through the afternoon before subsiding by sunset, making overnight anchoring safe and comfortable.
For motor cruiser skippers, this is the pattern to build your day around. Mornings are often calm — ideal for motoring to the next anchorage. Afternoons run 12 to 20 knots, with peaks to 25, almost never more. Leave early, run south under power, be anchored and in the water before the afternoon chop rises. In the Lefkas Canal area, local funnel effects can develop that you will not see on a general weather app — carry a VHF and listen to the Greek Coast Guard broadcast, aired in English at 06:00, 10:00, 16:00, and 22:00 local time.
The shoulder season offers arguably the best conditions. September maintains warm water temperatures while air temperatures moderate to comfortable mid-twenties. Winds remain consistent, often providing excellent sailing conditions without the summer crowds. If you can flex your dates even slightly, the first two weeks of September are close to perfect.
Lefkada: Threading the Canal and Making the Most of the East Coast
Most skippers arriving from the north will approach via the Lefkada Canal — and it pays to know exactly what you are getting into. When approaching from the north, you pass through the Lefkada Canal, a shallow, dredged channel that connects the lagoon to the open sea near Aktion. Throughout the channel, depth is about 3.5 metres — adequate for most motor cruisers, but not a place to dawdle or navigate inattentively. The canal leads you directly past the famous floating bridge, which is the only road crossing between Lefkada and the mainland at this point.
The floating bridge is one of the most talked-about features of this marina approach. It opens only at scheduled times throughout the day to allow vessels to pass, so if you are arriving from the north or planning to depart northward, you must time your passage carefully. A current marine cruising source notes that the bridge monitors VHF Channel 12 as “Floating Bridge Santa Maura” and publishes seasonal opening schedules, which can change. Check the current schedule before you commit to a transit time.
Once through, D-Marin Lefkas Marina is your operational base. Lefkas Marina offers 620 berths for yachts of up to 45 metres and in depths of 4.0 metres. Contact the marina via VHF on channel 69 upon arrival and go to the office to process check-in paperwork. Book your berth well in advance for July and August — D-Marin marinas fill quickly during peak charter season. Fuel is available at the fixed fuel berth at the marina entry, and marine diesel is available via fixed fuel berth and road tanker delivery directly to quay or marina berths.
South of Lefkada Town, Vlicho Bay is the Nautiful team’s preferred overnight in this region. Vlicho is a long, sheltered, natural bay on the eastern coast of Lefkada, just south of Nidri. Its calm waters and excellent protection from all wind directions make it one of the safest anchorages in the Ionian, even during strong blows. The bay is popular among cruisers for extended stays thanks to easy anchoring, good holding, and proximity to yacht services. Drop the hook in 4–7 metres over sand and mud, and take the tender to Nidri for an evening meal.
From Nidri, the island cluster to the southeast opens up beautifully for a day run. Meganisi is one of the Greek Ionian islands in the so-called Inland Sea, situated barely a mile off the SE coast of Lefkada. It offers a calm and intimate cruising experience, standing in clear contrast to the busier hubs of Lefkada and Nidri just a short distance away. Despite its small size, the island provides a surprisingly rich cruising ground with deeply indented bays, fjord-like coves, and consistently good protection from the prevailing NW afternoon wind. Porto Spilia, on Meganisi’s northwest side, anchors in verified depth of 3–5m over a mud bottom, protected from N, NW, W and NE. Watch the Cheiromitis Shoal, near the imaginary line connecting the southwestern edge of Skorpios Island to the northernmost tip of Meganisi — it is unforgiving and poorly marked.
The Ithaca Channel Crossing: Kefalonia’s North Coast
The passage south from Lefkada to Kefalonia is one of the great short passages in Mediterranean motor cruising. Allow 3–4 hours at a comfortable cruise — conditions permitting, depart by 08:00 to arrive well ahead of the Maistro’s afternoon build. The Ithaca Channel presents deep, clean water and, sheltered by the largest islands — Lefkas and Kefalonia — you are almost always running in flat water.
Your landfall on Kefalonia’s north coast is Fiskardo — and arriving by sea gives you an entirely different view of the place than the ferry passengers ever get. Unlike the lion’s share of Kefalonia, Fiskardo was spared by the 1953 earthquake and the port has retained its traditional Italianate architecture. Approach at 38°27’31N / 020°34’58E: the lighthouse on the north side of the entrance is easily identified and will guide you to the bay. Entry is made into a small, enclosed natural harbour, approached in deep water of 10–20 metres. The entrance is clear and well defined, though space inside is limited. Depths are typically 3–5 metres alongside and 8–12 metres in the anchorage area.
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. If the quay is full, anchor in the bay with ample scope and room to swing. Arrive before 10:00 if you want a quay berth in July or August — late arrivals find themselves anchored further out with a longer dinghy ride to the waterfront tavernas.
For a quieter alternative, just half a mile south of Fiskardo lies the cove of Foki. Foki is protected from the prevailing north-westerlies. Drop the anchor in the middle of the cove and run stern lines to the northern rocks. Anchor outside the swimming buoys — the coast guard performs regular checks. Depths are 15–20 metres, so drop as much chain as possible. The seabed is sand and provides good holding. The family-run Foki taverna directly behind the beach is worth the dinghy trip ashore.
Down the northwest coast, Assos is unmissable from the water. 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, and from a boat, the whole layout of harbour, neck of land and fortress hill sits inside one frame. 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.
Kefalonia’s Practical Backbone: Argostoli and Sami
Beautiful anchorages aside, Kefalonia’s real operational value lies in Argostoli and Sami. Argostoli has the only regular open market activity on Kefalonia, with a weekly street market where local vendors sell seasonal fruit, vegetables, olives, honey and regional products, as well as permanent greengrocers and deli-style shops operating daily. For a serious provisioning run before pressing south, this is where you send the tender.
Sami is a secondary commercial port with mixed yacht berthing. Berthing is stern-to, alongside, or at anchor, with quay depths typically 2.5–3.5 metres and deeper water in the outer basin. Facilities include water, electricity, fuel, and basic amenities, with better shelter inside the fishing harbour. From Sami, the passage northeast across to Ithaca is just 4–5 nautical miles — you can almost see Vathy on a clear morning.
Before you go, load the Navionics Boating app with the Adriatic & Ionian Sea chart subscription — it is the chart layer that skippers in this region trust most for anchorage detail, and its SonarChart Live function has transformed the way we read unfamiliar bay approaches. The Imray G12 South Ionian Islands paper chart, covering Nisos Levkas to Nisos Zakinthos and combining the latest official survey data with first-hand information gathered by Rod and Lucinda Heikell, belongs in the chart table as backup — no app substitute for paper when the tablet battery dies at the entrance to a new anchorage.
Ithaca: Vathy, Kioni and the Anchorages Only a Boat Can Reach
There is something about Ithaca that gets under a skipper’s skin. The island is compact — you can circumnavigate it in a morning — yet many of its best anchorages are accessible only by boat, rewarding crews with clear water, quiet surroundings, and dramatic landscapes rather than organised facilities.
Enter Vathy (also written Vathi) from the south, following the long enclosed inlet north until the town reveals itself at the head of the bay. 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. Vathy experiences a brisk afternoon sea breeze most days of up to Force 4–5, which causes an unpleasant chop for a few hours but usually dies down by nightfall. Plan your afternoon accordingly — have a swim, eat early, and let the bay calm down before retiring.
Vathy remains calm even when winds are lively offshore — which makes it the Greece Ionian Islands guide’s top recommendation for a first night on Ithaca. Fuel is available at Mylos in Vathy, and basic provisioning can be done by dinghy from the town quay.
Eight nautical miles north lies Kioni — the harbour that every skipper photographs and half of them never want to leave. Approaching from the north or east, you’ll spot the old windmills on the southern headland at the entrance to the bay. Beautiful sophisticated buildings line the water’s edge, backed by greenery and olive groves. Kioni Bay provides anchoring in 5–10 metres over mud and sand with good holding and protection from prevailing winds, though limited space is available. Arrive by 14:00 — Kioni fills early. Take a long line ashore to the rings on the west-side rocks if the quay is taken; it is a more stable berth than free-swinging in the bay’s midstream depths, which can exceed 15 metres. Skip Kioni if an easterly or southeasterly is forecast — the bay opens east, and a SE blow makes overnight stays uncomfortable to dangerous. Vathy is 8 NM south and protected.
The small working village of Frikes, four nautical miles north of Kioni, completes Ithaca’s trio of east-coast ports. Frikes provides anchoring in 5–8 metres over mud with good holding and moderate shelter. Less scenic than Kioni but easier to find a space — and the tavernas on the quay are excellent, stepping distance from your stern.
Practical Skippers’ Notes: Charts, Bookings and Getting It Right
This Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca circuit runs to roughly 120 nautical miles as a comfortable loop — Lefkada south via Meganisi, across to Fiskardo and around Kefalonia’s north coast, over to Ithaca, then back via the Ithaca Channel. Allow a minimum of ten days; two weeks is better. Here are the numbers that matter:
- D-Marin Lefkas Marina — VHF Ch 69, 620 berths, up to 45 metres LOA, maximum draught 4 metres
- Fiskardo approach — 38°27’31N / 020°34’58E, lighthouse on north side of entrance
- Assos Bay depths — 4–8 metres, excellent holding in sand and weed
- Vathy (Ithaca) anchorage — 5–10 metres over mud, excellent holding
- Kioni Bay anchorage — 5–10 metres over mud and sand, limited space
- Meganisi Porto Spilia — 3–5 metres, mud bottom, protected from N/NW/W/NE
- Cheiromitis Shoal warning — the reef emerges suddenly and depth sounders give little warning, reading 50 metres immediately before it
For marina reservations across this route, we recommend booking at least six weeks ahead for July and August through a dedicated charter and berth-booking platform — several operators now offer online reservation with confirmed berth allocation at D-Marin Lefkas and Argostoli, which saves the frustrating radio dance on arrival day. The Navionics Boating app (Adriatic & Ionian Sea subscription) should be your primary electronic chart for this route — it covers every anchorage, shoal, and hazard with crowd-sourced depth data that is updated continuously by the boats already ahead of you. A good anchorage guide specific to the Ionian, whether in digital or print form, is worth every cent before a trip of this scope.
The Meltemi wind that affects the Aegean is less severe in the Ionian, but afternoon winds in the channel near Lefkada can be lively in summer. This is not a cruising ground that punishes you for being there — but it rewards preparation. Know your bridge opening schedule before you transit the canal. Know your anchorage depths before you enter a bay for the first time. Know that Kioni in July at 16:00 is a different proposition to Kioni in June at 09:30. This is the Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca distilled into a single sentence: come with good charts, leave early each morning, and you will have one of the finest motor cruising weeks the Mediterranean can offer.
The Route That Keeps You Coming Back
The Nautiful team has run this circuit more times than