There is a corner of the Mediterranean that rewards the motorboat skipper who earns it by sea. The southern Ionian — specifically the triangle formed by Lefkada, Kefalonia, and Ithaca — offers something that no charter brochure can photograph: the sensation of arriving somewhere extraordinary entirely on your own terms, throttle back, bow wave fading, a hillside of olive and cypress sliding past the windscreen. This is our Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca, written entirely from the water, for those who arrive by water.
Why the Southern Ionian Is Made for Motor Boating
The Ionian has a gentler character than the Aegean, and that distinction matters enormously when you are piloting a planing hull at 28 knots rather than sailing into a Force 7. The prevailing wind during summer is the Maístro — a friendly northwesterly breeze that typically picks up in the early afternoon and dies down by evening. 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 that is ideal for a relaxed afternoon passage, before the wind goes to sleep shortly before dusk.
For motorboat skippers this is almost a gift. Your mornings are glass-calm: run your longer legs early, use the afternoons for anchoring, swimming, and exploring coves by tender. High landmasses like Lefkada’s mountains and Kefalonia’s peaks can cause gusts on the lee sides of islands, and occasional evening katabatic winds may roar down valleys at Force 5–6 from the northeast. Know the terrain, read your anchorage, and the Ionian will look after you.
The shape of the southern Ionian, sheltered by its largest islands — Lefkada and Kefalonia — means that you are almost always motoring in flat water. For a rigid inflatable tender, a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 895 on a day-hop, or a Fairline Targa 43 on a week-long passage, this is the friendliest stretch of Greek water there is.
Lefkada: Your Ionian Gateway — Approach, Berths and Anchorages
Most southern Ionian circuits begin or end at Lefkada Town, and D-Marin Lefkas is the natural operational base. With a capacity of 620 berths, the marina can accommodate vessels up to 45m length and 3.30m draft. Facilities include a fuel station at the entrance to the marina, toilet and shower blocks, and a laundromat. Call ahead on VHF Channel 69 — approaching the marina, you will receive guidance through VHF Channel 69, and marina staff will welcome you at berth.
The critical detail for any skipper approaching from the north is the famous floating bridge. It 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 between the southern and northern sections of the lagoon. The bridge monitors VHF Channel 12 as “Floating Bridge Santa Maura” and publishes seasonal opening schedules, which can change. Miss a slot and you wait — sometimes an hour or more. Check the current timetable before you leave your last anchorage. The canal approach requires careful navigation — use up-to-date charts and follow the buoyed channel precisely, particularly at lower water levels. This is precisely where loading Navionics+ charts for the Adriatic and Ionian regions pays for itself: upon purchasing any Navionics+ mapping solution, you receive a one-year subscription, which includes daily updates and advanced features, and after one year, renewal is available at a discounted rate.
Beyond the marina, Lefkada’s cruising ground is rich with motor-friendly stops. Sivota is one of the best-known anchorages in the Ionian sailing circuit. The bay’s deep water, sheltered geometry, and fish-taverna waterfront make it a natural overnight stop on Lefkada-Meganisi-Kefalonia routes. Sivota is a natural harbour set among the hills of the south-eastern coast of Lefkada, with an inconspicuous entrance that can be hard to spot from the sea until you are nearby. Approach from the south-east with bearings confirmed on your plotter; once inside, options open up. Free-swing on anchor in the middle of the bay works well, though the seabed is muddy and weedy — make sure you’ve driven the hook through the weed before trusting it, and keep your eye on the depth gauge because the bottom drops off quickly in the centre. Stern-to on the town quay is the alternative, where restaurant pontoons double as berths and a cold Mythos arrives at your stern rail within minutes.
- D-Marin Lefkas: 620 berths, max LOA 45m, max draft 3.5m, VHF Ch 69
- Floating bridge: Monitor VHF Ch 12, “Floating Bridge Santa Maura” — check schedule before departure
- Sivota: Anchorage position 38° 37.40’N, 20° 41.00’E — mud and weed bottom, take time to set the hook
- Provisioning: 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.
Kefalonia: Reading the Northern Coast from the Helm
The 25-nautical-mile run south from Sivota to Kefalonia’s northern tip is one of the finest motor passages in Greece. Time it for an early start, and you arrive at Fiskardo as the Maistro is just beginning to ripple the channel. Unlike most of Kefalonia, Fiskardo was spared by the 1953 earthquake and the port has retained its traditional Italianate architecture — deservedly a particularly popular port.
The approach is clean. Fiskardo (38°27’31N / 020°34’58E WGS84) is free of dangers, 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 on the north coast, 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.
Berthing in Fiskardo requires patience, particularly in July and August. The quay fills quickly in summer; many skippers go stern-to with a bow anchor. 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. Arrive by 10:30 at the very latest in high season. Tavernas here are genuinely excellent and several will take a stern line from a dining boat — ask ahead, as some tavernas assist with lines for diners, though policies vary, so check locally on the day.
Twenty nautical miles south, Assos provides the greatest drama in the entire Ionian cruising ground. 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. The caveat: Assos is only suitable in lighter air — the anchorage quickly becomes untenable in rougher conditions, certainly in northerlies. Check clouds gathering on Kefalonia’s summit ridges before committing: clouds near the summits act as a tell-tale for the stronger version of the Maistro.
For fuel and serious provisioning, Argostoli provides the most developed berthing facilities on Kefalonia, with extensive town quay berthing. Depths are typically 3–3.5 metres alongside. The port supports 200-plus berths with access to water, electricity, fuel, sanitary facilities, chandlery, and technical services — making it the only location on the island with meaningful yacht support capability.
- Fiskardo approach: 38°27’31N / 020°34’58E, light on north side of entrance, 10–20m approach depth
- North anchorage: 10–12m depth, stainless ring mooring lines, moderate holding — set hard before sleeping
- Assos: Spectacular 4–8m bay, best in settled NW conditions under 15 knots, limited to ~10 vessels
- Argostoli: Main fuel and provisioning stop, stern-to quay at 3–3.5m, full services
Ithaca: Odysseus’ Island, Earned by Sea
No Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide is complete without honest directions to Ithaca, and we mean directions from the water because there is really no other way to arrive that matters. 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.
Approach Vathy, the island’s capital harbour, from the west via the Ithaca Channel. Primary approaches are from the north and south via the channel between Ithaca and Kefalonia, which is deep and clear, with depths of 50–150 metres mid-channel. The main port, Vathy, lies on the SE coast and is entered through a narrow, well-defined inlet. Depths reduce from 30–40m outside to 10–15m at the entrance, then 5–8m inside the bay. The entrance is free of hazards but requires accurate alignment; once inside, the bay is fully enclosed and sheltered.
In Vathy, yachts berth stern-to or alongside on the town quay, with depths typically 4–7m alongside. Mooring is by own anchor with stern lines ashore; there are no laid moorings. A small marina set just off the main harbour offers pontoon berths, laid lines and full services including water, electricity, fuel and shore facilities, sitting slightly apart from the town quay with a more organised layout. Beware local gusts funnelled by valleys, ferry traffic in Vathy, and shallows near headlands. The mud bottom is your friend — the bottom is mud, and holding is excellent.
The anchor-only highlight, however, is Gidaki Beach, two miles north-northeast of Vathy’s entrance. Gidaki is one of Ithaca’s most beautiful beaches, with turquoise waters — and it can only be reached by boat or via a long and demanding walk. Depths increase rapidly, so anchor as close to the beach as possible. Around the yellow swimming buoys, the depth is about 8 metres. The bottom consists of sand and seaweed. Drop your hook, launch the tender, and step onto pebbles that no road has ever touched.
For an overnight stop with genuine character, push 8 nautical miles north of Vathy to Kioni. Kioni is one of Ithaca’s most picturesque villages, nestled in a sheltered bay on the island’s northeast coast. The entrance is marked by the three derelict windmill turrets on the headland. 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. The afternoon brings some strong NW gusts that make mooring either stern-to on the quay or long-lined to the cliffs challenging with a crosswind. Arrive early — aim to be moored by 14:00, because Kioni fills early and late arrivals find themselves anchored further out with a longer tender ride.
- Vathy approach: From Ithaca Channel, entrance bearing into narrow SE inlet, 10–15m at entrance, 5–8m inside
- Vathy berthing: Stern-to town quay, 4–7m depth, own anchor; small marina with laid lines also available
- Gidaki Beach: Approx. 38°23.16’N, 20°43.97’E — anchor at 8m, sand and weed, boat-access only
- Kioni: Three ruined windmills mark the entrance — bow/stern-to at 2.5–10m, long chain essential, arrive by 14:00
Practical Skipper Notes: Fuel, Charts, and Booking Berths
Running this Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide as a motorboat itinerary — Lefkada to Kefalonia to Ithaca and back — covers roughly 120 nautical miles at easy day-hop distances. Fuel planning is straightforward: the fuel station at D-Marin Lefkas sits at the entrance to the marina. The Kassianos fuel station in the east of Vathy bay re-opened in June 2024. Argostoli on Kefalonia remains your mid-circuit fuelling option. Carry 20% more than your calculated range in summer heat — flat-water planing burns more than you plan.
On charts: Navionics+ on a fixed chartplotter with the Adriatic and Ionian region loaded is our standard recommendation for this circuit. Navionics follows an annual subscription model — the app is free to download, but accessing detailed charts and advanced navigation features requires a paid subscription that renews each year. Back it up with Imray Chart G11 (North Ionian Islands) in paper form: electronics fail; paper does not.
On marina bookings: book your berth well in advance for July and August — D-Marin marinas fill quickly during peak charter season. In summer, it is especially wise to contact the marina in advance rather than assume space will be available. For the smaller, character-filled stops — Fiskardo, Kioni, Sivota — there is no booking system; it is first-come, first-served, which is exactly why your mornings should begin early and your cruising plan should remain flexible.
The Route in Summary: A Seven-Day Ionian Motor Circuit
The Nautiful Team suggests this as a working framework. Adapt it to your boat’s range and your crew’s appetite.
- Day 1: Arrive D-Marin Lefkas. Fuel, provision at the Sklavenitis supermarket within walking distance of the marina, settle in. Transit the floating bridge timed to the morning schedule.
- Day 2: South to Sivota (approx. 18NM). Anchor or stern-to town quay. Fish dinner at a waterfront taverna, lines taken at your stern.
- Day 3: Sivota to Fiskardo, Kefalonia (approx. 25NM). Depart by 08:00, arrive before the crowds. Stern-to quay or north bay anchorage at 10–12m.
- Day 4: Fiskardo to Assos (approx. 7NM south) — morning only, return or move to Argostoli for fuel and provisioning (approx. 30NM from Fiskardo).
- Day 5: Kefalonia to Vathy, Ithaca (approx. 22NM from Argostoli). Stern-to town quay. Evening on the harbourfront.
- Day 6: Morning swim at Gidaki Beach by tender. Afternoon move to Kioni (8NM north), arrive by 13:30. Dinner at the windmill-side quay.
- Day 7: Kioni north to Lefkada via Frikes and the Ithaca Channel (approx. 35NM). Time the bridge, berth back at D-Marin by late afternoon.
Plan Your Ionian Season with Nautiful
The Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide circuit we have laid out here — Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca in sequence — is, in our view, among the finest week’s motorboating available anywhere in the European Mediterranean. The distances are manageable, the anchorages are genuinely extraordinary, and the Maistro gives you calm mornings to move and breezy afternoons to