The Ionian is not Greece’s best-kept secret. But it might be its finest motor-cruising ground. Laid out across the western edge of the country like a string of jade beads — Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca — these three islands form the heartland of what experienced skippers return to, season after season, without apology. This is our Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca: written entirely from the water, for skippers who arrive by bow, not by bus.
Reading the Ionian: Wind, Water and When to Go
Before you plot a waypoint, understand what drives these waters. In summer, the Maistro dominates — a northwesterly breeze that starts around midday, builds in the afternoon, and eases at sunset. Speeds usually sit between 10 and 20 knots, perfect for relaxed passages without over-challenging the crew. That creates a glorious daily rhythm for a motor cruiser: calm mornings to enjoy a swim before departure, breezy afternoons for lively running, and peaceful evenings at anchor.
The main summer wind in the Ionian is called the Maistro, a mild-mannered NW wind delivering a reliable and steady breeze from late May to late September. 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 ideal for a relaxed afternoon passage, before the wind goes to sleep shortly before dusk. Motor south in the morning calm, throttle back to a comfortable cruise speed by noon, and you’ll arrive at your next anchorage before the afternoon chop builds.
Its consistency makes route planning straightforward, and most anchorages are located on the sheltered eastern sides of the islands. Occasional katabatic gusts can occur near steep coastlines, but overall, this reliability makes the Ionian popular with families and experienced charter guests alike. September is the quiet favourite of many regular cruisers. Water is at its annual peak, the main wave of tourists has gone home, the wind is steady, and the evening light turns golden. We’d not argue with that.
Chartwork: Load the Navionics Boating App on the Adriatic & Ionian Sea subscription before you leave the dock. The Navionics software is particularly useful for planning in advance — it means more time cruising and less time at the chart table, and you can download charts to your device easily and at minimal cost. For paper backup, Imray Chart G12 covers the South Ionian Islands, with detailed plans of the Levkas Canal, Ithaca, and Kefalonia, printed on water-resistant paper and including anchorages, facilities and inlets not found on official charts.
Lefkada: Through the Canal or Around the Cape
Your approach to Lefkada sets the tone for the whole trip. Arriving from the north, you have a choice that separates the well-briefed from the caught-out. The Lefkas Canal, which has existed since ancient times, separates the island from the Greek mainland and is used by local craft and yachts as a shortcut to nearby Ionian islands and a quicker route to the east coast of Lefkada. The catch: a floating swing bridge controls access.
Until 15 September 2026, the bridge opens for marine traffic according to the following schedule: 08:00, 10:00, 14:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00, and 22:00. Miss a slot and you wait. Missing a slot can mean waiting an hour or more, so always confirm the current schedule before departure, especially if you have a tight itinerary. Call D-Marin Lefkas Marina on VHF Channel 69 for the current timetable before you enter the channel. There is a speed limit of 4.0 knots in the canal, and sometimes an appreciable current of 1.0 to 1.5 knots, usually south-going.
Once through, D-Marin Lefkas is immediately to port. The marina lies inside a long, L-shaped wavebreak pontoon that shelters the berths from east and north, with entry from the south between the wavebreak and the jetty with the fuel berth at its end. With a capacity of 620 berths, it can accommodate vessels up to 45m length and 3.30m draft. Stern-to and alongside berths are both available. Advance reservation is strongly recommended in peak season — July and August. Book via the D-Marin website or app, or hail on VHF Ch 69. Expect to pay approximately €120 per day for a 12-metre vessel in high season, water and power not included.
If the marina feels too structured, explore east. Nikiana, a few miles down the east coast, offers a quieter option. Moor stern-to using lazy lines. The harbour provides good protection from all winds. Contact on VHF Channel 20 to request a berth. Step ashore by dinghy for provisions and a cold Mythos. Simpler, cheaper, utterly Greek.
The Crossing: Lefkada to Kefalonia
The passage south from Lefkada to Kefalonia is one of the great motor-cruising runs of the central Ionian. Distances between islands typically run 10 to 25 nautical miles, or two to five hours at cruising speed. From D-Marin Lefkas, the run to Fiskardo at the northern tip of Kefalonia is approximately 18 nautical miles — comfortable in the morning calm, with the Maistro building gently on the beam as you close the coast.
The shape of the southern Ionian, sheltered by its largest islands — Lefkas and Kefalonia — means you are almost always running in flat water. On a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 or an Axopar 37 Cross Cabin, this is the passage you design the whole trip around: open sea, building blue, no ferry traffic worth worrying about, and the limestone cliff-face of northern Kefalonia growing on the horizon.
Watch the channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca as you close. Wind funnelling in the channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca can produce gusting and directional shifts, while sheltered bays often experience reduced wind strength. On a hot summer afternoon with the Maistro up, this narrow waterway can kick up a short, steep chop that surprises lighter hulls. Arrive early, run fast in the calm, and you’ll have your stern lines on before lunch.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo, Assos and the Coves Only You Will Find
Fiskardo is the Ionian’s most talked-about stop — and it earns the reputation. 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, and only Kioni on Ithaca is more charming.
Approach on position 38°27’31N / 020°34’58E. The approach is free of dangers — the lighthouse on the north side of the entrance is easily identified and will guide you to the bay. On approach, watch for ferries that often come through at speed and are not visible from a distance because of the lay of the coast. Mooring options at Fiskardo include the breakwater in depths of 3.5 to 4 metres, or the west dock in 2 to 3 metres — avoid the south dock entirely, which shoals to 1 to 1.5 metres.
If the quay is chocker — and in August, it will be — go to anchor in the north bay. Along the north shore there is a good anchorage for 10 to 12 boats in depths of 10 to 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. Prevailing winds in summer are NW to N; holding is poor in places, and an extra anchoring attempt can make a significant improvement. Drop at least 50 metres of chain and sleep easy.
For the anchorage that will define your trip, point south from Fiskardo and feel for Assos. Approach on 38°22’80N / 020°32’20E. 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. Go stern or bows-to the mole with a long line ashore — keep clear of the rock-edged mole itself. The bay runs 7 to 12 metres deep, with holding that varies, so let out as much scope as possible. When the north wind blows, swell enters and can make the harbour dangerous as conditions build. Treat Assos as the lunchtime jewel it is — anchor for a swim, tender ashore for a waterfront table, and be underway again before the afternoon Maistro sets in earnest. Keep the overnight berth for Fiskardo or push on to Ithaca.
Ithaca: Kioni, Vathy and Homeric Anchorages
The shortest crossing in the Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca is also the most mythologically weighted. From Fiskardo to Kioni on Ithaca is barely 8 nautical miles across a protected channel. The relatively sheltered channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca provides a safe and interesting cruising area, ideal for both beginners and experienced captains.
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 NW summer 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 first and finest stop. The entrance is marked by three derelict windmill turrets on the headland. Yachts moor at the quay bow-to or stern-to at water depths of 2.5 to 10 metres — the steeply sloped seabed means using a long chain makes sense. Alternatively, boats can anchor in the bay or inside the harbour. Arrive by 14:00. Kioni fills early. Late arrivals find themselves anchored further out with a longer tender ride. Avoid Kioni entirely in easterly or southerly winds — the swell can get truly large and the holding in the weedy bottom is not reliable enough to trust overnight. Several tavernas line the seafront including Mills, Calypso and Lizzy’s — tender ashore, order the grilled octopus, watch the light fade over the channel toward Kefalonia.
From Kioni, it is 8 nautical miles south to Vathy, Ithaca’s principal harbour. Ithaca lies in the Ionian Sea east of Kefalonia, with the principal harbour at Vathi situated at the head of a long, enclosed inlet on the east side. Vathi provides anchoring in 5 to 10 metres over mud with reliable holding and high shelter from all directions. Boats usually moor at the west pier, which offers about 20 berths with yellow markings, mooring stern or bow using a dropped anchor in 3.5 to 4 metre depths over seagrass and mud. There is a fuel station for boats at Mylos in Vathy, supplying fuel, lubricants and water. Vathy is the place to restock: it has the most reliable services — water, fuel, a small supermarket and chandlery.
The wildcard anchorage on Ithaca: Gidaki Beach, on the eastern shore north of Vathy. Gidaki is one of Ithaca’s most beautiful beaches, with turquoise waters, reachable only by boat or via a long and demanding walk. Arrive by tender from Vathy, drop the hook in 8 metres over sand just off the beach, and swim in water so clear you can watch your chain link by link on the bottom. This is what the Greece Ionian Islands guide cannot overstate — the beaches that only exist for those who arrive by sea.
Practical Skipper Notes: Fuel, Provisioning and Booking Smart
Running a motorboat in the Ionian requires more fuel discipline than in the Aegean, where marinas cluster close. Plan your fuel stops around these confirmed locations:
- D-Marin Lefkas: Fuel station at the entrance to the marina, with diesel and petrol, plus facilities for disposal of biological and oil waste.
- Fiskardo: No fuel in Kioni — top up before arrival. Closest fuel is at Fiskardo or Sami.
- Vathy, Ithaca: A fuel station serving boats is located at 38°22.134’N, 20°43.050’E, where you can refill both fuel and water tanks.
For marina bookings at D-Marin Lefkas, use the D-Marin app or book directly via their website well ahead of July or August. Charter operators recommend booking berths 48 to 72 hours in advance during peak season at Fiskardo and Vathy — at places like Vathi on Ithaca or Fiskardo on Kefalonia you’ll be competing for berths in the late afternoon. The early-morning skipper wins the stern berth with the taverna view.
A dedicated anchorage guide specifically loaded for the Ionian will save you hours of uncertainty on approach. The Navionics Boating App with the Adriatic & Ionian Sea chart subscription gives you real-time depth overlays, community edits from skippers who were there last week, and sonar charts that show what the official surveys miss in small coves. Load it before you leave home, update it at the marina Wi-Fi, and use it every time you nose into an unfamiliar bay.
The Three-Island Loop: A Suggested Route from D-Marin Lefkas
For skippers with seven to ten days and a motorboat in the 30 to 50 knot cruise range, this is the circuit that delivers everything the Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca promises:
- Day 1–2: Base at D-Marin Lefkas. Transit the canal, explore the east coast anchorages, provision at Lefkada town by dinghy.
- Day 3: Morning run south to Fiskardo (approx. 18 NM). Arrive by 11:00 for quay space. Stern-to on the breakwater, lunch at the waterfront, afternoon swim in the north bay.
- Day 4: Day run south to Assos (lunchtime anchor stop), then back north. Or push to Agia Efimia for a provisioning stop.
- Day 5: Cross to Kioni, Ithaca (8 NM). Arrive early. Dinghy dinner ashore.
- Day 6: Motor south to Vathy (8 NM). Fuel, water, restock. Tender to Gidaki Beach for the afternoon swim.
- Day 7: Return passage north to Lefkada via the channel, timing arrival for a bridge slot. Final night at D-Marin.
The Ionian is to Mediterranean motor cruisers what the Bahamas is to Caribbean charterers: the easy ground where you feel at home from day one. Distances between islands typically run 10 to 25 nautical miles — two to five hours at cruising speed. There is no grinding offshore passage, no overnight watch-keeping, no anxiety. Just blue water, ancient stone, and the particular contentment of eating grilled fish at a table you reached by tender.
The Greece Ionian Islands Sailing Guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca is not a route to rush. Ithaca has been a natural haven for sailors for centuries — and the water has not changed. The anchorages are