There is a moment, somewhere in the Ionian — throttles pulled back to idle, engine noise fading into the afternoon — when the water goes from blue to a shade of green-turquoise that simply does not exist anywhere else in the Mediterranean. If you have been lucky enough to find it off the limestone cliffs of Kefalonia’s northern coast, or slipping through the narrow entrance to Ithaca’s Vathy, you already know why the southern Ionian commands such obsessive loyalty among those who travel it by sea. This Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca is written for you — the skipper at the helm, the owner with a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey or an Azimut 43 in the D-Marin marina, the charterer stepping aboard for the very first time. Everything here is what you need to know when you approach from the water, because the water is the only direction that matters.
Understanding the Wind: The Maistro and Your Day on the Water
Before you cast off anywhere in this triangle of islands, you need to understand the engine that drives every day’s itinerary. The Maistros — the main summer wind in the Ionian — is a mild-mannered north-westerly that delivers a reliable, steady breeze from late May to late September. In the height of summer, local skippers say you can set your watch to it: not a breath before 11:00, then a gradually building medium breeze ideal for an afternoon passage, before the wind goes to sleep shortly before dusk.
Mornings arrive glassy and calm — perfect for early swimming or a leisurely departure. By around 14:00 the Maistro begins to build from the north-west, typically reaching 10–20 knots (Force 3–5), providing ideal running conditions without being overwhelming. Evenings are generally calm, making overnight anchoring safe and comfortable. For motor boaters this is a gift: depart early, make your miles in flat water, tuck into your anchorage before the afternoon chop builds.
The Ionian’s mountainous islands, however, create localised wind effects that every skipper should respect. Wind speeds accelerate when funnelling through narrow passages between islands — the channel between Lefkada and Meganisi, for example, can experience notably stronger gusts than open water. After sunset, cool air descending from mountain slopes creates katabatic winds, particularly in anchorages close to high terrain. These can reach Force 6 (approximately 25 knots) and typically last two to three hours. At Kioni and Vathy especially, have your snubber rigged and plenty of scope before you head ashore for dinner.
Skipper’s tip: Load your passage planning on Navionics+ before you leave the marina. The Ionian charts are excellent at this resolution and the Sonar Charts layer reveals the actual seabed texture around the key anchorages — essential when you’re choosing between sand and weed patches at Fiskardo or Antisamos. The app’s Weather routing feature aligns neatly with the Maistro’s daily cycle so you can fine-tune your departure times.
Lefkada: The Canal, D-Marin, and the East Coast Playground
For most skippers doing this Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide circuit, Lefkada is traditionally where bareboat and crewed charters begin. The marina is well maintained, with a supermarket, onshore showers, laundry facilities, and a wealth of restaurants in the town. It is an excellent operational base and the logistics are straightforward once you understand the canal.
The Lefkada Canal, which separates the island from the Greek mainland, has existed since ancient times. It is used by both local craft and yachts as a shortcut to nearby Ionian islands and a quicker route to the island’s east coast. The floating bridge — known as the Agia Mavra — operates on a seasonal schedule and monitors VHF Channel 12 as “Floating Bridge Santa Maura.” The schedule changes seasonally and maintenance periods may affect the normal routine, so before planning a tight canal transit it is worth checking locally. Even experienced skippers can lose time here if they assume the opening schedule never changes. The current summer schedule runs at: 08:00, 10:00, 14:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00, 22:00.
D-Marin Lefkas Marina lies at the north end of the canal and offers 620 berths on seven pontoons and associated quays in depths of up to 4.0 metres. Contact the marina on VHF Channel 69 upon arrival and proceed to the office for check-in. All berths are equipped with electricity (220V and 380V) and fresh water. The marina offers a full range of technical boat services including two travelifts (150-ton and 70-ton) and a 60-ton mobile crane — important if you’re on an extended cruise and need haulout work.
Once east of the canal, the cruising opens up beautifully. Lefkada is surrounded by 24 islets that provide a plethora of secluded bays and coves to anchor off and explore. South of Nidri, the anchorage at Vliho Bay deserves an overnight: the bay is well protected from wind of any direction, with good holding in mud in 5–7 metres depth. The Meganisi crossing from Nidri is a short motor in flat water, and the deep Vathy Bay on Meganisi offers several mooring options: the old harbour in the south-east, the marina directly west, and a short quay near Taverna Karnagio. Take the tender ashore for grilled octopus under the tamarisk trees — one of the finest meals in the Ionian.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo, Assos and the Anchorages Only You Can Reach
The passage south from Lefkada to Kefalonia is typically around 20–25 nautical miles, comfortable in a modern motor cruiser with the Maistro on the beam. Kefalonia’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. Approach the north of the island from seaward and your first port of call should be Fiskardo.
The approach to Fiskardo (38°27’31N / 020°34’58E) is free of dangers; the lighthouse on the north side of the entrance is easily identified and guides you to the bay. Along the north shore there is a good anchorage for 10–12 yachts in depths of 10–12 metres, with lines taken ashore to stainless steel rings in the rocks. Holding is only moderate in sand and weed, so make sure your anchor is well dug in. Shelter here is good in all but strong east or south winds. Only about 25 berths are available making good use of all moorings, so in high season finding a berth can be a real challenge. Arrive by 10:00 in July or August or plan to anchor.
Fiskardo is a gem of a place, its quays lined with pastel-coloured houses in the Venetian style and the harbour a constant bustle of activity. The dinghy dock is mid-quay; step ashore for the bakery, the three supermarkets, and the evening ouzo ritual. This is the one harbour in the Ionian that genuinely earns its reputation.
South of Fiskardo, Assos is a spectacular detour for those with the patience to handle its quirks. 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. It is only suitable in lighter air — the anchorage quickly becomes untenable in rougher conditions, certainly in northerlies. Go bow-to the pier with a stern anchor, or simply anchor in the bay, take a line to the rocks, and swim off the bow with the Venetian castle walls rising above you. No road tourist ever sees Assos from this angle.
Further south on the east coast, Antisamos Bay, just north of Sami, rewards those who arrive by sea. The bay offers good protection from most wind directions with depths of 5–12 metres and excellent holding ground. Limited road access means yacht visitors often have the bay largely to themselves — at least outside peak afternoon hours. A long beach of white pebbles, with water that starts turquoise in the shallows and goes deep navy further out — it deepens steeply quite soon after entering the water. Drop the hook in 8 metres, lay out 40 metres of chain on sand, and swim until sunset. You will not regret it.
For provisioning and fuel on Kefalonia, Argostoli is the answer. Argostoli provides the most developed berthing facilities on the island, with extensive town quay berthing and a municipal marina area. Berthing is stern-to or alongside, with depths of 3–3.5 metres alongside. The port supports around 200+ berths with access to water, electricity, fuel, sanitary facilities, chandlery, and technical services. Argostoli also hosts the only regular open market on Kefalonia — a weekly street market (laiki agora) where local vendors sell seasonal fruit, vegetables, olives, honey, and regional products, alongside permanent greengrocers and deli-style shops. Fill your fenders and your lockers here before heading east to Ithaca.
Ithaca: Homer’s Island From the Helm
Ithaca is celebrated as the mythical home of Odysseus in Homer’s The Odyssey, and the island wears this story well. From the water it looks exactly as it should: steep, green, secretive, revealing nothing until you are already inside its arms. Ithaca lies in the Ionian Sea east of Kefalonia, deeply indented with multiple bays providing sheltered water, with the principal harbour at Vathy situated at the head of a long, enclosed inlet on the east side. Additional operational locations include Kioni and Frikes on the north-east coast. The coastline is steep in many sectors with rapid depth changes outside the main bays.
Vathy is your primary destination and it earns that status. Vathy is a natural harbour that provides excellent anchorage, known from Homeric times as particularly sheltered. Anchored boats find a safe haven without additional support. In Vathy, yachts berth stern-to or alongside on the town quay, with depths typically 4–7 metres alongside. Vathy experiences a brisk afternoon seabreeze most days of up to Force 4–5, which causes an unpleasant chop for a few hours but usually dies down by nightfall. Time your arrival for the morning and you will glide into one of the most beautiful harbours in all of Greece — an almost fjord-like inlet framed by olive terraces and whitewashed houses stacked above the waterfront.
There is no large full-service marina on Ithaca. Berthing is primarily in Vathy harbour and at several smaller ports. Vathy has the most reliable services — water, fuel, small supermarket, and chandlery. Kioni and Frikes have tavernas and small shops in season. For provisioning beyond basics, bring what you need from Kefalonia or Lefkada.
Kioni, four miles north of Vathy, is the other anchorage that belongs on every Ithaca itinerary. The three windmills at the south side of the entrance are easily identified when approaching from the north or east; from the south you need to sail around the peninsula until you can locate them. Kioni Bay offers anchoring in 5–10 metres over mud and sand with good holding and protection from prevailing winds, though space is limited. Many of Ithaca’s best anchorages are accessible only by boat, rewarding crews with clear water, quiet surroundings, and dramatic landscapes rather than organised facilities.
At Frikes, the northernmost of the three, ferries have been known to cut the corner when passing down the east side of Ithaca, causing a mini-tsunami in the bay owing to the funnelling effect. Yachts have been damaged in the harbour — especially if moored alongside the north quay. The most sensible option is to do an anchor moor in 5.0–6.0 metres, dig in well and fall back to the quay, leaving a generous gap between your stern and the quay. The holding is good in sand and weed. Leave a generous gap between yourself and your neighbour, as masts will clash in any ferry surge if you don’t.
Planning Your Route: The Practical Overview
This is a circuit that works beautifully in either direction, though the prevailing north-westerly Maistro rewards a south-to-north homeward leg with the wind aft. Most Nautiful readers doing this Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide route will base out of D-Marin Lefkada and work a clockwise circuit: Lefkada east coast → Meganisi → north Kefalonia (Fiskardo) → Assos → Antisamos/Sami → Argostoli fuel stop → Ithaca (Vathy, Kioni) → Frikes → back to Lefkada. In seven days, this is achievable without rushing, with two or three passages exceeding 20 nautical miles. In ten days, it is leisurely and deeply satisfying.
- Passage: Lefkada (Nidri) to Fiskardo — approx. 22 nm. Depart early, arrive before noon. Clear of significant hazards. Watch the Meganisi–Kefalonia channel for acceleration.
- Passage: Fiskardo to Vathy, Ithaca — approx. 13 nm. Short hop across the Ithaca Channel. The channel between Ithaca and Kefalonia can suffer from a nasty swell in a southerly blow — check the forecast before leaving Fiskardo.
- Passage: Vathy to Kioni — approx. 4 nm. An easy afternoon motor up the coast.
- Passage: Kioni to Nidri, Lefkada — approx. 18 nm. The shape of the southern Ionian, sheltered by Lefkas and Kefalonia, means you are almost always sailing in flat water on this return leg.
For your charts, we use and recommend the Navionics+ app with the Southern Ionian chart region loaded to an iPad mounted at the helm. At approximately €35 per year for a subscription, it is the most cost-effective piece of navigation equipment on board. Pair it with a dedicated waterproof tablet mount — not a holder from a car accessory shop — and you have real-time depth data, marina information, and AIS overlaid on a chart that covers every bay in this guide.
For those chartering rather than arriving on their own keels, a bareboat from a reputable Lefkada base such as Sunsail, Sailing Virgins, or Navigare Yachting out of D-Marin is the logical gateway. For a four-cabin Lagoon 42 in shoulder season (May, June, late September), expect €4,500–€6,800 per week bareboat. In July and August the same boat reaches €8,000–€11,500. Book berths in advance for Fiskardo and Kioni through services such as Marinagri or direct with the harbour authorities — arriving unannounced in July at either location is an exercise in creative anchoring.
What This Route Gives You That No Other Does
A Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca could fill volumes, but the bones of it are this: three islands of different characters, manageable passages between them, a wind pattern you can predict to within the hour, and a standard of anchorage — for depth, holding quality, and sheer beauty — that is genuinely hard to match anywhere in the Mediterranean. Many of Ithaca’s best anchorages are accessible only by boat, rewarding crews with clear water, quiet surroundings, and dramatic landscapes. In essence, Ithaca — and by extension this whole circuit — is about shelter, technique, and atmosphere.
Places like Sivota on Lefkada or Vathy on Ithaca remain calm even when winds are lively offshore — ideal anchorages after a day’s sail. That is the Ionian in a sentence. Plan your passages for the morning, find your bay by early afternoon, let the anchor down on clean sand, and spend the rest of the day entirely at the water’s edge. No crowds, no car parks, no tourist buses. Just the boat, the light, and the