There is a moment, somewhere in the strait between Kefalonia’s dark northern cape and the sun-bleached cliffs of Ithaca, when the water goes glass-flat and a single osprey hangs overhead without moving. The engine is just ticking over, the GPS is painting a clean line south, and you realise that no airport transfer, no hire car, no tourist coach will ever deposit you here. This stretch of ocean — yours alone, because you came by boat — is the reason this Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca exists. It is written for skippers, by skippers, entirely from the water.
Why the Ionian Is Different From Every Other Med Passage
Sailors and motorboaters who have done both the Aegean and the Ionian will tell you the same thing: the western Greek islands play to entirely different rules. The Ionian Sea is not a Meltemi domain; afternoon westerlies known as the Maestral are common, usually Force 3–5, making it attractive for relaxed cruising. That is a critical distinction if you are pushing a Jeanneau Cap Camarat 10.5 WA or an Axopar 37 across open water in July. The primary summer wind is the Maistros, a north-westerly sea breeze that builds gently around midday, peaks in the afternoon at Force 3–5, and dies down by sunset.
The shape of the southern Ionian, sheltered by its largest islands — Lefkada and Kefalonia — means that you are almost always sailing in flat water. For motorboaters, this translates to comfortable beam passages, predictable windows for open-water crossings, and the luxury of planning your day with real confidence. This rhythm allows you to plan morning passages while conditions are calm, run in the afternoon when there is actually wind, and spend evenings swimming or relaxing without being blown about. Leave your anchorage at 0730, make your miles in glassy conditions, anchor by 1400 and be in the water before the afternoon Maistros even thinks about arriving. This is Ionian motorboating at its best.
Lefkada: The Canal Entry, D-Marin and the Vlicho Anchorage
Most skippers approaching from Corfu or Preveza will enter Lefkada from the north. 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 — and close attention to the channel markers is strongly recommended for a first-time approach. The Lefkada Channel is dredged and buoyed with depths generally 4–6 metres, and entry is controlled by a swing bridge at Lefkada town operating on scheduled openings. The bridge itself is one of those moments that separates a motorboat holiday from anything else: 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, time your passage carefully to align with the bridge opening schedule.
Once through, D-Marin Lefkas is your most comfortable base in the northern Ionian. The total capacity of the marina is 620 berths up to a maximum length of 45 metres and a draft of 4 metres, with 280 dry berths. Contact the marina via VHF on arrival — the working channel is 69 — and go to the office to process check-in paperwork. Facilities include fuel, water, shore power, a lift and repair services. For a Sunseeker Predator 65 or a Fairline Squadron 48, this is full-service territory. Berths fill fast in July and August, so book ahead via a marina booking platform — this is one place you do not want to be circling at 1700 with a beam wind and a twitchy bow thruster.
If you prefer to swing at anchor, head south to Vlicho Bay. Vlicho is a long, sheltered, natural bay on the eastern coast of Lefkada, just south of Nidri, and 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, while Nidri is only a short dinghy ride away for more extensive provisioning. For provisioning, the town of Nidri itself has everything — supermarkets, marine supply shops and a waterfront bristling with tavernas reachable by tender.
Kefalonia: Fiskardo by Tender, Argostoli by Day, Assos by Night
The crossing from Lefkada to Kefalonia — roughly 20 nautical miles south from Vlicho Bay — is one of the cleanest day passages in the Ionian. Approach Kefalonia’s northern tip and your gateway is Fiskardo. Unlike the lion’s share of Kefalonia, Fiskardo was spared by the 1953 earthquake, and the port has retained its traditional Italianate architecture — deservedly one of the most popular ports in the Ionian.
The approach is clean. Free of dangers, the lighthouse on the north side of the entrance is easily identified and will guide you into the bay. Berth space, however, is precious. There are about 25 available berths making good use of all available moorings, and it is genuinely difficult to find space in high season. The practical play if you arrive late: 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 — though holding is only moderate in sand and some weed, so make sure your anchor is well dug in. Use your tender for the short hop to the quay; the tavernas here spill right down to the waterfront, and dinner within touching distance of your gangway is part of the deal.
For those prepared to make the longer approach, Argostoli — Kefalonia’s capital — offers a completely different scale of harbour. The approaches to the Gulf of Argostoli from both east and west are full of dangers, and under no circumstances should you enter during the dark. In daylight, however, the approach is rewarding. Approach is from the Ionian Sea with offshore depths generally 50–100 metres, reducing to 20–40 metres approaching the entrance to the Argostoli inlet — and the entrance is defined by headlands and clearly identifiable. Most visiting yachts moor on the quay immediately south of the customs quay, where depths range from 2.5 metres at the south end to 3.0 metres at the north end, with excellent shelter from the prevailing winds.
Between Fiskardo and Argostoli, do not miss Assos Bay on Kefalonia’s northwest coast. Assos Bay offers perhaps the most spectacular setting, with its narrow entrance opening into a well-protected circular bay — surrounding cliffs provide complete wind protection, though space is limited to around 10–12 yachts, and the bay maintains consistent depths of 4–8 metres with excellent holding in sand and weed. This is the anchorage you photograph and never forget. Arrive by early afternoon, deploy the passerelle, and swim off the stern — the water clarity here can exceed 30 metres.
A note on charts: for the full Kefalonia and Ithaca route, carry the Navionics Boating app with the Adriatic and Ionian Sea overlay on your MFD or tablet. The crowdsourced depth data in Navionics is particularly valuable in the tighter anchorages around Kefalonia’s north coast, where official survey data can be thin. Cross-reference with the Imray G12 South Ionian chart, which includes detailed plans of the Levkas Canal, Aetos Bay on Ithaca, the Gulf of Argostoli, and Zakynthos Bay, printed and corrected to January 2024.
Ithaca: Vathy, Kioni and the Passages Only Reachable by Boat
Ithaca is the emotional centre of this Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca. The island is compact — you can circumnavigate it in a long afternoon — but its harbours and anchorages reward patience and early arrivals. Approach Vathy, the main harbour, and watch the land close in around you. Vathy, meaning “deep,” lies at the head of one of the most naturally sheltered bays in the Ionian Sea, the entrance 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. Around 20 yachts can anchor and moor at the quay in depths ranging from 4.0 metres at the north end to 3.5 metres at the south end, with tyre fenders along the quay. There is a filling station for boats at Mylos in Vathy providing fuel, lubricants and water. Stern-to the quay in the classic Greek style, bow anchor dropped in the mud, and you are five minutes by foot from the best waterfront restaurants in the central Ionian.
For the most beautiful overnight in all three islands, push north to Kioni. Kioni is one of Ithaca’s most picturesque villages, nestled in a sheltered bay on the island’s northeast coast, with a waterfront lined with tavernas and cafés — and three well-lit windmills grace the southern end of the bay, creating a magical night-time setting. The operational reality: arrive early in season — Kioni is popular and available space is limited later in the day, so aim to arrive before 14:00 for the best choice of position. Kioni is exposed in strong NE, E and SE winds and gets strong gusts when the prevailing NW funnels into the bay. Check your forecast before committing.
For those seeking solitude, the bay of Antri on Ithaca’s east coast is accessible only by boat. Antri is a beautiful narrow bay on Ithaca’s east coast, its name coming from a nearby ruined chapel of Agios Andreas, with natural surroundings that create a serene atmosphere and a small beach home only to goats. Anchor in the middle of the bay with plenty of chain at approximately 15 metres depth, and pass stern lines to the rocks — holding is good. No road reaches here. No ferry calls. Only boats.
Charter or Own: Planning Your Passage
The triangle of Lefkada–Kefalonia–Ithaca is perfectly scaled for a seven-day motorboat charter from D-Marin Lefkas. A realistic itinerary runs: Day 1 — settle in at Lefkas Marina; Day 2 — south through the canal to Vlicho Bay; Day 3 — overnight passage to Fiskardo; Day 4 — Assos Bay for the afternoon and night; Day 5 — Argostoli for provisioning and fuel; Day 6 — Vathy, Ithaca; Day 7 — Kioni before the northward return. The distances are manageable — none of the passages in this triangle exceeds 25 nautical miles — which means a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 Fly or an Axopar 37 can comfortably make each leg in a morning run, leaving afternoons free for swimming and exploring.
Charterers should pre-book berths at D-Marin Lefkas and confirm availability in Argostoli well before departure, particularly for July and August. The Ionian Islands offer gentle winds and protected waters throughout summer, ideal for those wanting stress-free boating — but “stress-free” is the product of good preparation. Load your Navionics charts before you leave the marina. Programme your waypoints. Know your VHF channels: D-Marin Lefkas works on VHF 69, and the Agia Efimia harbourmaster on Kefalonia is reached on VHF 74. Keep a paper pilot book — the Imray Greek Waters Pilot by Rod Heikell — as backup for the approaches where electronic chart data runs thin.
What This Triangle Delivers That Nowhere Else Can Match
There is a scene in Kioni that stays with every skipper who has put their stern to that quay. The windmills are dark against the last light. The taverna tables edge right to the water. The anchor chain is tight in the mud below, and the only people who will eat at that waterfront table tonight came here by boat. No tourist bus reaches Kioni. No road trip ends here. This is only accessible from the sea — which is precisely the promise of this Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca.
The three islands together form a motorboating circuit with almost no weak passages. Lefkada excels in practicality — Lefkada Town, Nidri and Vlicho Bay provide reliable shelter, repairs, provisioning and fuel, making the island an excellent staging point. Kefalonia delivers the drama — the jaw-dropping approach to Assos, the preserved quaysides of Fiskardo, the immense sheltered bowl of Argostoli. And Ithaca delivers the feeling that Homer knew what he was doing when he wrote about a sailor who could never quite stop wanting to come back.
If this Greece Ionian Islands sailing guide: Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca has you reaching for the chart plotter, we are glad. Before you go, make sure your Navionics subscription covers the Adriatic and Ionian Sea region, pre-book your D-Marin Lefkas berth for the peak weeks, and consider a dedicated anchorage guide for the smaller coves between Fiskardo and Kioni that never appear on standard charts. Come back and tell us which anchorage won.
Subscribe to the Nautiful newsletter at nautiful.com for fortnightly passage notes, marina updates, new boat reviews tested in Med conditions, and anchorage dispatches from skippers currently on the water in the Ionian, Aegean and beyond. The next issue covers the passage south from Ithaca to Zakynthos — and why the Navionics depth layer for Laganas Bay will change the way you plan your approach.