Ionian Islands: The Perfect Destination for Every Sailor
Sailing guide · Ionian Islands
If you’re looking for a scenic, beginner-friendly sailing destination rich in history and charm, the Ionian Islands are hard to beat. This guide explains why, the ways you can sail them with Seafarer, and a 7-day route from our Kefalonia base to get you started.
In short
The Ionian Islands, off Greece’s west coast, are one of the easiest and most rewarding places to sail: calm seas, a steady afternoon breeze, and short hops between islands. With Seafarer, you can join a flotilla from Lefkas or Kefalonia, charter your own yacht, book a cabin on our AHOY Ionian trip, or mix sailing with watersports at Nikiana Beach Club.
2
flotilla bases: Lefkas and Kefalonia
4
ways to sail the Ionian with Seafarer
7
days on our sample Kefalonia route
Apr–Oct
our Lefkas flotilla season
On this page
Why the Ionian
Why the Ionian Islands are perfect for sailing
Choosing a sailing destination can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re worried about rough seas or long passages. The Aegean’s famous Meltemi winds, while thrilling, often make for demanding sailing.
The Ionian Islands offer a different experience. Instead of the Meltemi, they enjoy calm seas and the steady Maistro breeze, ideal for smooth, relaxed sailing through the season. The islands are close together, so each leg is short and manageable, leaving more time for swimming, sightseeing, and enjoying the Ionian pace.
The Ionian is more than easy sailing, too. It’s home to centuries-old villages, Venetian architecture, and warm Greek hospitality, with each stop revealing something new. For more on the scenery and character of the area, see our guide to the Ionian Sea and Visit Greece’s official Ionian Islands guide.
Your options
Four ways to sail the Ionian with Seafarer
Whether you want to learn, relax, or explore, there’s a way to do it here.
Yacht charter: your own pace
Design your own itinerary from Lefkas or Kefalonia. Go bareboat if you’re experienced and qualified, or with a professional skipper.
AHOY: book a cabin
Join a small crew on a shared yacht with an experienced skipper, sailing from Nikiana on Lefkas to a new harbour almost every day. AHOY Ionian suits first-timers and keen sailors alike.
Nikiana Beach Club
Combine a laid-back beach holiday with dinghy sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, and paddleboarding at our small, friendly beach club on Lefkada.
Want to learn or teach?
You can learn to sail on a yacht and gain RYA skipper qualifications with Seafarer Training, or become a qualified RYA watersports instructor with our Sailing and Windsurfing Academy.
Sample route
A 7-day Ionian Islands route from Kefalonia
This sample route from our Kefalonia charter base at Agia Efimia loops around the island, with short, scenic sails and stops like Assos’s pastel houses.
Day 1Agia Efimia
Fly to Kefalonia and transfer to Agia Efimia, a harbour framed by green mountains and fishing boats, for embarkation.
Day 2Fiskardo
Lively and sophisticated, yet it keeps its traditional Greek charm, with boutiques, tavernas, and plenty of people watching.
Day 3Assos
Sail around the north coast to Assos, with colourful hillside houses and a Venetian fort built to protect the village from pirates.
Day 4Argostoli
Kefalonia’s capital, rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake, with markets, tavernas, and buzzing nightlife around Vallianos Square. Try a glass of local Robola wine.
Day 5Poros, Kefalonia
Walk over the hill to beachside tavernas and explore the Drakena cave, known in mythology as the sanctuary of the nymphs and Pan.
Day 6Sami
A laid-back town with white sand beaches and emerald water, chosen as a location for Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The Melissani cave lake is close by.
Day 7Back to Agia Efimia
Enjoy your final evening in a waterfront taverna.
Day 8Disembark
Disembark and transfer to Kefalonia airport.
A suggested route only. For more on sailing the island, see our guide to sailing around Kefalonia.
A little history
A short history of the Ionian Islands
When you sail between Kefalonia, Ithaca, and Lefkas, you follow the same routes as sailors from thousands of years ago. The Ionian’s history isn’t as famous as that of Athens or Rhodes, but events in these islands have shaped the story of Europe.
Bronze Age
Homer’s Ithaca
Mycenaean Greeks settled the islands, and in 1991 archaeologists found a tomb from around 1300BC near Poros on Kefalonia. Some, including the German archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld, believed Odysseus’s palace stood on Lefkas, near Nydri, rather than on Ithaca.
Classical Greece
Corinthian colonies
Corinth colonised the islands from the 7th century BC and dug the first channel between Lefkas and the mainland. A quarrel between Corfu and Corinth led to the Battle of Sybota in 433BC, one of the sparks of the Peloponnesian War.
Roman times
The Battle of Actium
Rome took the islands in the 2nd century BC. In 31BC, just north of Lefkas near Preveza, Octavian defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the largest sea battle of the ancient world, and went on to become Rome’s first emperor. To celebrate, he founded Nikopolis, the ‘Victory City’, whose aqueduct still stands near Preveza.
12th century to 1797
Normans and Venetians
Norman, French, and Italian rulers came first, followed by centuries of Venetian rule. The Ottomans held Lefkas until 1684 but never took Corfu. The old towns of Corfu and Zakynthos still show their Venetian roots.
1809 to 1864
British rule
After spells under France and Russia, Britain began taking the islands in 1809 and later ran them as the United States of the Ionian Islands. They joined Greece in 1864, and Corfu still plays cricket today.
1940s
Captain Corelli’s Kefalonia
Italy, then Germany, occupied the islands in the Second World War. In 1943, German forces killed thousands of Italian soldiers on Kefalonia for resisting them, the events behind Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
See it for yourself: the ruins of Ancient Sami sit on the hill above Sami harbour on Kefalonia, and the castle of Santa Maura guards the causeway into Lefkas town.
For further reading, try Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières, or Simon Scarrow’s Hearts of Stone, set around archaeological digs on Lefkas just before the Second World War.
Before you go
What do I need for an Ionian sailing holiday?
A stress-free sailing holiday starts with a little planning.
- Sail between May and September for sunny days and settled conditions
- Sunscreen and a hat
- Non-slip shoes
- A light jacket for cooler evenings in harbour
- Book early to secure your preferred dates and yacht
Common questions
Sailing the Ionian Islands: your questions answered
Are the Ionian Islands good for beginner sailors?
Yes. Calm seas, a steady afternoon breeze, and short distances between islands make the Ionian one of the most relaxed places to sail, especially on a flotilla with a lead crew on hand.
What is the difference between the Ionian and the Aegean?
The Aegean is known for the strong Meltemi wind in summer, which can make sailing demanding. The Ionian usually has calmer seas and the steady Maistro breeze, with islands closer together.
Where do Seafarer’s Ionian flotillas start?
We run flotillas from Lefkas and from Kefalonia, and our AHOY Ionian trips start from Nikiana on Lefkas.
Do I need a qualification to sail in the Ionian?
To skipper a bareboat or flotilla yacht, you’ll need a recognised qualification and experience. If you don’t have one, you can hire a skipper or book a cabin on AHOY.
Ready to set sail?
Talk to us about the Ionian Islands
Our team can help you choose between a flotilla, a yacht charter, AHOY, or a beach club week.
Call or email us
Monday to Friday 09:00 to 19:00 · Saturday 09:30 to 17:00
Book with confidence. Seafarer has run sailing holidays since 1995, and every payment you make to us is financially protected: ATOL licence 9511 for holidays with flights, ABTOT member 5660 for holidays without.