Special offersOffersDiscover our latest sailing holiday dealsView offersLatest deals
Speak to our sailing team 020 8324 3118Get a Quote
SET SAIL CLOSE

AHOY Bavaria 51 sailing yacht with guests on deck in the Ionian

2027 Ionian island hopping dates are now live: book at 2026 prices

Ionian island hopping on a shared sailing yacht

AHOY: Adventures in the Ionian

Explore the green islands of western Greece by the cabin, with an experienced skipper, a small group of fellow sailors and a new harbour almost every day.

See dates and prices Get a quote

Base
Nikiana, Lefkas
Trip
7 nights, Sunday to Sunday
Yacht
Bavaria 51, 4 guest cabins
Guests
Up to 8, plus your skipper
From
£945pp a week

Ionian island hopping, the AHOY way

An AHOY Adventure in the Ionian promises an extraordinary week on the water. This beautiful Greek archipelago is famous for its green islands, so it makes an ideal playground for sailors who want to see somewhere new every day.

With countless charming anchorages and secluded coves, the Ionian has plenty of places to stop. Well-known harbours also sit alongside hidden treasures, and together they create the perfect backdrop for Ionian island hopping by yacht.

Read on to find out where we sail, what the yacht is like and how our shared, skippered adventures work.

AHOY Ionian at a glance

  • A shared, skippered yacht: book a cabin, not the whole boat
  • A new island or harbour almost every day
  • Join in with the sailing as much as you like
  • Breakfast and a light lunch on board
  • Sunday to Sunday trips from Nikiana on Lefkas
  • Two routes: north to Corfu or south to Zakynthos

Ionian island hopping highlights: Corfu to Zakynthos

From the northern tip of Corfu to Zakynthos (Zante), the most southerly Ionian island, our Ionian island hopping adventure explores the best of the islands on two routes.

Two Ionian routes from Nikiana

The Corfu route heads north, with possible stops on Corfu and Paxos as well as Parga and Preveza on the mainland. The Zakynthos route sails south from Nikiana instead, visiting islands such as Ithaka, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

We also encourage guests to help decide where we go during the week. Some prefer lively towns, while others prefer hideaways off the beaten track. As on any sailing trip, however, the weather and especially the wind always play a part, so the skipper has the final say.

Map of the Ionian islands from Corfu to Zakynthos, showing places on the AHOY routesOpen full-size map

Weather and sailing conditions in the Ionian

From May to October the Ionian islands enjoy warm, pleasant weather, with temperatures from the mid-20s to the mid-30s °C (mid-70s to mid-90s °F). You can expect plenty of sunshine and little rain.

The wind is generally light in the morning but increases in the afternoon, especially between the bigger islands. As a result, there is good sailing for most of the summer.

  • Sailing seasonMay to OctoberWarm and sunny, with little rain
  • TemperaturesMid-20s to mid-30s °CMid-70s to mid-90s °F
  • WindLighter in the morningBuilds in the afternoon between the bigger islands
  • SailingGood conditionsFor most of the summer

The yacht

Our Ionian yacht: an air-conditioned Bavaria 51

Our Bavaria 51 Cruiser is perfectly suited to exploring the Ionian. She is a licensed charter yacht with modern navigation and safety equipment, so the journey is safe and comfortable. You can see the layout, interior photos and full specification of the yacht below.

Yacht equipment

  • Swimming platform
  • Deck shower
  • Dinghy
  • Outboard
  • Air conditioning
  • Generator
  • Fully shaded cockpit
  • Solar panels

Space for eight guests

There are four double guest cabins, two of them with en suite facilities, so the yacht sleeps eight guests comfortably. The skipper also has a separate cabin.

The galley is well equipped, with two large fridges and a gas cooker, while the spacious saloon and dining area are a comfortable place to relax. There is also a music system in both the saloon and the cockpit, with an auxiliary input.

Up on deck, the generous foredecks are great for sunbathing, and the welcoming cockpit is the perfect place to enjoy the view. Hover over the layout below to look inside, or open the Bavaria 51 Cruiser page for the full specification.

Layout & Photos

Bavaria 51 Cruiser Layout

Hover over the camera icons on the layout (or tap them on a phone) to look inside: the cockpit, all four double cabins, the twin cabin, the saloon, the galley, a bathroom and the shower cubicle.

Bavaria 51 Cruiser layout: port and starboard aft cabins, saloon and galley, bathrooms, a twin cabin and port and starboard forward cabins

AHOY Ionian dates and prices

Our Ionian island hopping adventures depart on the dates below. Every trip starts from Nikiana on Lefkas and includes 7 nights on board, from Sunday to Sunday.

2026 Prices per person
Departure DateRouteCatagory A CabinSpecial OfferCatagory B CabinSpecial OfferSingle SupplementSpecial Offer
11-OctoberThe Zakynthos Route£1,095£1,045£630
18-OctoberThe Corfu Route£1,095£1,045£630
25-OctoberThe Zakynthos Route£1,095£1,045£630

2027 Dates at 2026 Prices

23-May-27The Zakynthos Route£995£945£575
6-June-27The Zakynthos Route£1,095£1,045£630
4-July-27The Zakynthos Route£1,145£1,095£695
11-July-27The Corfu Route£1,145£1,095£695
26-September-27The Zakynthos Route£1,095£1,045£630

Prices are per person, per week, based on 2 sharing a cabin. The single supplement applies to solo travellers. Generally, guests embark from around 16:00 and disembark at 09:00 the following Sunday.

Seafarer Price Guarantee badge

Our promise

The Seafarer Price Guarantee

We will not be beaten on price.

Because we are an independent company, we keep our prices highly competitive: if you see a like-for-like product cheaper elsewhere, let us know and we will beat it.

Specifically, the guarantee applies to yacht and accommodation rates on our Beach Club, Flotilla, Learn to Sail and Cabin Charter programmes operated by Seafarer, and is subject to availability at the time of booking.

What’s included

  • Your cabin, in Category A or B
  • An experienced, English-speaking skipper
  • Food for a shared breakfast and light lunch on board
  • Fuel, water, gas and mooring fees
  • Bed linen, plus hand and shower towels
  • Bottled or filtered water, tea and coffee

Cabins

Category ADouble, en suite
Category BDouble or twin, shared bathroom
Solo travellersSingle supplement

Book a cabin for yourself, as a couple or with friends, and share the yacht with fellow sailors.

Book your AHOY Ionian Adventure

To book your Ionian island hopping adventure or check availability, get in touch with our experienced team. They will then help you choose the right cabin and dates.

Call or email us

Request a quote

Tell us your dates and party size, and we’ll then come back to you with availability and prices.

Getting there

Getting to the Ionian: our base in Nikiana

Our AHOY yacht is based in the harbour of the beautiful village of Nikiana on Lefkas. You can get there by Seafarer airport transfer, local bus or private transport.

Travel at a glance

Airport
Preveza (Aktio)
UK charter flight
Sunday, from London Gatwick
Embark
Sunday, from 16:00
Disembark
The following Sunday, 09:00
Lefkada town
10 minutes by bus or taxi

  • Flying

    Preveza is the closest airport, with a great choice of flights from the UK and other European airports. Seafarer also runs a Sunday charter flight from London Gatwick, which makes a great-value package. If you are travelling from outside Europe, we advise changing at one of the larger hubs, such as London.


  • Bus and taxi

    Seafarer runs regular bus and taxi transfers from Preveza airport all summer, with a door-to-yacht service. Public buses also run from the airport, Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities to Lefkada town, where a local bus or taxi takes 10 minutes to Nikiana. In addition, local buses run from Nikiana to Nydri and Vassiliki.


  • Ferry

    Ferries run daily to Lefkada town from Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos. There are also more frequent ferries from Meganisi to Nydri, and from Kefalonia and Ithaka to Vassiliki.

The beach and turquoise bay at Nikiana Beach Club

Sail and stay at Nikiana Beach Club

Add a week of watersports in the same village

For something a little different, why not combine your AHOY Adventure with a week at Seafarer’s Nikiana Beach Club? The club is in the same village, and it offers dinghy sailing, windsurfing and other watersports in a small, very friendly setting.

RYA tuition in sailing and windsurfing is also available, alongside a beautiful waterfront taverna.

Discover Nikiana Beach Club

Peace of mind

Book with confidence

Every payment you make to us is financially protected, from deposit to balance. Holidays with flights are covered by our ATOL licence, and holidays without flights by our ABTOT membership. Trading since 1995.


  • ATOL Protected — Licence 9511

    All flight-inclusive holidays are fully ATOL protected


  • ABTOT Member — No. 5660

    Additional protection for bookings without flights

What our sailing guests say

Independent reviews of Seafarer holidays, collected by Feefo.