The Ionian Islands have always been a popular sailing and charter area in Greece. Here you will find countless anchorages, solitary fishing villages and busy tourist centers. Fantastic beaches and some modern, well-developed marinas await you on your luxury cruise. The Ionian Islands, which are located upstream of the mainland coast of western Greece, show a completely different appearance than the islands of the Aegean and offer a biodiverse vegetation. The Greeks also call this area the “Seven Islands” (meaning the 7 main islands), but there is a lot more to discover here.
If you want to explore the Ionian Island world with a luxury yacht, it is best to charter your yacht in Marina Gouvia (Corfu) or from Marina Lefkas (Lefkada), as most luxury yachts are located here. With a yacht charter of one or two weeks, you will get (depending on the yacht type) a good first impression of this impressive region with its islands.
Ithaca: Located directly opposite the northeast coast of Kefalonia, you will find the island of Ithaca. This high, narrow and elongated island will delight you with its wonderful bays. The inviting main port of Vathy is located in a deeply cut bay, where safe mooring opportunities exist. Ithaca is not only known as the home island of Odysseus, who, according to the legend, sailed from here for 20 years through the world's oceans, but also impresses with its natural beauty, which has so far been spared from any tourist crowd. Enjoy the beauty of this island with a little stop on the beach of Gidaki: blue sea surrounded by dense greenery and a long pebble beach awaits you here in the north of the island! A trip to the sleepy neighboring islands of Meganisi, Kalamos and Kastos also pays off in any case!
Lefkada: North of Ithaca, you will find the neighboring island of Lefkada. This island, which resembles an inland lake while forming a strait with the opposite mainland. The islets of Skorpios and Madouri, which are located on the east side of the island of Lefkada, are very popular with sailors, as there are protected conditions from the emerging west winds. In Vasiliki (in the south of Lefkada’s) and in Nydri (on the east side) there are safe anchorages and well-developed marinas. If you want to cross this strait to the north, you should do it with great caution, as the water depth is very shallow in some places and many sailing yachts are passing by during the summer months. Before you leave the island, you should go to the main town of Lefkada City. Here you will find one of the largest sailing marinas (600 berths!) in Greece that offers all kinds of services. Many of our partners offer a wide range of luxury yachts in Marina Lefkas. The easiest way to get there is by plane via the Aktion Airport near the city of Preveza, which is located on the opposite mainland from Lefkada. From there you can take a taxi to Lefkada City for about 20 minutes. As an alternative, you could also start your luxury charter in the Preveza Marina, which is smaller than the Marina Lefkas, but can also offer 300 berths. Luxury yachts of up to 45m in length and 4.5m in draft find their space in this newly built marina with many facilities.
Corfu: About 24 nautical miles northwest of Paxos, you will reach the island of Corfu with the southern city port of Lefkimmi. If you continue north, you will reach the village of Benitses, where you can find safe anchorages. As you continue north, you will come across the well-known and popular photo theme of Corfu, the so-called “Mouse Island”. Not far from here, you will reach a sailing marina after circumnavigating the old fortress of Corfu town. You will find a number of yachts and boats here, either in the marina or anchored in front of it. When visiting the old town of Corfu town, which enchants its visitors with its Venetian flair, you should also take a detour to the old fortress: the view to the old fortress from the sea as well as from the well-developed coastal promenade is breathtaking. Passing the well-preserved, attractive building of the Corfu Yacht Club, you will then see the main port of Corfu. Ferry and cruise ships dock here. A little further north of Corfu town is Marina Gouvia located, the first private sailing marina in Greece. It can accommodate up to 1,235 boats and offers enough space for luxury yachts of up to 80m length and 5.5m draft. In addition to the Marina Lefkas, the Marina Gouvia is certainly a good starting point for your luxury charter due to its many available luxury yachts!
Othoni: The island of Othoni, which is located about 15 nautical miles northeast of Corfu, is the largest of the Diapontian Islands. By visiting these islands, you are located in the extreme western part of Greece and not too far from the Strait of Otranto. The strait connects the Adriatic Sea in the north with the Ionian Sea in the south. The Diapontian Islands are definitely worth a visit! You will only find a few small fishing villages, several taverns and sporadic ruins of Venetian fortresses during your visit. Here you have the chance for a possible final detour to enjoy the peace and beauty of the Ionian Island world before you start your journey back home from Corfu Airport.
Greece has a Mediterranean climate with lots of sunshine, mild temperatures and hardly any precipitation.
The geographical location of the country, its rugged and mostly mountainous relief and its distribution between the mainland and the sea mean that there can be great differences in the Greek climate. Winters are very mild in lowland areas, and snow and ice are very rare. Many mountains, however, are usually covered with snow. A common phenomenon is the occurrence of different climatic conditions during the same season (e.g. mild heat in coastal areas and cool temperatures in mountainous regions).
In summer, the dry hot days are cooled by seasonal winds known as Meltemi, while generally lower temperatures prevail in the mountainous regions. The Meltemi will accompany you on your luxury charter very often! It is a dry and cooling north wind that involves a good visibility. It blows mainly in summer (from June to September), but can also occur in May or October. This wind, which is very pleasant for sailors, usually blows in the afternoon and subsides at sunset and can reach 5 (sometimes even 7) Bft. Sometimes it can happen that the Meltemi blows continuously during the day and at night. This peculiarity can even last up to 10 days. When you explore the Ionian Sea from Corfu or Lefkas with your luxury yacht, a reliable north-west wind called Maestro may convoy you. It is predominant in this region from mid-May to early October. In the spring and autumn there can also occur south-west winds in Greece.
Average temperatures fluctuate between 5°degrees and 14°degrees in the winter months, while temperatures reach of up to 30°degrees in high summer.
The sailing season in Greece starts in early April and can last until the end of November. The high season extends from mid-July to early September. Temperatures are high these months, but the cooling Meltemi wind blows in the Aegean. September is a very popular month for sailors because on one hand there is great sailing weather and on the other hand the temperatures are very inviting.
