Lefkada is arguably the finest sailing base in Greece. The Ionian Sea’s summer wind pattern, a reliable afternoon northwesterly called the maestro, fills from around noon and gives sailing yachts a consistent window for passage-making between islands. The Lefkada Channel is calm and sheltered, and the anchorages at Meganisi, Sivota, Nidri and the Paxos islands are well-charted and well-provisioned. The crewed sailing yachts available in the Ionian for this part of the season range from traditional wooden ketches to modern performance monohulls.
Sailing from Lefkada places you within easy reach of the full southern Ionian: Kefalonia, Ithaca, Zakynthos and the Paxos islands to the north. The distances between islands are modest, most passages running between two and five hours under sail, which means a week can include five or six different anchorages without rushing. Longer charters of ten to fourteen days can extend north to Corfu or south toward Kefalonia’s more remote anchorages.
Charter rates for crewed sailing yachts in the Ionian begin around 8,000 euros per week and reach approximately 60,000 euros for the largest monohulls. Provisioning costs at 20 to 25 percent of the charter fee are considerably lower than for motor yachts on the same circuit, as the maestro allows most passages to be made under sail rather than engine.
Leftkada’s sailing community is larger than the charter numbers suggest; many private boats base here year-round, and the local knowledge among charter captains is exceptionally deep.
