Fiskardo, Kefalonia’s unspoilt Venetian-era harbour
Vasiliki Bay, Lefkada’s sheltered windsurfing anchorage
Gaios, the pine-fringed capital of Paxos
Kioni, a quiet horseshoe harbour on Ithaca
Port Atherinos, Meganisi’s most sheltered cove
Swim the turquoise shallows of Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia
Explore the underground lake inside Melissani Cave
Sail the narrow strait to Antipaxos for Voutoumi Beach
Visit Ithaca’s Archaeological Museum in Vathy
Photograph the cliffside beach at Porto Katsiki, Lefkada
Assos, Kefalonia, beneath its Venetian fortress
Argostoli, Kefalonia’s lively capital
Nydri, Lefkada’s waterfront resort town
Ithaca, the island long claimed as Homer’s own
Meganisi’s quiet villages of Spartochori and Katomeri
May through September gives the most settled weather, with July and August the warmest and busiest. Unlike the Aegean, the Ionian rarely sees the strong, dry meltemi wind, so conditions stay gentler for longer, and many charterers extend into a calmer, quieter June or late September shoulder season, when the lush hillsides are at their greenest and marinas are noticeably less crowded.
The islands are served by four gateway airports rather than one: Corfu (CFU) in the north, Kefalonia’s Argostoli airport (EFL), Preveza-Aktion (PVK) for Lefkada, and Zakynthos (ZTH) in the south. Most charters choose whichever airport sits closest to their planned start point along the chain, since hopping between islands by yacht is usually far quicker than travelling overland.
Fiskardo on Kefalonia and Vasiliki Bay on Lefkada are among the most popular stops, alongside Gaios on Paxos and the quiet coves of Ithaca and Meganisi. Distances between islands are short, so most itineraries link several anchorages a day rather than committing to one long passage, leaving plenty of time ashore in each harbour town.
Ten to fourteen days allows a comfortable loop from Corfu down to Zakynthos, taking in Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca along the way. A shorter week-long charter can still cover two or three islands in depth, since passages here rarely exceed a few hours, leaving long, unhurried afternoons at anchor in each bay.
It’s debated. A single puzzling line in the Odyssey, describing Ithaca as lying ‘farthest toward the gloom’, has led some scholars to argue for neighbouring Kefalonia or Lefkada instead. Most now read ‘gloom’ as meaning north rather than west, which favours modern Ithaca, and its own Archaeological Museum in Vathy sets out that case for visitors, alongside finds from nearby Bronze Age sites.
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