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Ionia: perfect place for sailing

Best sailing areas in Ionia. Sailing routes, weather and wind details, facts about region and important details to sail in Ionia.

Sailing trip in Ionia

The Ionian Sea is one of the most popular sailing destinations in Greece. We recommend sailing from the ports of Corfu, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Lefkada, and Preveza.

 

The Ionian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea. In the southeast, the reservoir connects with the Aegean Sea, and in the west, it borders the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Sailing season
June - October
Travel season
May - October
Marinas in this location
29
Boats in this location
1120

Yacht recreation features at the Ionian Sea

Rent is carried out according to the system common to all Greece. You can start from one of the islands or from Athens in order to pass through the Corinthian Gulf from the Aegean Sea to the Ionian one.

 

The weather conditions are milder here than in the east. There is no gusty Meltemi wind here. Therefore, the region is very popular with yachtsmen and families who travel on a yacht with children.

 

You can start your yacht vacation from one of the islands or from Athens (you will need to go through the Corinthian Gulf from the Aegean to Ionian).

 

The islands of the Ionian Sea have pines, cypresses, and bright flower fields. They create a contrast to the adjoining mountainous mainland of Greece. 

 

The Ionian Islands offer secluded coves, clear waters, and Greek hospitality. 

 

Ionia - Yacht Charter Sailica
Ionia - Yacht Charter Sailica
Ionia - Yacht Charter Sailica

Sailing routes in the Ionian Sea

There are three large islands that are included in most of the yacht routes:

  1. Corfu. It is the northernmost Ionian island and the most popular tourist destination in Greece. There is an international airport here and every year more than a million people visit Corfu. Some guests come to Corfu to climb Mount Pantokrator and visit the Transfiguration Monastery. Other visitors are interested in picturesque resort villages. But if you have only few hours for a walk, it is better to go to the city of Corfu which fully consists of sights. Here is Artemision built in the 6th c. BC, the ancient fortress founded by the Byzantines, the Museum of banknotes, the Cathedrals of St. Spyridon, Panagia Spiliotissa and much more. There is a wide choice of private yachts for rent and if it is a meeting point of your journey then you will be pleased with the numerous anchorages and comfortable Gouvia marina.
  2. Preveza. It is located at the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf. Skippers have to be on the look-out to get into the bay and pass half a mile of a narrow passage between the shelves. There is an airport on Preveza which accepts charter flights from many European cities. As for the sights, the ruins of Nikopol, the largest among remaining ancient Greek cities, are the most famous. Also, the river Acheron flows on Preveza, the one that supposedly leads to the underworld. The choice of boats is quite modest, so to start from Preveza you need to take care of the charter in advance.
  3. Lefkada. The name is translated as “white”. This is the color of numerous local rocks. Lefkada is a part of the continent, separated from it by a canal that the Corinthians dug up. There are the Archaeological and Ethnographic museums, a gallery of post-Byzantine art, several churches and the fortress of St. Maura on Lefkada. All summer the festival of theater and folk dances is held here. The eastern and southern coasts are suitable for mooring as one could find numerous harbors and marinas.

Other famous sights of Ionica are the pine forests of Kefalonia which are called the most beautiful ones in the world, the blue caves of Zakynthos and the ancient olive groves of Kastos.

 

The Ionian Sea consists of two parts: north and south. With a two-week yacht charter, you can get around all regions.

 

Best sailing routes in the Ionian Sea:

7 days:

  • Port of Lefkada — Sivota — Vasiliki — Paxos — Mourtos — Parga — Port of Lefkada
  • Corfu, Gouvia — Sagiada — Erikussa — Paxos — Parga — Mourtos — Corfu

14 days: 

  • Port of Lefkada — Palairos — Kalamos — Kastos — Poros — Nikolaos — Keri — Vromi — Argostoli — Assos — Fiskardo — Sivota — Meganisi — Port of Lefkada

Available yachts in the region

1150 €
per week
7
Guests
3
Cabins
42 ft
Length
2005
Built in
1176 €
per week
9
Guests
4
Cabins
43 ft
Length
2003
Built in
1190 €
per week
6
Guests
3
Cabins
37 ft
Length
2000
Built in
1205 €
per week
8
Guests
3
Cabins
37 ft
Length
2007
Built in
1238 €
per week
6
Guests
2
Cabins
31 ft
Length
2008
Built in
1253 €
per week
6
Guests
2
Cabins
31 ft
Length
2008
Built in
1318 €
per week
6
Guests
2
Cabins
34 ft
Length
2004
Built in
1328 €
per week
9
Guests
4
Cabins
47 ft
Length
2006
Built in
1348 €
per week
6
Guests
2
Cabins
34 ft
Length
2004
Built in

Yachting season and weather

The Ionian Sea is one of the quietest areas in the Mediterranean. It has a pleasant Mediterranean climate. The wind blows from the northwest. There are small tides (30-60 cm). The waters are very calm between the islands and the coast of the mainland. This is an ideal place for a sailing trip with children. 

 

The yachting season starts in April and lasts until the end of October. At this time, there is a very light wind here. Since October, the strength of the wind increases significantly.

 

Summers on the islands are long and warm with little rainfall. In August, the water temperature is kept at around + 25 °C. The daytime temperature during the summer months is between + 24 °C and + 31 °C, and it is always sunny. Corfu has the most rainfall, so the vegetation is much denser there than on other islands.

Water temperature in sailing season +21...+25°
Air temperature in sailing season +28...+33 °
Wind speed in sailing season 10 - 20 knots

Weather forecast for yachting

You can also use the following services to get information about weather conditions:

  • noa.gr — Athens Observatory;
  • poseidon.hcmr.gr — Greek meteorological system;
  • weather.com — a site with accurate synoptic data;
  • windfinder.com is a service for tracking winds, viewing water and air temperatures.

People talk about Sailica

Rinke Tiegel
5
Full recommendation. Great service & support. We chartered a Beneteau 45 in Athens for our trip around Peloponnes. Great service and perfect customer support from beginning to the end. Due to corona we had to postpone our trip - Sailica managed all the communication with the charter agency and negotiated a great new deal for us. This was already the 2nd time we charted with Sailica and it won't be the last time. Full recommendation
Kyle Redstone
5
I took Dufour Grand Large 560 at Croatia using online yacht rental service sailica.com It's easy to use their mobile app with fair prices and enough quantity of boats which suits to my parameters. Their managers assisted me through whole communication with charter company. It was pleasant to receive a small gift – free of charge transfer from airport to marina. We didn't request it and appreciate their overexpected level of service.
Julian Lehmann
5
Amazing 1 week in Turkey! I sailed with Sailica on a tour in the gulf of Fethiye in Turkey. Overall it was a great experience and a great crew, even if I did not know them before. The area is amazingly beautiful and if you go in April you can avoid the crowds. The skipper was very proficient and knew what he was doing. Highly recommended!
Mykyta Semenoff
5
Great company! The guys answered all our questions which were very important since it was our first sailing experience. Moreover, they advised us not only on a charter but also on the tour itself. This was not the responsibility of the company, but we needed help and the company managers helped us for free. I highly recommend the team. The guys are really reliable, proactive and customer-oriented.
Vadim Rogovskiy
5
Excellent trip to Croatia! The trip was organized on an excellent level since the very beginning - from the yacht search to the trip itself. The team was fast and responsive. Highly recommended to everyone who wants to hang out with family on a beautiful yacht or catamaran!
Nikolaus Haufler
5
Super Beratung - sehr schnell wurde für mich ein passendes Boot in der Türkei gefunden. Sehr guter Preis, und ich konnte einen Skipper aussuchen, den ich bereits vom letzten Mal kannte. Volle Empfehlung!