Here is just one example of the many, many possible itineraries that clients may choose when visiting the Greek Islands. Depending on the time of year and type of yacht, some may work better than other and leaving you always with a desire to return. Whether you travel to the Saronic Gulf, Ionian Islands, Peloponnese, or Cyclades, a Greek yacht charter will be memorable.
Sample Ionian Itinerary
A cruise in the Ionian allows us to experience a softer, greener aspect of the Greek Islands in calm, mirror-like seas, protected from strong winds and extremes of weather by the forbidding Albanian mountains. High winter rainfall ensures lush greenery, while successive occupations by the Italians, the French, and the British overlying the essential “Greekness” of these islands have lent a peculiar charm and eccentricity to the architecture and, some say, to the inhabitants as well!
Embark in Pireaus and depart for the Corinth Canal, in itself an amazing journey, through this man-made isthmus built on the whim of a king who wanted to create an island of his beloved Peleponese. Head for Itea for the first night.
From Itea it is worth taking a tour of the ancient site of Delphi, one of Greece’s most treasured archaeological sites.
Cephalonia, the largest of the Ionian islands, is our point of disembarkation. Sailing into the little village of Fiskardho, we can spend the evening in this lovely, picture-postcard spot sampling the famous Cephalonian wine over dinner before disembarking the next morning. The drive south to the airport, near the capital town of Argostoli, takes us through some impressive mountain scenery and is a memorable conclusion to our trip.
Preveza and the Gulf of Amvrakia
Continuing south-east we arrive at the town of Preveza on the Greek mainland just inside the entrance to the Gulf of Amvrakia. Although Preveza has a long, interesting history, nowadays it goes about its business with little regard to tourism, which makes a pleasant change from the bustle of other areas in Greece. Few yachts or trippers enter the Gulf of Amvrakia, whose tranquil atmosphere is a delight. Many different kinds of water birds have their breeding ground among the marshes on the northern shore, and the abundance of fish attracts schools of dolphins.
We arrive at Paxos with the tiny islet of Antipaxos immediately to the south. Until recently, the famous olive-oil of Paxos was its main resource but nowadays tourism has taken a grip and the island has become very popular with bareboat flotillas. Both islands offer several charming bays in which to anchor and play, with cheerful tavernas ashore.
Easily accessible by plane from Athens or from elsewhere in Europe, Corfu (Shakespeare’s “Enchanted Isle”) is the perfect embarkation point for our trip. Sailing south down the lovely coastline, taking time out to swim or water ski in the calm waters, we make our leisurely way to Cape Levkimmi and the canal leading to Levkimmi town where we can spend the night.
Parga on the mainland is a small village with an old castle on the summit of the hill and village houses straggling up the slopes, also offers two picturesque bays on either side of the summit.
Lefkas to Cephalonia
Leaving the Gulf of Amvrakia, we sail south through the Levkas Canal into what is known as “The Inland Sea”, which is one of the most beautiful cruising areas in Greece. Nidri, once a sleepy fishing village, is now a fun place to spend an evening, with bars, tavernas and souvenir shops lining the waterfront. From here a visit the next day to the villa and museum of Wilhelm Dörpfeld is an interesting excursion. Dörpfeld was the assistant of Heinrich Schliemann, who excavated Troy and followed Schliemann’s method of using Homer in his attempts to find the legendary home of Odysseus, eventually deciding that the Ithaca of the Odyssey was actually Levkas.
Continuing our journey, we sail south through the Meganisi Narrows with the high, ravine-scarred slopes of Levkas on one side and the low, sand-fringed shores of Meganisi on the other. Only half a mile wide at the narrowest point, the Meganisi Narrows offers one of the most spectacularly beautiful vistas in the Ionian.
Our next stop is the legendary Ithaca, mythical home of Odysseus, who left his beautiful wife Penelope spinning at her loom while he sailed off to the Trojan War, conveniently getting lost on the way home and having adventures all over the Eastern Mediterranean! It’s a barren island but the coastal villages are delightfully pretty. The local authorities, determined to preserve the traditional atmosphere, have wisely passed by-laws regulating the style of any new construction.
Cephalonia, the largest of the Ionian islands and the setting of the much acclaimed book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, as well as the shooting of the film last year. Sailing into the little village of Fiskardho we can spend the evening in this lovely, picture-postcard spot sampling the famous Cephalonian wine over dinner. Before that it is worth a trip to some of the sites on this large and little known island. The melissani caves near Sami, as well as the Drogati Caves, are well worth a visit. The village of Assos is dramatically over looked by a Venetian castle, and even Argosoli itself is now worth visiting. Located in a large protected bay, there is space on the main town quay for berthing and the town has seen a great deal of renovation in the past five years with the traditional neo-classical facades being replaced on the otherwise non-descript buildings, returning it to a state something like it was before the devastating earthquake in 1953. All in all, an attractive town with some pleasant cafes and shops to while away an afternoon.
Back through Corinth to Athens and disembarkation in Pireaus.
