Lefkas
via Paxos & Ithaka.
Catamaran charter Greece — 14-day Lefkas, Paxos & Ithaka Ionian route. Two weeks across Meganisi, Kefalonia, Antipaxos blue caves.
Day-by-day route
Click any pin on the map or any day in the Route summary below to see the daily stop, narrative, and photos.
Lefkas → Parga
About 30 nm north up the mainland coast from Lefkas D-Marin to Parga. Allow time for the canal bridge hourly opening, then a beam-reach run with the SW thermal up the Epirus coast.
Distance
31 NM
Sailing
~6.2h at 5 kn
Route at a glance
Best season
May – October
Duration
14 days · Sat – Sat
Departure
Lefkas
Sailing area
Ionian
Route summary
Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative, and mooring tip.
Day-by-day journey
Named anchorages, restaurants, and route notes for every leg of the week — written by sailors who've actually run this passage.
Lefkas → Parga
From Lefkas' D-Marin, sail north along the emerald shoreline of the mainland. Dock in Parga, a postcard-perfect village where pastel homes run down to a turquoise bay. See sunset from the Venetian Castle, then indulge in saganaki prawns at a seaside bara. Tip: Swim at Valtos Beach; its golden sand is better than Caribbean beaches.
Things to do
Lap of Valtos Beach turquoise shallows
Climb to the Venetian castle for sunset
Saganaki prawns on a quayside table
Walk the lantern-lit old-town stairs
Coffee at Krioneri beach café
Mooring tip
Anchor in Parga bay (5–10 m sand, holding good) or stern-to on the small town quay (limited slots). Exposed to S–SW — relocate to Valtos cove if a southerly is forecast.
Parga → Sivota
Glide south from Sivota, a protected harbor surrounded by olive orchard. Drop anchor in the Blue Lagoon, explore its crystalline waters, then lunch at a beachfront restaurant onbourdeto—spicy fish stew. In evening, sip sunset cocktails while the bay glows molten gold.
Things to do
Snorkel the Blue Lagoon between the islets
Lunch of bourdeto fish stew on the quay
Beach-hop dinghy to Bella Vraka sandbar
Mastiha cocktail nightcap on the seafront
Walk the pine path above Mega Trafos cove
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Sivota town quay (small fee, water/electric) or anchor off Bella Vraka (5–8 m sand). Sheltered from N–NW; mostly bombproof for an overnight.
Sivota → Corfu
Eighteen nautical miles west across the channel under the lee of Corfu — a calm crossing that asks for the engine on the second half if the SW thermal goes to sleep. The Paleokastritsa swim stop on the western tip is the morning's anchor opportunity: the limestone coves at Agios Spyridon are the most photographed water on the island, and the cliff approach to the Theotokos monastery sits on the headland where Homer placed Odysseus's wreck on the Phaeacian shore. From there straight east round the island to Gouvia Marina (lazy lines, full services, fee, fuel adjacent) for the night, or stern-to onto the smaller Corfu NAOK quay opposite the Old Fortress for direct walk-in to the Old Town. Pastitsada — cinnamon-spiced beef stew on bucatini — is the local plate at any Liston-side taverna; finish on kumquat liqueur from a shop on N. Theotoki street. Sundowner from the Old Fortress sound-and-light show in summer.
Things to do
Swim stop at Paleokastritsa Agios Spiridon
Walk the UNESCO-listed Liston arcades
Pastitsada at a courtyard taverna
Buy kumquat liqueur from the Old Town
Sundowner at the Old Fortress
Mooring tip
Berth at Gouvia Marina (lazy lines, fee, full services) or stern-to on Corfu NAOK quay for old-town access. Book Gouvia in advance during August charter changeover.
Corfu → Paxos
Take a ferry to Paxos, a small island paradise with blue bays and olive trees. Swim in the Blue Caves near Lakka, and then check out Gaios's pastel-colored boardwalk. Bread soaked in olive oil and local Ladotyri cheese are a must-try.
Things to do
Swim the Blue Caves near Lakka on approach
Walk the pastel waterfront of Gaios
Bread soaked in olive oil and ladotyri cheese
Late stroll to Panagia islet across the channel
Dinner of fresh seafood on the inner quay
Mooring tip
Lazy-line stern-to on Gaios town quay (small fee). Tiny harbour, fills by 16:00 in August — radio ahead or pick up a buoy in Mongonissi if full.
Paxos → Paxos
Enjoy a free day at Paxos! You can kayak to Mongonissi Islet, have a lunch at Erimitis Beach (which has cliffs and is wild), or look for sea glass at Levrecchio. A secret for sailors: anchor early in Lakka; it's small but beautiful.
Things to do
Kayak to Mongonissi islet for swimming
Lunch at wild Erimitis Beach cliffs
Hunt sea glass at Levrecchio cove
Walk the olive groves above Lakka village
Antipaxos detour to Voutoumi turquoise
Mooring tip
Lakka anchorage (4–6 m sand, holding excellent) — drop early as the bay fills by 15:00. Stern-to alongside the small quay if buoys are full. Sheltered from N–NW.
Paxos → Lefkas (Vasiliki Port)
Forty nautical miles southeast across the open Ionian — the longest leg of the route. Plan the cast-off for 07:00 and the bow pointing southeast under sail by 08:00 so the windsurfers' wind, the legendary Vasiliki afternoon W thermal that fills above 18 kn most July and August afternoons, finds you already on the lee side of Lefkas. Mid-passage swim stop at Kastos or Atokos breaks the day. Vasiliki Bay opens up flat under the Lefkata cliffs — the headland where Sappho is supposed to have leapt to her death two and a half thousand years ago — and the town quay (small fee, basic services, lazy lines) holds 30+ boats stern-to. Pick your slot before 14:00 before the breeze stiffens and the windsurfer fleet streams in from the south. Sofrito veal at a quayside taverna, sundowner across the Ionian horizon, and the cliff path west to Porto Katsiki for the morning legs.
Things to do
Watch the Vasiliki windsurfers from the bay
Sofrito dinner at a village taverna
Walk the cliffside path to Porto Katsiki
Sundowner across the Ionian horizon
Mid-passage swim at Kastos or Atokos
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Vasiliki town quay (small fee, basic). Holding good in the bay on 4–6 m sand. Strong W thermal in the afternoon — pick up your slot before 14:00.
Vasiliki → Ithaka
Fourteen nautical miles southwest from Vasiliki down to Vathy on Ithaka — Homer's island, the same Ithaka the Odyssey's hero spent ten years sailing back to. Cypress-ringed horseshoe bay opens up on the approach, with the harbour entrance battery on the headland and Vathy town tight inside the inner bowl. Stern-to on the town quay (small fee, water and electric, holding good in 5–8 m mud — set the anchor well as the basin is narrow) by 16:00 in mid-August before the slot count runs out. Above the village, the Cave of the Nymphs preserves the spot the Odyssey identifies as where Odysseus hid the Phaeacians' gifts on his return; the 35-minute climb earns the Bronze Age niche-stones. Dexa Bay below is the swim where the same poem says he came ashore. Grilled sardines and a chilled rosé under the stars on the inner quay for dinner.
Things to do
Hike to the Cave of the Nymphs
Swim Dexa Bay where Odysseus came ashore
Grilled sardines and rosé under the stars
Walk the cobbled lanes of Vathy old town
Sundowner at the harbour entrance battery
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Vathy town quay (small fee, water/electric available). Holding good in 5–8 m mud — set the anchor well as the bay is narrow. Tight in mid-August.
Ithaka → Ithaka
Free day on Ithaka — a short 6 nm hop north up the east coast to Kioni for the night. Polis Bay along the way is the snorkel stop: the underwater terrace at 6 m holds Mycenaean ruins (the cult site of Athena that the Stavros archaeological tradition associates with Odysseus's palace), visible in calm water with mask and fins. The Vathy Archaeological Museum in town is the morning detour for the same story above water. Pull into Frikes for lunch on the harbour-front quay; the octopus stifado at Symposium or Penelope is the local plate, octopus stewed slowly in onion, vinegar and clove until it falls apart. Onward to Kioni — stern-to on the small town quay (free, no services) or anchor in 4–6 m sand off the bay if the quay is full, with Frikes 4 nm north as the bombproof overflow. Walk the goat path between Frikes and Kioni — 45 minutes each way, easier than it looks on the map.
Things to do
Visit the Archaeological Museum in Vathy
Sail to picture-perfect Kioni port
Snorkel the historic ruins of Polis Bay
Octopus stifado at a Frikes fish taverna
Walk the goat path between Frikes and Kioni
Mooring tip
Kioni: stern-to on the small town quay (free) or anchor in 4–6 m sand off the bay. Frikes overflow if Kioni is full. Both bombproof for an overnight, sheltered from N–NW.
Ithaka → Kefalonia (Fiscardo Port)
Five nautical miles west across the Ithaka Channel onto Fiskardo — the only village on Kefalonia that survived the catastrophic 1953 earthquake intact. The whole northern peninsula was rebuilt from rubble in the years after; Fiskardo was spared, and the result is a row of pastel neoclassical mansions on a tight inner harbour that has been photographed enough to become its own genre. The town quay is free but fills hard in summer — radio Port Police on Ch 12 before 13:00, or fall back to the anchorage in Foulis Bay (4–6 m sand, holding good, 1 nm east). Walk the cypress-lined quay before lunch; Emplisi Beach a short climb north is the smooth-pebble swim. Kreatopita meat pie at any waterfront taverna is the local plate worth ordering — the Kefalonian variation runs lamb and rice in a handmade phyllo. Sundowner up at Tselenti or Lagoudera above the harbour as the yachts glow gold against the cypress.
Things to do
Walk the cypress-lined Fiskardo quay
Swim at Emplisi Beach pebbles
Kreatopita meat pie at a waterfront taverna
Sundowner above the harbour at Tselenti
Dinghy snorkel of the cove's shipwreck
Mooring tip
Fiskardo: stern-to on the town quay (free, fills by 14:00 in August — radio ahead). Foulis Bay 1 nm east is the overflow anchorage — 4–6 m sand, holding good.
Fiscardo → Kastos
Eighteen nautical miles northeast back across the channel onto Kastos — a sliver of an island, 5 km long, fewer than 50 year-round residents, one quay and an interior of olive terraces. The single port quay holds 8–10 boats stern-to with own anchor (free, no services) and gets tight by 18:00 in season; the holding is fair on 5–7 m sand, drop the hook well clear of the rocky lip and back in carefully. The donkey path from the harbour climbs to Kastos Village in 20 minutes, past abandoned windmills on the ridge that catch the afternoon W thermal the same way they did when they ground the island's flour two centuries ago. The Blue Cave on the south coast is a short tender ride for the snorkel — a sea-cleft chamber that lights up turquoise in the late-morning sun. Mama's taverna on the quay does revithada — tomato-stewed chickpeas — slow-cooked overnight in a clay pot, the local plate. Bombproof shelter in any wind direction.
Things to do
Climb to the abandoned windmills
Snorkel the Blue Cave on the south side
Tomato-stewed chickpeas at Mama's taverna
Walk the donkey path to Kastos Village
Sundowner at the only quayside taverna
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Kastos Port single quay (free, no services). Tight — 8–10 boats max. Holding fair on 5–7 m sand, drop the anchor well clear and back in. Bombproof in any wind.
Kastos → Kastos
A free day on Kastos that earns the no-passage tag — 50 residents, one road, no fuel dock, no provisioning shop, no hurry. Spend the morning on the kayak to Kastos Beach 1 nm south, an unmarked sand cove with no tavernas and no road access. Fish off the rocks on the south side of the harbour entrance — small bream and bogue come into the shallow water through the day. The hilltop windmill walk from Kastos Village takes 30 minutes return and earns the panorama back over the channel to Kalamos. Read in the shade of an olive tree on the quay through the heat. The kafeneio on the harbour serves coffee and raki in the morning and switches to ouzo and dominoes after sundown — the local resident table will move over and let you join if you bring your own cards. If the night turns gusty, shift round to Sarakiniko Bay 1 nm south on 4–6 m sand for a quieter overnight.
Things to do
Kayak to Kastos Beach
Fish off the rocks at the harbour entrance
Read in the shade of an olive tree
Raki and dominoes at the kafeneio
Hike up to the abandoned windmill
Mooring tip
Stay on Kastos Port quay or shift to Sarakiniko Bay (1 nm south, 4–6 m sand) for a quieter night. No fuel or provisioning — top up at Lefkas before arrival.
Kastos → Kalamos
Four nautical miles east drops you onto Kalamos — a pine-clad sister to Kastos with mountain pines that come right down to the waterline and a single small port at the southwest tip. The 4 nm crossing is usually under engine, the channel sheltered enough that the wind rarely fills before mid-afternoon. Stern-to on the Port Kalamos quay (small fee, basic services, 12 boats max) by mid-afternoon; holding excellent on 5–8 m sand off the bay if the quay fills. The headline walk inland is the abandoned village ruins above the port — emptied during the 1953 earthquakes when the residents who had not already left for Australia gave up the goat tracks for the cities. The pine path from the harbour to Episkopi cove on the south coast takes 40 minutes one way past the church of Episkopi and a string of unmarked swim coves. The harbour taverna serves savoro — fried fish marinated overnight in vinegar and rosemary — as the local plate. Sundowner over to ghost-port Leone on the dinghy.
Things to do
Swim Port Kalamos gravel beach
Hike to the Abandoned Village ruins
Savoro fish at the harbour taverna
Walk the pine path to Episkopi cove
Dinghy across to ghost-port Leone
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Port Kalamos single quay (small fee, basic). Limited slots — 12 boats max. Holding excellent on 5–8 m sand. Sheltered from N–NW; gusty afternoons in the channel.
Kalamos → Lefkas (D-Marin)
Eighteen nautical miles north back through the Meganisi Channel onto Lefkas D-Marin. Agiofili Beach on the south coast just east of Vasiliki is the morning swim stop — a turquoise bowl under white cliffs accessible only by boat, anchored in 5–7 m sand. Onward through the channel under the lee of Lefkas, optional Skorpios pass-by for the second swim if the schedule allows. The Lefkas Canal bridge opens on the hour; queue early if your timing puts you near the bridge at a busy August afternoon slot. D-Marin Lefkas (lazy lines, full services, fee) is the technical hand-back base — refuel at the on-quay fuel dock before 18:00 and confirm the clean-time with the base manager for the morning. Walk Lefkas Town floating bridges before dinner; bakaliaros — salt cod fried with garlic-and-potato skordalia — at a marina taverna is the right last-night plate. Final ouzo on the sea wall.
Things to do
Last swim at Agiofili Beach turquoise
Dinghy stop at Skorpios on the way through
Bakaliaros (salt cod) at a marina taverna
Walk the Lefkas Town floating bridges
Refuel at D-Marin fuel dock
Mooring tip
Berth back at Lefkas D-Marin (lazy lines, full services, fee). Allow time for the canal bridge — opens on the hour, queue early in August. Refuel before the technical hand-back.
Lefkas → Lefkas
Final morning at D-Marin Lefkas — the technical hand-back is straightforward when fuel and clean-time were sorted the evening before. Boat back by 09:00 Saturday for the marineros' inspection, papers signed at reception. If the airport transfer leaves time, walk the few hundred metres into Lefkas Town for breakfast — the loukoumades stand on the cobblestones near the agora does honey-soaked dumplings the local way, finished with cinnamon and crushed walnut. The covered market a block inland sells handmade leather sandals and olive-wood crafts; pick up a pair on the way back. The floating pontoon bridges at the lagoon's north entrance are the local engineering oddity — Lefkas was joined to the mainland by Corinthian engineers in the 7th century BC and has been crossed by some version of the same bridge since. Direct taxi or KTEL bus to Aktion PVK airport across the canal, about 25 minutes. Disembark with sea-stiff hair and the long memory of pine on a hillside above an inner blue.
Things to do
Greek coffee with honey-drenched loukoumades
Pick up handmade leather sandals at the market
Walk the lagoon floating bridges
Last swim at Agios Ioannis to the west
Transfer to Aktion PVK airport (~25 min taxi)
Mooring tip
Return to Lefkas D-Marin Friday by 18:00 for technical hand-back; sleep aboard, disembark Saturday by 09:00. Direct taxi or KTEL bus to Aktion PVK airport across the canal.
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