SeaTV · Ionian Islands · Corfu
Sailing the East Coast of Corfu — Visual Pilot & Anchorage Guide
Sheltered bays, narrow tavern jetties and a coastline that watches Albania across the channel — the practical sailor’s view.
The east coast of Corfu sits in a calm corridor between the island and the Albanian mainland. The water is mostly flat, the prevailing northwesterlies are tamed by Mount Pantokrator behind you, and the bays along the northeast tip — Agni, Kalami, Kouloura, Agios Stefanos — are the kind of places where you tie a stern line to a tavern jetty and stay for dinner.
It’s an easy stretch for a first-day shakedown after picking up a charter from Gouvia Marina, and a comfortable warm-up before the longer hop south to Paxos. But “easy” doesn’t mean uneventful. Each of these bays opens to the east — and when the wind clocks round from the south or southeast, the swell from passing ferries in the channel turns a peaceful anchorage into a rolling night.
⚠ Reality check: Every NE Corfu anchorage is open to easterlies. Check the forecast for any E or SE component before committing to an overnight — and have a fallback plan. Kassiopi or Gouvia are the closest reliable shelters when the wind shifts.
⚓ Quick Facts for Sailors
Cruising Area
From Gouvia Marina north to Cape Agios Stefanos — roughly 18 NM along the NE coast.
Prevailing Wind
NW, F2–F5 (afternoons). Mornings usually light.
Best Season
May to early October. July–August is crowded.
VHF Watch
Ch. 16 (distress) · Ch. 12 (port authority)
Bottom & Holding
Mostly sand and weed — work the anchor through the weed for a solid bite.
Charter Fee Range
Anchorages free · Tavern jetties usually require a meal · Kassiopi quay approx. €25–40 / night
Wind, Weather & Approach Notes
The daily rhythm
Most summer days follow the same pattern. Light air or flat calm until late morning, then the NW thermal builds through the afternoon to F3–F5, dropping again at sunset. The mountain ridge running down the spine of Corfu blocks the worst of it — the east coast is sheltered, the west coast gets the punch.
Katabatic gusts
Pantokrator (906 m) sits directly behind Kalami and the NE bays. On warm summer evenings, cold air rolling down its slopes can hit the anchorage as katabatic gusts — sudden, localised, sometimes 20+ knots, and almost always after dark. Drop more chain than you think you need. A 5:1 scope minimum here, more if there’s any forecast instability.
Ferry swell
The Corfu–Igoumenitsa ferry route runs through the channel just east of these bays. A passing ferry sends a metre-high swell into open anchorages — Kalami and Agios Stefanos are particularly exposed. Plan for it: don’t tie too tight to a tavern jetty, and keep your fenders working.
⚓ The Anchorages — North to South
North Tip · 39°47.45’N · 19°55.37’E
Kassiopi Harbour
A natural cove tucked under the headland of a Byzantine-Venetian fortress, two miles west of the Albanian channel. The most sheltered overnight spot on the NE coast — the Ak Kassiopi peninsula blocks the prevailing winds.
Berthing: Stern-to or bows-to along the east quay, 1.5–2.5 m. Around 10–15 yachts of moderate draught fit. Avoid the outer breakwater — it’s exposed and fouled with rocks and old anchors.
Approach: 3.5–4.0 m in the entrance. No hidden hazards on the run-in, but pay your anchor out long — bring at least 40 m of chain.
Services: Water and electricity on the quay (fee). No fuel, no marina showers — for that, walk into the village. Supermarkets, ATMs, plenty of tavernas a few steps from the boat.
⚠ Watch: Useless in strong NE winds — evacuate. In peak season the harbour fills fast; Plan B is anchoring in Imerolia bay just to the west and dinghying in for dinner.
NE Tip · 39°45.94’N · 19°57.03’E
Agios Stefanos NE
A small bay roughly a mile north of Kouloura, with a tiny breakwater that’s too shallow for most cruising yachts. Most boats anchor outside the harbour or pick up a wooden tavern jetty mooring.
Anchoring: Inside the breakwater is only 2.0–3.0 m. Outside, holding is decent in sand once your hook is through the weed.
⚠ Reef warning: The lighted Serpa reef (Ifalos Serpa) extends roughly 200 m offshore about 500 m NE of the bay. Approach from the south or give the reef a wide berth.
⚠ Ferry wash: Significant — commercial ships passing the channel send waves straight in. Not a comfortable overnight in disturbed weather.
NE Coast · 39°44.75’N · 19°56.48’E
Kouloura
A postcard cove just round the headland from Kalami, with a horseshoe of cypress trees and a tiny stone harbour. Photogenic, but practically — the south side is now full of mooring buoys and the north side is the village swim spot.
Anchoring: Outside the buoy field, depths jump quickly to 15–20 m. Realistically a lunch stop only.
Best use: Anchor in Kalami next door, dinghy round the point for the view and a swim, eat at the one taverna, then move on.
NE Coast · 39°44.52’N · 19°56.15’E
Kalami Bay
The largest of the NE anchorages and the best-known. A wide horseshoe of pebble beach below cypress slopes, with the white cube of Lawrence Durrell’s old house at the north end — now the White House Restaurant. Holds about 10–15 yachts comfortably before it gets congested.
Anchoring: 50 m off the beach in 5–8 m, sand and weed. Holding is good once you’re through the weed — set the anchor with reverse and watch your transit lines.
Long line option: Iron posts are set into the rocks at the NW corner, just south of the water-ski pontoon. A useful trick when the bay fills up.
Ashore: Three supermarkets, several tavernas and cafés, decent provisioning. The White House serves dinner over the water from Durrell’s former dining room.
⚠ Katabatic alert: Pantokrator gusts can reach 20+ knots between sunset and 22:00 even on calm-forecast nights. Drop extra chain. One dragged anchor here can cause a chain reaction across the bay.
NE Coast · 39°44.05’N · 19°55.95’E
Agni Bay
Three tavern jetties strung along the south end of a small bay. A Corfu rite of passage — you tie a long stern line to a jetty, eat ashore, and the taverna doesn’t charge for the mooring.
Tavern jetties: Toula, Nikolas, Taverna Agni. Pier-end depths are realistically 2.5 m — less than the 4 m the menus claim. Use a long stern line and allow for swell.
Anchoring off: 8–10 m mid-bay, sand and mud and weed, good holding once dug in. You can also drop and run a long line ashore on the south side, but you’ll be beam-on to any swell.
Fore-and-aft option: The small beach at the north end fits one boat fore-and-aft in 7–8 m, or 2–3 boats with stern lines to the east cove. Avoid the day-trip mooring buoys.
⚠ Watch: Reservations strongly recommended in July–August if you want a jetty spot. Call ahead the same morning.
NE Coast · Between Agios Stefanos & Kassiopi
Avlaki Bay
A wide bay of pine woods and pebble beach a short hop south of Kassiopi. Quieter than the headline anchorages — the local choice for “I want to be alone”.
Anchoring: 4–6 m, firm holding. Two tavernas with dinghy piers. Cavo Barbaro is the well-known kitchen here.
Walk to Kassiopi: About 30 minutes on foot if you want a different dinner crowd. Sheltered from prevailing NW, exposed E.
Near Gouvia · 8 NM N of Corfu Town
Ipsos
A small mole at the south end of a long resort beach. Mainly used by trip boats and day-charter outfits. Touristy and noisy — but offers all-round shelter and good holding when the weather closes in.
Berthing: Bows-to the breakwater (wide flat top, with smaller ballasting at the foot — fender accordingly). Inside depths around 2–3 m.
Anchoring: Off the beach with a long line to the rough-stone breakwater. Dinghy ashore.
When to use it: Bad-weather backstop close to Gouvia, or a quick lunch stop if you’re trickling north on day one. Skip it for the night unless you want bars and bass.
SE Coast · On the Paxos Run
Petriti
A working fishing village with one of the largest fleets on the island, and a useful staging post if you’re heading south to Paxos. The fish you eat tonight was landed at the quay this afternoon.
Berthing: Visiting yachts use the outer 50 m of the breakwater quay, bows or stern-to with anchor. Quay depths around 3 m. Inner harbour is 2.0–2.5 m, packed with locals.
Anchoring: SE of the harbour in 3–7 m, excellent holding in sand and weed. Anchor outside the breakwater line to find depth.
⚠ Approach shallows: The 5 m line begins about 100 m east of the breakwater. From the south, watch for the half-mile shallows extending north of Cape Levkimmis, three miles east of Petriti.
For the south of Corfu, see the dedicated SeaTV Petriti page. For Corfu Town and the Mandraki / NAOK harbours, see the Gouvia Marina guide.
Where to Eat — Sailors’ Picks
The White House — Kalami
Lawrence Durrell wrote Prospero’s Cell in this house in the 1930s. Today the ground floor is a restaurant and the upstairs is rented as accommodation. Greek classics, fish off the day boats, terrace tables that hang over the water. €€ · Book ahead in season.
Toula’s, Nikolas, Agni Taverna — Agni Bay
Three jetty tavernas in a row, each with its loyal regulars. Toula’s is famous for its prawns; Nikolas has been run by the same family since the 1860s. €€ · The mooring is free with dinner — but only if you book the table first.
Cavo Barbaro — Avlaki
Slow-food Greek kitchen at the south end of Avlaki Bay. Not the cheapest dinner on the coast but the lamb kleftiko is worth it. €€–€€€
Janis Taverna — Kassiopi
A waterfront classic on the Kassiopi quay, two minutes’ walk from your stern lines. Grilled octopus, saganaki, simple meze. €€
Pro Tips for the East Coast
Arrive early. Kalami fills by 16:00 in season. Agni jetties go even faster. Plan to drop anchor by lunchtime if you want choice.
Set the anchor twice. Sand-and-weed bottoms here trick you. Drop, back down at idle to lay out chain, then reverse hard at 1500 rpm against the brake. If your transit slips, pull up and redo it — the second attempt usually finds clean sand.
Don’t tie too tight to a tavern jetty. Ferry swell will yank cleats out of wood. Leave slack and use plenty of fenders, a long stern line, and stern crossing lines if you can.
Carry cash. Tavernas on the jetties accept cards, but small village shops in Kalami and Agios Stefanos sometimes don’t. ATMs in Kassiopi and at Gouvia.
Watch the forecast for E and SE winds. They’re rare in summer but devastating to this coast. If anything from that quadrant is forecast, head west — Kassiopi or back to Gouvia.
Suggested Day & Overnight Routes
Day trip from Gouvia (one day)
Gouvia → lunch swim at Agni → afternoon arrival in Kalami → dinner ashore → return to Gouvia next morning. Total: roughly 30 NM round trip, comfortable in light NW winds.
Two-night NE coast loop
Day 1: Gouvia → Agni (lunch + jetty mooring overnight). Day 2: Agni → Kouloura swim stop → Kassiopi (overnight, walk the castle headland). Day 3: Kassiopi → Avlaki (lunch) → Gouvia.
Warm-up before going south
Use the east coast as a shakedown for crew and systems before the longer Paxos hop. Gouvia → Kalami (overnight) → Petriti (overnight) → Lakka, Paxos. About 50 NM total to Paxos via the east coast — a gentle, sheltered first leg.
Full multi-day plans on the SeaTV Corfu sailing route page and the Corfu–Paxos–Lefkada–Kefalonia route.
✅ Sailor’s Safety Checklist
▢ Forecast checked on Windy / Poseidon / PredictWind — special attention to E or SE component
▢ Next anchorage confirmed and a fallback identified (usually Kassiopi or Gouvia)
▢ Anchor windlass tested — fuse location confirmed (charter boats love hidden fuse panels)
▢ VHF on Ch. 16
▢ Fuel level read on the gauge AND on the dipstick
▢ Long stern line and at least 4 fenders on deck before approach
Emergency Numbers — Corfu
European Emergency: 112
Coastguard Corfu (VHF Ch. 12): +30 26610 32655
Port Police Corfu: +30 26610 32655
Coastguard Kassiopi: +30 26630 81210
Corfu General Hospital: +30 26613 60400
Gouvia Marina (VHF 69): +30 26610 91900
Watch the SeaTV Visual Pilot Video
Aerial drone shots of the approach to each anchorage, the run into Kassiopi, the Kalami headland and the tavern jetties at Agni — exactly what you’ll see from your cockpit. Free for members.
Plan your Ionian charter
Explore more anchorages, marinas and routes across the Ionian Islands.
→ Ionian Islands hub · Marina Gouvia · Lakka, Paxos · Gaios, Paxos
“On the east coast, the wind always quits before dinner — but Pantokrator might not.”
— SeaTV Visual Pilot · Corfu Edition
