SeaTV · Ionian Islands · 7-Day Route
7-Day Sailing Itinerary — Ionian Islands, Greece
Preveza to Sami via Lefkada, Meganisi, Kastos, and Ithaca — a comfortable week of short hops, sheltered anchorages, and the quietest cruising water in the Ionian.
This is the standard southern Ionian charter route — the one that almost every charter company runs out of Lefkas, Preveza, or Sami. It works because the distances are short (no day longer than 20 NM), the wind is reliable (NW thermal F3–F5 most afternoons), and every overnight stop has a sheltered harbour or a well-protected bay within a 30-minute sail of a backup.
For first-time Ionian charterers, this is the route to do. Experienced crews can extend it with side trips to Atokos, Kalamos, or the west coast of Kefalonia. Flotilla boats run a similar pattern. If you’re chartering from Preveza, you sail south. If you’re from Lefkas, start at Day 2. If you’re from Sami, run the route in reverse.
⚠ Reality check: The afternoon NW thermal builds reliably from around 13:00. Plan to be in your anchorage by 15:00 — not still beating up the channel at 17:00. Short morning sails and long lazy afternoons is the rhythm of this route.
⚓ Quick Facts — The Route
Total Distance
~90 NM over 7 days · longest day 20 NM
Start / Finish
Preveza Marina → Sami Marina, Kefalonia
Best Season
May to early October · peak July–August
Suited For
First-timers, families, mixed-experience crews
Prevailing Wind
NW F3–F5 afternoons · light mornings
Bridge Opening
Lefkas canal — hourly during daylight
Wind, Weather & Daily Rhythm
The morning
Light air, often glassy water until around 11:00. Most days you’ll motor for the first hour or two. Use the morning to cover distance, do boat jobs, or have an early swim before the wind arrives.
The afternoon thermal
The NW thermal builds from 12:00–13:00, peaks F4–F5 between 15:00 and 17:00, and dies off after sunset. Comfortable downwind sailing if you’re heading south or east; harder work if you’re beating north or west. Plan your route accordingly.
The evening
Wind drops to F1–F2 by 19:00. Most anchorages are calm by sunset. Restaurants ashore start filling around 20:00. The pace is unhurried — and the route is designed for it.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 · 20 NM
Preveza → Lefkas Marina
Begin at Preveza Marina on the mainland. Navigate south through the Lefkas canal — you’ll pass the swing bridge (opens hourly during daylight), the buoyed lagoon, and arrive at Lefkas Marina, the largest charter base in the Ionian.
Evening: Walk into Lefkas town for dinner. Venetian architecture, lively pedestrian streets, traditional tavernas at the marina edge.
⚠ Bridge timing: Be at the canal entrance 15 minutes before the opening. Late arrivals wait an hour.
Day 2 · 11 NM
Lefkas → Meganisi
A short morning sail southeast to Meganisi. Drop anchor in a sheltered bay like Port Atheni or Abelaki, or moor stern-to in the village quays of Porto Spilia or Vathy.
Afternoon: Swim and snorkel in clear water. Walk up to Spartochori village for views over the surrounding islands and a long lunch at the taverna terrace.
⚠ Anchorage choice: Vathy fills early in season; Spilia is breezier but emptier. Have a Plan B for the bay you don’t pick.
Day 3 · 15 NM
Meganisi → Kastos
Sail southeast to the small, quiet island of Kastos — one of the least-touristed inhabited islands in the Ionian. Anchor in the main harbour or a secluded bay along the coast.
Afternoon: Walk to the old windmill above the harbour for sunset views over the sound. Dinner at one of the few village tavernas — fresh seafood, slow service, local atmosphere.
⚠ Provisioning: Almost nothing on Kastos. Stock up before you leave Meganisi.
Day 4 · 20 NM
Kastos → Kioni, Ithaca
A longer leg west across the Ithaca channel to the picture-postcard harbour of Kioni on the northeast coast of Ithaca — the mythical home of Odysseus.
Evening: Wander the narrow streets of the village, dinner at a waterfront taverna with the sun setting behind the bay’s three ruined windmills.
⚠ Watch: Kioni quay fills by 16:00 in season — if it’s full, anchor in the bay or fall back to Frikes 4 NM north.
Day 5 · 6 NM
Kioni → Vathy, Ithaca
A short hop south brings you to Vathy, the capital of Ithaca and one of the most sheltered natural harbours in the Mediterranean. Anchor in the large bay or moor stern-to the town quay.
Afternoon: Visit the Archaeological Museum for the Mycenaean context, climb to Perachori village for panoramic views, then back to the waterfront for dinner.
⚠ Watch: The quay can be busy with ferries — moor with allowance for ferry wash.
Day 6 · 15 NM
Vathy → Antisamos Bay, Kefalonia
Sail southwest across the channel to Kefalonia — the largest of the Ionian islands. Anchor in Antisamos Bay, framed by pine slopes and limestone cliffs.
Afternoon: A swim-and-snorkel afternoon in clear water. Optional walk on the surrounding hills for the view back across to Ithaca.
⚠ Watch: Day-tripper boats from Sami arrive 11:00–15:00 in season. Quietest before 09:00 and after 16:00.
Day 7 · 3 NM
Antisamos → Sami Marina, Kefalonia
A short final sail around the cape to Sami Marina. Stern-to with anchor; full town facilities for the last evening of the charter.
Afternoon ashore: Visit the Melissani Cave and underground lake — a 10-minute drive from Sami. Walk the ruins of ancient Sami above the modern town. Farewell dinner on the waterfront.
⚠ Charter handover: Most operators want the boat back by 09:00 Saturday — refuel and clean on Friday afternoon, not Saturday morning.
Variations & Side Trips
For experienced crews
Add side trips to Atokos (One House Bay — striking, isolated, lunch only), Kalamos (the village of Kalamos with its taverna welcome ritual of bow lines), or push west around to Fiskardo for an additional north-Kefalonia overnight before Sami.
For families with young crew
Cut the longer days. Replace Day 4 (Kastos → Kioni, 20 NM) with Kastos → Kalamos (8 NM), then Kalamos → Kioni next morning. The 7-day route becomes 8 days — split a longer day into two shorter ones.
For Sami-based charters
Run the route in reverse. Sami → Vathy → Kioni → Kastos → Meganisi → Lefkas → Preveza. Same logic, opposite direction. The morning thermal still favours northbound runs early.
For 10-day charters
Add 3 days for Paxos. After Day 1 (Lefkas), add: Day 2 Lefkas → Preveza, Day 3 Preveza → Paxos (Lakka or Gaios), Day 4 Paxos → back south to start the 7-day pattern.
Eating Highlights — Route Notes
Lefkas — modern Greek
Lefkas town has the widest restaurant choice on the route. Use Day 1 to eat well — meze, grilled fish, decent local wine. Tomorrow’s village quay won’t have the same options.
Meganisi & Kastos — village tavernas
One or two tavernas per village, family-run, no reservations needed but worth booking on a busy night. Keep your menu expectations simple — grilled fish, salads, local wine. The food is always honest, never fussy.
Ithaca — Vathy is the spread
Vathy waterfront has the largest concentration of tavernas on the route after Lefkas — pick a busy one with locals at the tables. Kioni is more limited but charming.
Sami — last meal
Sami’s waterfront kitchens get fresh catch off the local boats every morning. Order whatever’s on the daily blackboard, not the printed menu.
Pro Tips for the Week
Sail mornings, swim afternoons. Cover distance before the thermal builds. By 14:00 you should be at anchor with the swim ladder down.
Provision in Lefkas, not Sami. Lefkas has bigger supermarkets and more choice. Stock the boat fully on Day 1 — you won’t need to provision again until the end.
Book restaurants by 17:00. Especially in July and August, the better village tavernas fill before sunset. Walk in, book a table, then come back later.
Refuel mid-route. Top up at Lefkas on Day 1 and again at Sami on Day 7. Mid-route fuel options are limited and slow.
Don’t over-plan Days 4–5. Ithaca rewards slow time. Stay an extra night at Vathy or Kioni if the crew is tired — there’s nothing to prove by getting to Kefalonia on schedule.
✅ Sailor’s Safety Checklist
▢ Daily forecast checked before leaving the dock
▢ Lefkas bridge timing confirmed for Day 1
▢ Anchor windlass tested before first overnight
▢ Plan B identified for each anchorage (alternative within 30 min sail)
▢ VHF on Ch. 16 in transit, Ch. 12 in port, Ch. 69 for marinas
▢ Medical kit and abandon-ship grab bag accessible
Key Emergency Numbers — Route Area
European Emergency: 112
Coastguard Preveza: +30 26820 22226
Coastguard Lefkas: +30 26450 22322
Coastguard Vathy, Ithaca: +30 26740 32909
Coastguard Sami: +30 26740 22031
Hospital Argostoli (Kefalonia): +30 26713 61164
Watch the SeaTV Visual Pilot Videos
Each stop on this route has its own visual pilot video on SeaTV — approach footage, anchorage details, and harbour walk-throughs from the cockpit. Free for members. Link below.
Detailed pages for every stop
Each anchorage on this route has its own SeaTV visual pilot guide.
→ Ionian hub · Lefkas Marina · Meganisi · Vathy · Kefalonia
“Short hops, long lunches, and the same NW thermal that built this route a hundred years ago.”
— SeaTV Visual Pilot · Ionian 7-Day Edition
