Ionian Islands Sailing Guide

Overview

The Ionian Islands lie west of Greece. Starting your sailing vacation from Gouvia Marina offers a perfect combination of sailing and exploring on land.

Itinerary

Day 1

Check-in at Marina Gouvia and make some last preparations on the boat. Sail away north to the amazing Kalami beach or south to Petriri’s small fishing bay.

Day 2

Sail to Lakka or Gaios.

Day 3

Sail to Lefkas. Beautiful marina, we recommend renting a car as there is so much to see.

Day 4

Sail to Kefalonia, dock in Fiskardo bay. Rent a car to explore the island if you have time. We highly recommend renting a car on each island to visit the most amazing beaches you’ll ever see.

Anchorages Around Corfu

North of Corfu Island

There are three beautiful bays 6-10 miles from Marina Corfu, suitable for overnight docking if you manage to leave on day one after all preparations:

• Toula’s – About 6 miles from Marina Gouvia. The beach has a famous, highly recommended, but a bit expensive restaurant – Agni Restaurant. Arrive with a dinghy to the restaurant.
• Kalami – About 7 miles from Marina Gouvia. Anchor and reach shore with a dinghy. Recommended restaurants on the beach: Thomas’s Place and White House Taverna.
• Agios Stefanos – About 10 miles from Marina Gouvia. The bottom is full of grass, and mooring is hard. It’s relatively crowded in the bay. Take care – waves rise due to the movement of ferries in the channel between Corfu and the mainland.

Recommended Restaurants & Beach Tours

Eucalyptus Taverna – A little expensive but good.

Kaparelli – Great for a visit.

Mandraki Marina

A small marina, a short walk from Corfu’s Old Town.

Kassiopi

A small mooring in the north of Corfu Island. It’s a beautiful resort but open to the north – pay attention to the forecast.

Ormos Vourlias

A beautiful bay north of Corfu Island with a wide sandy beach. Open north – pay attention to the forecast.

Petriti

A little town with a small mooring protected from northern winds. There are several taverns. Docking doesn’t cost money, and there are no marina services. The platform is reserved for fishing boats that depart in the afternoon and return in the morning.

The Mainland: Mortos-Sibota

The Bays

Around Sibota (also called Mortos), there are many bays excellent for lunch. One of the bays to the south has a beautiful blue cave.

The City

A great place to dock in the inner and sheltered part of the dock. If not, dock along the restaurant platform. A nice and vibrant tourist town with many restaurants along the platform.

Vaflaki – The Blue Restaurant – Excellent lunch recommendation.

George’s Family Taverna – Try the Belgian waffle cubes with hot Nutella sauce and ice cream balls. One dish is enough to share with 3-4 people. There is a large and recommended supermarket in the marina with free boat deliveries.

The Island of Paxoi

Lakka

The famous bay – don’t miss out! A large, sheltered, famous bay with clear water. Plenty of room for a Mediterranean dock and an arranged dock. A lovely town with nice shops, great restaurants, and a great atmosphere. Recommended hike up the hill (about 25 minutes walk to the lighthouse). You can take a tour to the island’s blue caves and beaches.

Recommended – Paxoimadi Tavern, Pounentes Tavern.

Gaios

The big city in Paxos – one of the area’s highlights. A fun, relatively crowded, and bustling town that hides behind a high island and is very quiet and protected. Plenty of bars, restaurants, shops, boutiques, and stunning views. Approach from the north as the southern entrance is too shallow.

Fragola Glider – For sweet lovers. Try the cream ice cream and fine yoghurt ice cream. They also sell ice cream cakes and wonderful homemade mini-popsicles. Pistachio mini-popsicle is especially recommended.

Mongonisi

A beautiful bay where you can dock Mediterranean moorings or connect to the small dock at no cost. Another branch of the Pan & Theo Tavern is in the bay. You can call Theo in advance to reserve a place and order a traditional Greek evening with music and dance. You can also order fresh bread for the morning.

West Coast Discovery

Because sailing distances from one place to another are short, it is recommended to sail the west coast discovery of Paxos Island. Enjoy the cliffs, blue caves, beaches, and bays. The central blue cave is the most beautiful of all and worth spending most of your time there.