Lefkada Sailing

Lefkada sailing is a trip by sailing boat around Lefkada and its islands in the Ionian Sea. You sail for a day with a skipper, or charter a yacht for a week. This post covers the bases, the sea, the stops, the boats, the food, the routes and the booking rules. The homepage lists more Greece Tours like this one.

Each tour card below opens a live GetYourGuide booking. Dates, pickup points and boat types are shown there.

What is Lefkada sailing and who books it?

Lefkada sailing means boat trips and yacht charters around the island of Lefkada and the Ionian islands near it. You can join a day cruise or hire a private sailboat with a skipper. You can also charter a yacht with or without a crew.

Lefkada sailing starts with a simple choice: share a boat or have it to yourself. A day cruise on a sailing boat is the shared kind. A private sailboat trip with a skipper is the other kind. Longer charters and licence-free boat rental give you more freedom again.

If you plan to cross into Turkey as well, the homepage also lists Turkey tours.

The full-day small-group sailing cruise comes with a captain and crew. The day includes swimming stops, a fresh homemade lunch and fruit. Guests also get snorkelling gear and a paddleboard. Soft drinks, juice, wine, water and coffee are part of the day too. Small-group cruises suit people who want everything arranged.

The private sailboat trip works the other way round. You plan the itinerary with the skipper and explore the Ionian Islands at your own pace. The crew offers suggested itineraries, and you shape the day to your interests. Lefkada sailing of this kind suits a party that wants the boat to itself.

The crew on the private sailboat trip is a skipper and a hostess. An experienced crew member also teaches you the basics of sailing. The list of inclusions covers breakfast, lunch, water, wine and soft drinks. Sun cream and towels are included as well. You carry less than on a shared cruise.

Snorkelling is offered as its own cruise. The private sailing cruise with skipper and snorkelling runs as a private trip or as a small-group trip. The swim beach is chosen according to the weather conditions. So you do not fix the exact bay when you book. The daily cruise with a skipper also includes snorkelling equipment and soft drinks.

The full-day sailing and snorkelling tour comes with a skipper. Lunch, drinks, snacks and snorkelling equipment are included on that tour. Every Lefkada sailing day cruise sets out what is included before you pay. Read that list first, because crew, food and gear change from one format to the next.

Other guests want no crew at all. A boat without a licence needs no licence, even if you are the skipper. This format has no skipper on board. Lefkada sailing in this style gives you the helm and the choice of where to swim. It is a boat rental, not a guided trip.

Yacht charter is the longer format. A bareboat charter is for qualified sailors who run the yacht themselves. A skippered charter adds a professional skipper. Yachts and catamarans from Lefkas are available for both. A charter fleet suits experienced sailors, first-time charterers and guests who prefer a professional skipper.

Charters come in a third form as well. In an informal flotilla you sail independently, but other boats sail with you. So a charter has three options: bareboat, skippered or flotilla. Lefkada sailing at this level gives each option a different degree of independence. You decide how much help you take.

The choice comes down to fixed points and open ones. Fixed: the format, the crew and what is included. Open: the pace, the swim stops and, on a private booking, the route itself. Lefkada sailing lets you set that balance before you book. Pick the format that matches your skill and your group.

Where does Lefkada sailing start?

Lefkada sailing starts at Nydri and Vasiliki for day cruises, and at Lefkas Marina, Vliho and Sivota for yacht charters. Each port opens a different side of the island, so the harbour in your booking decides the first morning.

The starting point depends on the format you book. Lefkada is the name of a whole island, not of one harbour. Cruises with other guests leave from the ports. Charter yachts leave from marina and bay bases. So Lefkada sailing has no single pier where every trip begins.

Nydri is the main base for shared cruises. Together with Vasiliki, it is a hub for the local boat trips. Boats from Nydri explore the east side of Lefkada. On the full-day sailing cruise, you meet the captain and crew at the port, next to the big boats.

The meeting time is set before departure. On that full-day sailing cruise, guests arrive at least 15 minutes early. The cruise to the west-coast beaches starts at half past nine. Guests arrive 30 minutes early and swap a voucher for a boat ticket. The meeting point is a travel office on the main street of Nydri.

The full-day tour to Kefalonia and Ithaca also begins at a meeting point at Nydri port. So one harbour serves very different routes. Check your confirmation for the exact spot. It names the quay or the office where your group gathers in the morning.

Vasiliki is the second port for local boat cruises. A daily cruise from Vasiliki port departs at ten in the morning. A snorkelling tour by boat from Vasiliki also departs at ten. Lefkada sailing trips leave from other points too. Selected trips start at Nikiana, Perigiali and private marinas.

Private sailing trips can also start at Lygia Port. The private half-day sailing cruise with a skipper and snorkelling departs and returns there. Lygia is a different harbour from Nydri. Read the departure line of your booking before you plan the drive to the pier.

Lefkas Marina lies not far from the old town of Lefkas. It has 620 moorings and 280 dry docks. Yachts up to 45 metres long fit, at a water depth of 3.30 metres. A charter crew steps from the marina berth straight onto the yacht.

Vliho is a sheltered bay base just south of Nydri. The village sits on the southwestern shore of deeply enclosed Vlycho Bay. The yacht club is about 3 kilometres from Nydri. It offers moorings with electricity and water, plus hot showers and laundry. A base there has two floating pontoons and a cafe.

Sivota lies on the southeast coast of Lefkada. It is a small fishing and yachting village with a horseshoe-shaped harbour. The bay is a natural harbour where yachts moor. Lefkada sailing from Sivota can also start at a private floating dock. A charter base manages that dock in the southern part of the island.

Distances to Sivota matter for an early meeting. The village is about 35 kilometres south of Lefkada Town. It is also about 30 kilometres from Preveza Airport. Check the road time before you book a morning start.

Lefkada has no airport of its own. The nearest is Aktion Airport, in the Preveza region on the mainland. Guests then reach the island by car or bus. Lefkada sailing begins once you arrive at the port named in your booking. Plan the road time to the quay.

Why is the sea around Lefkada good for sailing?

Lefkada sailing suits calm water and short daily distances. A chain of islands keeps the sea state moderate. The summer wind is a northwesterly that builds only by midday. A canal and a floating bridge give boats a passage through the island’s north.

Lefkada lies very close to the mainland. The gap between the island and the coast of Akarnania is less than 100 metres. A floating bridge links the two. That narrow gap is the reason a canal cuts through the low land at the northeast end.

The canal runs for around 3.5 miles and divides the island from the mainland. It is dredged to a depth of 5 to 6 metres along the bigger part of its length. Lefkada sailing therefore passes through a real waterway, not an open strait.

The canal is shallower in places. At the north entrance the depth is sometimes little more than 3.5 to 4 metres. Crews watch the depth sounder as they enter. A boat that draws little water has an easier time, and a slow pace gives the crew time to react.

A second shallow point lies about two thirds of the way down from the north. There the depth drops at one point to around 3.5 metres. So the canal has two stretches that need care. The 4 knot speed limit suits both of them well.

The rules in the canal keep boats slow. A current of 1 to 1.5 knots can run through the channel, mostly flowing south. A boat in the canal moves carefully, and the crew keeps a lookout on both sides. Lefkada sailing starts with this slow, careful passage.

The floating bridge swings open for boats, and road traffic onto and off the island stops while it is open. A siren sounds at the opening. The marina can confirm the timings by radio on channel 69.

The island has a quiet side in the north too. A lagoon there gives birds an important wetland. Its shallow, calm water sits next to the canal. For Lefkada sailing, this inner, protected shore is a gentle start before the boat reaches the open sea.

The islands also shelter the sea. Lefkada, Meganisi, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Kalamos and Kastos form a natural barrier. That barrier keeps sea states moderate. Lefkada sailing between these islands meets less swell than a crossing in open water. The next island is always close by.

Lefkada covers 302.5 square kilometres and is the fourth largest of the Ionian Islands. An island of that size has bays on every side. Anchorages are well sheltered in the main, with good holding for the anchor. Skippers can pick the bay that sits out of the wind.

The days are easy to plan. Daily distances are short, line-of-sight sailing is simple, and the waters are calm and sheltered. Gentle breezes blow in the morning, and stronger winds arrive in the afternoon. A crew can swim, eat lunch and move on without a long crossing.

The typical summer wind is the maistro, a northwesterly that builds only by midday. Around two in the afternoon it starts to pick up. The Aegean has a harder summer wind, the meltemi. It can reach 30 knots or more and can last for days. Lefkada sailing offers steady, manageable breezes instead.

What do Lefkada sailing trips show around Meganisi and Skorpios?

Lefkada sailing on the Nydri side passes Meganisi, Skorpios and Madouri. Meganisi has three villages and the Papanikolis sea cave. Skorpios is a private island with over 200 varieties of trees. Madouri holds a poet’s mansion among pines.

In the sea in front of Nydri lie Madouri, Skorpios, Skorpidi and Sparti. All four are small islands. Lefkada sailing on this side of the island links these islets with the larger Meganisi. The coast around Nydri is cut by tiny pebbled bays with transparent water.

Meganisi lies east of Lefkada in the Ionian Islands. Its name means “the big island” in Greek. Yet the island covers only 22 square kilometres. Its villages and its coast give the sailing day its first landmark. The names of the villages are simple to learn.

The island has three villages. Katomeri is the central village, while Vathy and Spartochori are the ports. Lefkada sailing is not the only link, because a car ferry runs from Vathy and Spartochori to Lefkada. There are no buses on the island itself.

Vathy is a port village lined with fish taverns and cafes. Katomeri sits in the middle of the island, between the two ports. Spartochori is the second port, and the car ferry serves it as well. Each port gives the island a landing place for the ferry.

The Papanikolis sea cave is the landmark of Meganisi that sailors name first. The cave is 120 metres long and 60 metres wide. Its water reaches a depth of 30 metres. Lefkada sailing trips in this area can include it, and boats at Nydri can take you there.

The cave takes its name from a submarine called Papanikolis. The submarine is said to have used the cave. You can also see the cave from a kayak or a small boat. That gives a different view from the one on a large deck. The cave lies on Meganisi, the island east of Lefkada.

The north-east coast of Meganisi has three anchorages. They are Ormos Kapali, Ormos Abelike and Port Atheni. A yacht can anchor in the coves there and moor with a line ashore. Lefkada sailing on a yacht charter can use these quiet coves for a night.

Port Atheni is a sheltered bay on the north-east coast of Meganisi. It is one of the three named anchorages on that coast. Inside the bay a reef lies in the middle. The reef separates the north arm from the south arm. Sailors therefore pick one arm of the bay when they anchor.

Skorpios, also spelled Scorpios, is a private island in the Ionian Sea, just east of Lefkada. It belongs to the municipality of Meganisi. Aristotle Onassis imported over 200 varieties of trees to the once nearly barren island. It is heavily forested from south to north. The Ribolovlev family owns the island, so it is seen from the water.

Skorpios has sandy beaches, and the main one is East Beach. Onassis made it by bringing sand from Salamis Island. Madouri is a tiny private island draped in pines. Its neoclassical mansion was the home of the nineteenth-century poet Aristotelis Valaoritis, who composed O Fotinos there. Lefkada sailing passes it, because landing needs the permission of the Valaoritis family.

• Meganisi: three villages, the Papanikolis sea cave and three north-east anchorages.
• Skorpios: a private, forested island east of Lefkada.
• Madouri: the poet’s mansion among pines.

Which beaches and bays do Lefkada sailing trips reach on the west and south coast?

Lefkada sailing trips reach Porto Katsiki and Egremni on the west coast and Agiofili on the south coast. Daily boat trips to Porto Katsiki leave from Nydri and from Vasiliki harbour. The boats also pass the white cliffs of Cape Lefkatas.

The three well-known beaches lie in the west of the island. They are Porto Katsiki, Kathisma and Egremni. Each one faces the open Ionian Sea. Lefkada sailing on this side means a different day from the sheltered east, with tall cliffs above the boat.

Porto Katsiki sits at the foot of a concave pale cliff. Its name is Greek for “goat port”. The name is said to come from a time when only goats reached the spot. Boats bring visitors by day, particularly from Nydri.

You can also reach Porto Katsiki by road. A stairway leads down to the beach from the parking area at the top of the cliff. So the same beach is a sea stop on one trip and a stairway walk on another. Lefkada sailing trips use the sea route.

Egremni is one of the longest beaches of the island. A flank of it collapsed in an earthquake. After that, the beach was reachable only from the sea, by boat. This is one reason why Lefkada sailing day trips list Egremni as a stop.

Kathisma is another west-coast beach. It is more than one kilometre long, so the ends are quieter than the middle. It faces west, which gives it evening sunsets. The road to it is asphalted, and the beach lies about 15 kilometres from Lefkada Town.

The rocky edges of Kathisma are a place for snorkelling, where you can watch small sea life. The beach is framed by cliffs on the land side. Lefkada sailing trips pass it from the water. Seen from the sea, the cliffs and the long beach show their full size.

Vasiliki is the base on the south coast, about 25 kilometres southwest of Lefkada Town. The village is surrounded on three sides by high mountains. A local thermal wind called Eric rises there in the afternoon as the land warms up.

Agiofili is a small cove on the south coast, close to Vasiliki. It has smooth white pebbles and clear blue water. It lies about two kilometres from the village. The cove is sheltered from winds and has no waves. The west beaches differ, because the sea there is rough almost all the time.

Agiofili can be reached by road or by daily boat trips from Vasiliki and Nydri. A taxi boat leaves Vasiliki port every hour. Cape Lefkatas marks the southwestern tip, with limestone cliffs and a lighthouse. Its light stands 60 metres up. The cape is also called Sappho’s Leap.

The legend says the poet Sappho threw herself from these cliffs because of her love for Phaon. A temple of Apollo once stood where the lighthouse stands now. The name Lefkada comes from the white cliffs, since “lefko” means white in Greek. Viewing the cliffs from the water gives a different perspective from the road.

• Porto Katsiki: boat from Nydri or Vasiliki, or the stairway from the parking area.
• Egremni: a long beach, reached from the sea by boat.
• Agiofili: small south-coast cove near Vasiliki, by road or by boat.
• Cape Lefkatas: southwestern tip, seen from the sea.

Which boats are used for Lefkada sailing?

Lefkada sailing uses sailing yachts, catamarans, motor yachts, wooden cruise boats and small motor boats that need no licence. Size differs by type. The crew differs too, from a skipper at the helm to qualified sailors on a bareboat.

The sailing yacht is a classic choice in the Ionian. It is responsive and economical. A single hull with sails suits couples or families who like a relaxed pace. On a bareboat charter, this is the boat you steer yourself. One sailing yacht listed at Nydri carries six people without a captain.

The catamaran has two hulls and a wide deck. It is popular in the Ionian Islands because of its space and stability. Its cabins are large, and its draft is shallow. That lets a crew anchor close to shore. Lefkada sailing on a catamaran suits families and groups of friends.

Catamaran sizes differ widely. One bareboat catamaran of 14 metres has four cabins for eight passengers and four toilets with showers. A smaller one of 11.8 metres in Lefkada has four cabins and twelve berths. The largest at Lefkas Marina is 18 metres long.

That 18 metre catamaran holds ten people in six cabins. It has seven toilets and a swim platform at the stern. Swimmers climb back aboard from that platform. A 14 metre yacht at Nydri has a hydraulic gangway that also works as a bathing ladder. Each double cabin has its own shower.

Motor yachts work differently. They offer speed and flexibility, so a crew can cover more ground in a day. They also have generous lounging areas. Lefkada sailing under engine power suits guests who want distance and comfort. One open motorboat at Nydri holds eight people.

The traditional wooden boat is a cruise vessel, not a yacht. A wooden boat cruise leaves Nydri harbour on the east coast of Lefkada. It heads down the Meganisi channel. A sunset cruise also runs on a traditional wooden boat and departs in the early evening.

Shade matters on day boats. The full-day sailing cruise from Nydri has plenty of shade for guests who want it. The forgotten islands day cruise from Nydri also has shaded space, which makes it family-friendly. Lefkada sailing on these boats lets you choose between sun and shade.

The smallest craft needs no licence. One model is five metres long and carries seven people. Another is 4.6 metres long and carries five. A larger model measures 5.5 metres. All three have 30 horsepower engines. Lefkada sailing on a boat this size is a day on your own terms.

Group size depends on the format. The private cruise with snorkelling and a skipper at the helm is listed for up to five guests. A private full-day sail is listed for up to six. A private boutique cruise is listed for up to twelve.

The crew also depends on the format. A skippered charter brings local knowledge, and a professional handles navigation and docking. On a fully crewed yacht, the crew also plans each day and serves meals. A bareboat charter gives qualified sailors complete independence over route and anchorage. Fleets in Lefkas offer monohulls and catamarans for bareboat, skippered and flotilla holidays.

• Sailing yacht: responsive and economical.
• Catamaran: wide decks, large cabins, shallow draft.
• Motor yacht: speed and lounging space.
• Wooden boat: Nydri harbour cruises.
• Small motor boat: five to 5.5 metres, 30 horsepower.

What food, drinks and gear come with Lefkada sailing?

Lefkada sailing trips include food and drink in the format you book. Day cruises serve lunch with wine or soft drinks, and snorkelling gear is on board. A licence-free boat rental gives you a cooler, water and soft drinks.

Lunch is the main meal on a day cruise. On one full-day sailing cruise from Nidri, the crew serves a homemade lunch with fruit and a complimentary drink. An optional breakfast is offered on board as well. Lefkada sailing therefore covers a full day without a stop at a shop.

A semi-private full-day sailing cruise lists a skipper, snorkelling equipment, lunch, drinks and snacks. The lunch has local delicacies, wine, other drinks and fresh fruit. Guests swim and snorkel in a sheltered bay after the meal, using the equipment from the boat.

The four-hour private sailing cruise with a skipper is lighter. Snacks and soft drinks are served on board during the sail. There is no sit-down lunch in that format. A professional skipper is part of it. Check the format before you book, because the food changes with the length of the trip.

The wooden forgotten islands cruise from Nidri serves a buffet lunch. Wine and soft drinks come with the meal. Guests can use the snorkelling equipment on board. Another sailing cruise from Nidri serves a barbecue on a beach, made from local products and cooked on the spot.

That beach barbecue cruise adds more. Ouzo with olives is served on board, and fruit of the season follows. Wine and soft drinks are unlimited with the lunch. Vegetarian, vegan and other menus are available on request. Ask for them when you book, so the crew can plan the food.

Gear on that same cruise includes umbrellas for the sun, masks and snorkels. Floaters and beach toys for children are also provided. Other formats name only masks or snorkelling equipment. Check the inclusions of your own trip before you pack. Lefkada sailing days on a beach stop need shade, so umbrellas matter.

A licence-free boat rental works differently. The rental includes a portable cooler, water and soft drinks. Fuel is not included, and neither is a skipper. You bring your own food for a day of exploring. Lefkada sailing on a rented boat is self-service, with no crew to cook.

Bring sunglasses, a hat, swimwear, a towel and sunscreen for a boat rental. The same items suit a day cruise too.

A multi-day catamaran week has a galley and a set food plan. On one week from Lefkada, breakfast and lunch are served on board each day. One evening meal is served on board, and wine or soft drinks come with meals. Tea, coffee and drinking water are free.

A fully crewed charter handles food through an advance provisioning allowance. You pay it before the charter. The crew then buys meals and drinks and fuels the yacht for the agreed route. Meals are tailored to your wishes through a questionnaire before the trip. Lefkada sailing on a crewed yacht needs no cooking from you.

How long does Lefkada sailing take and how far do you sail?

Lefkada sailing runs from 4 hours for a sunset trip. A day trip to Kefalonia and Ithaca takes 9 hours. Charter legs run 12 to 22 nautical miles.

Time on the water depends on the format. A sunset cruise from Nydri with food and drinks lasts 4 hours. A snorkelling safari with lunch from Vasiliki, to the Blue Cave, lasts 4.5 hours. These are the short formats of Lefkada sailing.

A private sailing trip with a skipper and snorkel stops lasts 6 hours. That is a middle length. A private cruise to Meganisi and Skorpios from Nydri marina also lasts 6 hours. A private full-day cruise to Ithaca from Nydri lasts 7 hours 30 minutes.

A full-day sailing cruise from Nydri with swim stops and a meal lasts 7.5 hours. A private option exists for that cruise. A boat tour to Meganisi, Skorpios and Madouri is an 8-hour tour. Lefkada sailing has a length for each plan.

The guided full-day tour to Meganisi and Skorpios lasts about 8 hours. On that tour the boat leaves the port of Nydri at 10:00. Read the departure hour next to the length, because the two together set the shape of your day.

The longest day trips run 9 hours. A boat from Nydri to Kefalonia and Ithaca with swim stops takes 9 hours. An all-inclusive cruise from Vasiliki with a meal also takes 9 hours. Check the exact length of the trip you pick.

The day has a clear start and end. One daily cruise from Nydri to Ithaca leaves the harbour at 09:15. That boat returns at about 17:30. A snorkelling safari from Vasiliki is shorter. It comes back to the port at about 2:30 in the afternoon.

Meals shape the length of a day too. The sunset cruise from Nydri comes with food and drinks. The Blue Cave safari from Vasiliki comes with lunch. The full-day cruise from Nydri has swim stops and a meal. The all-inclusive Vasiliki cruise has a meal on board.

Distances between the near islands are short. Meganisi is a small island on the south-east side of Lefkada. It lies 4 nautical miles from Nydri. Excursion boats and ferries link the two. The ferry takes 25 minutes. Lefkada sailing on a swim-stop cruise is slower than a ferry.

On a charter, the sea is counted in legs, not in hours of one trip. A 14-day plan from Lefkas Marina puts day 1 at Nidri, 11 nautical miles away. Day 2 goes on to Spartochori on Meganisi, again 11 nautical miles.

The same 14-day plan has a leg on day 9 from Vathy to Sivota, a distance of 15 nautical miles. A one-week loop of the southern Ionian from Lefkada has daily legs of 12 to 22 nautical miles. Those legs take three to five hours under sail or engine.

These legs show that a charter day covers a short hop, not a long ocean passage. Lefkada sailing on a charter turns the same sea into a chain of short hops. Other loops give other leg lengths.

Check the exact meeting time on your voucher before you plan the rest of the day. Compare the length of each trip with the time you want to be back. Lefkada sailing leaves the late afternoon free on the shorter formats.

Which routes link Lefkada sailing with Kefalonia, Ithaca and the other islands?

Lefkada sailing reaches Kefalonia and Ithaca on a one-day boat tour from the port of Nydri. Kalamos and Kastos suit an overnight stop on a yacht charter. Paxos and Antipaxos lie 35 miles north-north-west of Lefkas.

Lefkada sits at the north end of a ring of islands. Ithaca and Kefalonia stand on the west side, and the Greek mainland closes the east. Sailors call the water between them the Inland Sea. Every Lefkada sailing route south starts inside this enclosed water.

The short way to see Kefalonia and Ithaca is a day trip. One boat tour from Nydri to both islands lasts one day. Its stops are Fiskardo on Kefalonia and then Ithaca. Lefkada sailing of this kind needs no overnight bag, because the boat returns to Nydri the same day.

Fiskardo is the northernmost port of Kefalonia. It lies a short distance from Ithaca, so one day can hold both islands. The village stands 49.5 kilometres north of Argostoli, the island capital. Its bay is two kilometres long. The coast around it is rocky, with pebble coves.

Ferries from Fiskardo run to Frikes on Ithaca and to Lefkada. That shows how close the three islands are. Lefkada sailing by yacht reaches Fiskardo too. Charter yachts fill every corner of the port and bay in the holiday season. Summer winds there blow from the north-west to the north.

Ithaca lies in the Ionian Sea, close to the north-east coast of Kefalonia, with the Greek mainland to the east. Modern Ithaca is identified with the home of Odysseus. His delayed return is the plot of the Odyssey, a poem by Homer. Ithaca is the second-smallest of the seven main Ionian islands. Its capital is Vathy.

Vathy is the main harbour of Ithaca. It lies at the head of a long inlet on the east coast. Frikes is five miles to the north and Kioni is four miles. Yachts of all sizes come here in the season. The town has berths and a good anchorage.

A charter week reaches further south-east. Kalamos lies eight miles south-east of Lefkas, inside the Inland Sea. Kastos is one mile beyond it. Kalamos is a popular overnight stop for yachts between the Lefkas Canal and the Gulf of Patras. Lefkada sailing by charter yacht can include it.

The harbour at Kalamos town has space for around 30 yachts. Boats moor stern or bows to, along the long east breakwater and the west quay. Port Leone is an anchorage at the south end. Episkopi is a tiny harbour on the north coast. Kastos is the smallest inhabited Ionian island, and its permanent residents do not exceed 50.

Paxos and Antipaxos lie far to the north. They are 35 miles north-north-west of Lefkas and seven miles south of Corfu. Lefkada sailing that reaches them needs a longer passage. Gaios is the main town of Paxos and the seat of its municipality. Antipaxos covers 5 square kilometres and lies about 3 kilometres south of Paxos.

Antipaxos has two of the finest sand beaches in the Ionian Sea. Back on Kefalonia, the east coast has sheltered harbours at Fiskardo, Ayia Eufimia, Sami and Poros. On a map, the routes split into three. Kefalonia and Ithaca fit a day trip. Kalamos and Kastos fit a charter week. Paxos and Antipaxos ask for the longest passage north.

Each island on these routes plays its own part. Ithaca brings the Odysseus story. Fiskardo brings a quay beside a long bay. Kalamos and Kastos bring quiet overnight berths. Paxos and Antipaxos bring the far north. You choose how far to go.

Which rules and dates apply before you book Lefkada sailing?

Lefkada sailing runs from early April to the end of October in the Ionian Sea. July and August are high season. A bareboat charter needs a skipper with a recognised licence, and a hired skipper removes that need. Weather can still change the route on the day.

The sailing season in the Ionian Sea runs from early April to the end of October. That window covers charters and day cruises alike. Before you pick a date, choose between the quiet edges of the season and the full summer. Each choice changes how busy the sea feels. Lefkada sailing has room for both.

Experienced charterers rate June and September as the calmest months to sail. In those months the bays are not yet crowded, or no longer crowded. Late spring and early autumn therefore suit travellers who dislike queues. Booking Lefkada sailing in those weeks means quieter anchorages and a slower pace on the water.

July and August are high season in the Ionian. Harbours are at their busiest in those two months. The fleet is also at its largest, so the choice of boats for a charter week is widest. If you travel then, fix your dates early and book before you leave home.

Weather can change a plan. On the Nydri island cruise with a swim stop, the itinerary can change because of weather conditions. So the route on the day can differ from the route in the booking. Read the weather note in your booking, because the route is not a fixed promise.

Rules for a bareboat charter are strict. A bareboat is a yacht without a hired captain, so you act as the skipper. You carry the duty for your crew and your yacht. Harbour authorities and the port police ask for at least one International Certificate of Competence. Lefkada sailing on a bareboat starts with a licence check at home.

Other papers also count. Acceptable certificates include the International Certificate of Competence and the RYA Day Skipper level or higher. Ask the charter base which paper it accepts before you pay a deposit. Get the answer in writing, so nothing is unclear when you arrive on the island.

No licence does not end the plan. On a skippered charter, a licensed captain comes with the boat. The captain handles navigation, anchoring and the technical side of the trip. You can also hire a skipper in Greece if you hold no licence. Lefkada sailing with a skipper leaves your hands free for swimming.

Cancellation rules and access differ between trips. One full-day sailing cruise from Nydri lets you cancel free up to ten days ahead. The Nydri island-hopping cruise and the Lefkada beaches cruise from Nydri are not wheelchair accessible. Read the cancellation line and the access line of the exact trip you book.

Pack a short checklist before the day:

• The name of your hotel and your phone number, for the pickup
• Swimsuit and a towel
• Sun cream and a hat
• Drinking water
• A camera

Check your pickup time the evening before. One full-day cruise from Nydri harbour leaves at nine in the morning. It returns at about half past five in the evening. Lefkada sailing days on that cruise follow a fixed timetable. Both the departure and the return time are set in the booking.