Yacht charters in the Ionian
The Ionian Sea in the west of Greece has a totally different climate than the Aegean Sea near and east of Athens.Whereas the Aegean is affected - predominantly in a bad way - by the Meltemi winds, the Ionian is affected - usually in a positive way - by the gentler Maistro winds. Moreover it is green, lush and fertile and provides easy sailing that is especially suitable for family yacht charters and flotillas. In fact it is by far the best flotilla sailing area in Greece (second being the Saronic and Argolic Gulfs near Athens and Poros). Because of these special circumstances the Ionian is very popular and therefore in the main season (August) very crowded and if you prefer to avoid the crowds it is much better to escape for instance to the Dodecanese, which offers other advantages as well but can be more windy and is generally less fertile. The main advantage over the Ionian is that the Dodecanese is filled to the brim with archaeological sites and ancient structures. Furthermore it encompasses great natural beauty in the form of rugged coastlines, volcanoes, secluded anchorages and 800 metres high vertical cliffs.
Most yacht charters in the Ionian start either out of Corfu or out of Lefkas (the southern option), unfortunately there are no reliable bases on Kefalonia or Zakynthos, the largest island in the south.
South-east of Lefkas is a mini cruise area totally surrounded by beautiful islets and the shores of mainland Greece; it is called “the inland sea” and is really tranquil. Best to visit these wonderful shores outside the main charters season and preferably in June or in September.
