Ionian Greece

Corfu, is an island off the north western coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea. It is the northernmost island and the second largest in the archipelago. Corfu is known for its white beaches and crystal clear sea, as well as for its unspoiled nature, characteristics that make it one of the favourite destinations for lovers of beach holidays. The island is an excellent starting point for yacht holidays to discover the smaller islands. Its natural beauty is characterised by jagged mountains and seaside resorts along the coast, and is famous for the nightlife that attracts many funloving young people in the summer.
Its cultural heritage reflects the years spent under the Venetian, French and English governments, before the island became part of Greece in 1864. The town of Corfu, enclosed between two hills, is an elegant and spectacular capital. The city is quite large and is characterised by cobbled alleys, stone steps, ancient houses, Byzantine and Venetian churches in picturesque squares. The historic centre, flanked by two imposing Venetian fortresses, is characterised by winding medieval streets, a French-style arcade and the San Michele and San Giorgio Palaces. The island of Corfu has one of the most active nightlives, so if you are looking for the real action, the best place is Ipsos: the small town north of the island, which is full of clubs, restaurants and discos where you can have fun all night long.

Paxos also known as Paxi, the smallest, most intimate and delicate of the Ionian Islands of Greece, is located beside the treasured coast of Epirus, next to Corfu and one hour of navigation from the beautiful and colourful town of Parga.
Paxi is a place to enjoy a magnificent atmosphere and one of the most surprising and brilliant coloured sea areas in all of Greece. Nature has been kind to Paxi with its snow-white pebbled beaches appearing as if they were stolen from a travel magazine and the varying shades of water. Despite almost completely lacking in sandy beaches, Paxos is definitely one of our favourites when it comes to the best Greek islands when it comes to visiting by sea. The beauty of Paxos, is that it has managed to remain a quiet and peaceful place all year round. The busier summer leaves room, out of season, for a life of idleness and country living; incredibly the inhabitants have managed not to sell their souls to the god of concrete. The result is a mix of responsible, sophisticated tourism and many regulars who have fallen deeply in love with the island. The absolute protagonist is the olive trees which surround the few villages in the hinterland. With an estimated 250 thousand trees means the production of olives and oil in winter are the main activity of the islanders. Its taste is strong and clean, and not buying a bottle to take home would be a crime. There is also the press museum, on the road between Lakka and Gaios.

Paxos and Antipaxi are two islands so alike, yet so different! What each lacks, the other makes up for. Paxos has no sandy beaches, so Antipaxos has them, and like no others! Vrika and Voutoumi are perhaps two of the most beautiful Caribbean style beaches in all of Greece.
Streets, mopeds, people and shops, Paxi has enough. Antipaxos however shuns humanity, it just wants the elements. Antipaxos (or Antipaxi) looks like a planet that has sprung up from afar, a small miniature world where reality grabs the imagination and surpasses it. Antipaxos shapes the reality of the Ionian islands into a dreamlike quality. Antipaxos is simply beautiful. Unlike the others and in some ways not even a Greek island, it is a strip of land and beach thrown randomly towards the sea. Antipaxos whose name for those who study Greek, illustrates it right away, is the southern appendix of Paxos. In front lies only the coast of Epirus, that can be reached by disembarking in Igoumenitsa from one of the many ferries to Greece. Behind her, the infinite and distant sea, Otranto and the coast of Salento. In Antipaxos there are three beaches: Vrika, Voutoumi and Mesovrika. From there are paths that go up to the ridge, ideal for a shady walk when the sun gets too hot or simply to admire the view.

Lefkas, or Lefkada, fourth in size among the Ionian Islands, there’s nothing quite like it.
Geographically part of the mainland, it was artificially united with the Greek mainland in the seventh century BC by the Corinthians. Today it is a mobile bridge that regulates access to the island, and opens only occasionally for the passage of small boats that sail calmly along the Greek coast on the route to Kefalonia. We recommend trying to arrive at the first sign of sunset, when the lagoon always sweet and placid, becomes incandescent with a thousand colours and flamingos.
There is all the beauty of Lefkada in the scenic and theatrical entrance to the city: a gentle town, with one or two storey houses and where the light makes you feel comfortable and immediately at home.
We recommend you organise your time to explore not only the coast with its dream beaches, but also the green hinterland and picturesque mountain villages, where lentils are still grown.
Not to be missed is the lighthouse at Cape Lefkas, the farthest point and one of the most mysterious places on the island! According to Greek mythology, the poet Sappho threw herself from these cliffs because of the pain from her rejected love for the young Phaon. These white cliffs overlooking the sea give the island its name (lefkos = white) and are even more spectacular when admired from the lighthouse, built on the ruins of the temple dedicated to the god Apollo.

Meganisi, or Меganissi, is one of the most wellknown Greek islands. It is located near the south-east coast of Lefkada. Most tourists visit the island on a day trip, so if you stay in the harbour with your charter yacht you will see that the island empties of visitors in the evening and you can enjoy the charm of a quiet and peaceful Meganisi.
Meganisi is like а small соpy of Itacа: hills, rose coloured beaches and quiet villages. Even one of the three villages on the island bears the same name as Itаca’s capital Varthy. The north part of the island is very jagged, with small bays and rocky coves, where all the main villages of the island are located: Spartοchori, Vathy and Katomeri. In the South is an unpopulated peninsular where, at the southern part is the Papanikolis Cave – a destination not to be missed especially for snorkelers, but it can also be accessed by tender. All the beaches on the island are pebbly, which gives the water its transparency, and owing to the lack of fine sand makes the island less popular for tourists. The most beautiful beaches of Meganisi are: Spilia, Fanаri, Mеgalο Limonаri, Мikrо Limοnari and Agios Iоannis. Agios Iоannis is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and looks towards Lеfkadа and the island of Thilia.

Kаlаmоs is a mountain island and has only two villages on the coast: Каlаmοs, the capital, and Episкоpi. Kаlаmоs is situated on the East coast and around the small, safe harbour with its little esplanade, it is possible to find restaurants, саfès and shops. Most of the beaches on the island are close to Kаlаmоs: Milоs on the south and Мyrtiа on the north. All the beaches have white pebble stones and crystal clear blue water, so if you are looking for sandy beaches, you will not find them here! The village of Episкοpi on the north-western coast is only a small harbour with a cute restaurant on the beach and a group of houses. Nearby you can visit the remains of a Venetian castle, which is very well preserved.
Kastos, on the other hand, is a small and little known island, populated with small isolated beaches, perfect for those who prefer calm and silence. Kаstоs has a tiny harbour consisting of private houses, taverns with a view, two bаrs and a small shop to purchase the bare essentials.

The island of Atokos is enchanting. The island is small and uninhabited with beautiful white pebble beaches. Immersed in the green of the trees, you can see a church, an old well and an isolated house, there is no room for anything else! The mountain, covered by an inaccessible green forest, rises to the peak, where only a few goats venture to go.
The island is surrounded by a beautiful blue seabed, with darker patches now and then. In the early afternoon it is very busy, but just wait a bit, and the boats of seven-islands-in-seven-days, will leave the enchantment to the lucky few and the occasional goat, who will remain almost alone from lunchtime until the next day. We suggest you sleep at anchor with your charter yacht or your catamaran to enjoy the beauty and silence of Atokos. The wind is never too strong and is channelled into the valley keeping the bay pleasantly ventilated. You will be sure to want to stay more than one night.

Everyone has heard about it, but who has really been there? Could the small and quiet Ithaca ever free her name from that of Ulysses? It doesn’t matter. The island of the ‘longed for return’, is today a beautiful and peaceful place, surrounded by olive and cypress trees, with enough tourism to sustain itself without completely selling its soul.
The beaches have no sand, but the water is simply perfect. The delicate Vathy, the capital, is one of the most charming ports of the Greek islands, and its bay an undisputed spectacle. Much of the southern part of Ithaca is uninhabited with a small strip of land dividing the island in two,the islanders have chosen the southern part to create their basis for everyday life. Vathy is the classic paradise for those who dream of a warm Mediterranean, small sea port and a quiet life.

Ask anyone about Kefalonia and Captain Corelli, and they will tell you about the saga which inspired a book and film full of emotion and enchanting landscapes.
Kefalonia is majestic, jagged and a strategic starting point for visiting nearby Ithaca, or a quick escape to Zakynthos to see the famous beach with the shipwreck. What strikes you in Kefalonia is the sensation of the sea, and not just the beaches with their white and golden sand, diving and umbrellas. In Kefalonia, the presence of the sea penetrates the thoughts and remains in the head all day.
There are at least 46 beaches in Kefalonia, just counting the most famous. They are unique, so each one is to be experienced in its own way but share the ochre colours of the Cyclades. There are so many that if you wanted to visit one a day, a month would not be enough. There are cliffs and sand at Trapezaki and Antisamos, and kilometre-long equipped beaches such as Skala and Lourdata, or crystal green coves such as Emblissi and Kimilia… Then there is Myrtos Beach which is the most beautiful of all the Kefalonia beaches. Never forget that Greece is the land of the gods; in Kefalonia they have transferred their divine powers to the beaches.

Zakynthos is monocentric, with a beautiful town, which is reflected on its waterfront. Its life flows calmly between the arrival of one ship and another, between an ice cream and a commission, between a double-row parking and two steps under the arcades. Tastefully rebuilt after an earthquake, it is concentrated along two parallel streets and the pier.
Few islands in Greece have been gifted as many, fantastic, unique beaches by nature as Zakynthos. We do not even feel the need to catalogue them, as you will discover that in Zakynthos there is more than the arguably most famous wreck beach. Gerakas is the turtle beach, which everyone is talking about, and the whole southern region is a water park, with opportunities to see turtles in other more protected bays. There are miles and miles of fine sand where you can do everything from scuba diving in Agios Nikolaos to dancing to the new summer hits in Banana Beach. Shiza Oil Beach is on Zakynthos can only be reached from the sea and you can look for multi-coloured pebbles in Marathia or gaze at the clearest waters in the world from the bar perched on the rocks of Limnionas. Some of the beaches of Zakynthos are even sulphurous: this is the case of the incredible Xigia, where you may see the daredevils dive from dizzy heights.