Dates: 09/16/2020 - 08/28/2020.
Price: USD 1780.
Travel at your own speed between the Ionian islands. With their superb beaches, excellent marinas and safe harbours, sailing enthusiasts will have the experience of a lifetime.
‘A different world, another Greece.’ That’s how some have described the Ionian Sea and its islands. It is the ideal sailing destination. And truly, as your boat sails out of the Gulf of Patras, a whole new world opens up. These islands which parallel the west side of the mainland have a completely different flavour to those in the Aegean. The Greeks call them the ‘Seven Islands’, but there are many more of these emerald gems.
Only by a small cruise boat or a yacht can you enjoy the uniqueness of Greece, visit its every corner and its myriad islands. Enjoy its sun, its sea, swim in its transparent waters and when you leave you will want to come back and deepen your acquaintance with the country where it all began.
Day 1. Corfu - Gouvia Marina
Gouvia Marina, the first privately owned marina in Greece, is situated about 6 kilometres from the town of Corfu and 7 kilometres from the International Airport. For many years seamen considered the harbour and the bay of Gouvia as a natural link between the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea as well as a port of call, where they could sail in, to repose, enjoying the climate and the beauties of the island. In the 17th century Venetian seamen selected the area of Gouvia as an ideal location for creating a naval station and shipyards, remains of which have survived in the region. This tradition has been maintained until today while sailing yachts and motor boats from all over the world arrive at Gouvia Marina, enjoying the beauties of the sea and the environment, the cool breeze and the beautiful island of Corfu.
Day 2. Bay of Lakka.
Bay of Lakka Paxos sailing is an open-water affair, taking you past the southern end of Corfu into the heart of the north Ionian Sea. Off the bow are Paxos and Anti Paxos islands, two jewels that most cruising sailors don’t want to miss. Sparsely populated and fertile, the islands are known for their remote and quiet ambience. The interior of Anti Paxos is covered in vineyards and olive groves, and there are paths that take you past the lush greenery interspersed with flocks of sheep, bleating contentedly in the warm sun. The anchorages are snug and the beaches are beautiful, making sailing in the Bay of Lakka Paxos divine.
Day 3. Ithaca
Ithaca is best known as the home of Odysseus (Ulysses), hero of the Trojan War and Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey. You can just picture the beautiful Penelope, wife of King Odysseus, waiting patiently (seemingly forever as one decade passes and another begins) for her wayward husband to return from his overly long adventure. Ithaca sailing is certainly a blending of the historic with the modern, as you venture into the waters of this famous Greek isle, its high hills covered in vineyards, pines, olive groves, and stands of cypress. In contrast to most of the other Ionian Islands, Ithaca is the least developed. Its west shore is rugged and mostly barren, overlooking a channel about three nautical miles wide that separates it from the much larger island of Kefalonia. Ithaca’s three main ports – Frikes, Kioni, and Vathy – are very beautiful and quiet towns on the island’s fertile east coast, offering a pleasant, laid-back ambience where you can walk the narrow streets, browse in the shops, and enjoy the scenery from a waterfront taverna. Sailing in Ithaca waters is delightful, a real pleasure in the southern Ionian Islands.
Day 4. Kefalonia
Cruising in waters is a marvelous experience. As you proceed down Ithaca Channel, with Ithaca close off the port beam, the mountains soaring from the interior of Kefalonia block out the west, towering more than one statute mile high at Mt. Ainos (elevation 5,308 feet). At 546 square miles in area, Kefalonia is the largest of the seven main Ionian Islands, with approximately 365 villages and towns sprinkled like jewels along the coast and inland. In 1953, a massive earthquake struck the area, destroying many of Kefalonia’s historic buildings, but some survived. The picturesque village of Fiscardo, a beautiful harbour at the northeast tip of the island, escaped most of the damage. Tavernas, nightclubs, boutiques, museums, fortresses, monasteries, beaches, hiking trails, and many other attractions await you. Kefalonia sailing is varied and exciting.
Day 5. Lefkas
In 600 B.C., the present-day island of Lefkas was part of mainland Greece, although only tenuously through a narrow isthmus of sand to the north. Seeing the strategic advantage of a channel leading from the Ionian Sea to the protected waters east of Lefkas, the Corinthians dug a canal. The channel still exists (it’s dredged regularly), and it has helped make sailing in Lefkas waters far more convenient for cruising sailors. Much of the west coast of Lefkas is rugged and wild, with high white cliffs and magnificent beaches. In fact, the word Lefkas means white, and the snowy coloured rocks are much in evidence as you sail the western shores. The east coast is where the cruising ground really comes into its own, with numerous secluded coves, good beaches, quaint harbours, resort Meccas like Nidri, and beautiful outer islands such as Meganisi, which lies off the southeast coast of Lefkas and is itself a prime yachting destination. Lefkas sailing is a highlight of a cruise in the Ionian Islands.
Day 6. Parga
Parga sailing brings you to the coast of mainland Greece, with its splendid beaches, eclectic shops, and wide variety of restaurants.
Day 7. Corfu
The northernmost of the Ionian Islands and the westernmost point in Greece, Corfu is situated about one nautical mile off the Albanian coast. The island’s north shore is rugged and high, with steep limestone hills dominating the skyline. From seaward, it’s an impressive sight. The west coast is wild, fully exposed to the northwest winds, and there are few harbours. To the south, the land tends to flatten and on the east coast are hospitable towns, snug coves, and beautiful beaches. Cruising in Corfu waters is a delight, especially since it’s the gateway to the Ionian Islands and one of the prettiest cruising grounds on Earth.
Accomodation :
Lagoon 450: SEEING BIGGER
The VPLP architects, in partnership with Lagoon and the celebrated Nauta Design studio, have been brilliantly successful in creating the 450.
– in terms of accommodation
– deck areas
– facilities
– performance
Transportation Terms and Conditions :
7 days of impressions and life sailing on a yacht – immersion into sailing livestyle.
- professional skipper services
- professional photo and videography during the trip
- final cleaning of the yacht
- bed linen, towels
- Outboard motor for boat
- food on yacht
- limited bar on yacht
- Food and limited bar on yacht are included
- diesel, marine charges and marine park permits are included
The program is preliminary and can vary depending on the weather conditions or the wishes of the crew.
- You need to get in and out of the boat.
- Dates of the trip are tentative at the moment and will be confirmed shortly.
- Please contact Navigator Travel before buying air tickets.
