The Ionian Islands offer you excellent sailing circumstances with reasonable winds that are fantastic for sailing holiday seasons with the household. There are a multitude of cruising grounds for you to decide on from. A yacht charter in the Greek Ionian Sea is quite reasonably priced. The society and cuisine are gorgeous and there is a vast variety of historic sights and issues to do. The landscape is a lot greener and lusher then in the other archipelagos in Greece and the location lies outdoors the attain of the strong Meltemi winds that happen even more to the East. So permit us notify you a bit much more about this charterer´s paradise in detail.
Why is a yacht charter in the Ionian Sea so popular?
The Ionian Sea consists of the 7 major islands of Corfu, Paxos, Lefkas, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Kythira as well as numerous scaled-down islands. The 6 northern types are found just off the west coastline of Greece and Kythira is off the southern tip of the Peloponnese. Though it is listed as one particular of the Ionian islands it forms element of the area of Attica. The Ionian Sea is bordered by southern Italy and Sicily, southern Albania and the west coast of Greece. There are a number of ferry connections to the Greek and Italian mainland as effectively as among the islands. Yet, they are very very easily accessible by aircraft and you can fly to the international airports of Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos or to Preveza on the mainland.
The historic region of the Ionian Islands is immensely well-known with yacht charterers as effectively as large cruise liners thanks to their all-natural splendor and attraction. Yet, they are also greener and a lot more fertile than the other Greek islands to the East or even the adjacent mainland. Another gain are the primarily average winds that are ideally suited for yacht constitution holiday seasons with the family. The infrastructure for sailors on the islands in the Ionian Sea is great even however the area is nevertheless quite unspoilt. You locate the common authentic Greek tavern with the superb Greek foods, quaint harbours, amazing historic sites and easy sailing circumstances. On leading of it, bareboat charter in Greece is a lot less high priced than in other locations in the western Mediterranean. All this provides up to a great cruising knowledge.
Some related information for an Ionian bareboat constitution:
Place: Element of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea
Primary Islands: Corfu, Paxos, Lefkas, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Kythira
Main airports: Corfu, Preveza, Kefalonia, Zakynthos
Place code: +thirty
Climate: Mild, Mediterranean
Which principal charter locations are there in the Ionian?
There are plenty of itineraries and islands to discover on a sailboat constitution in the Ionian. If you fly to Corfu, the resort city and harbour of Gouvia constitutes a very good charter base from which to go south and discover the other islands. It is positioned six km from Corfu town and seven km from the airport and can host up to one,235 yachts with a duration of up to eighty m. It attributes a lot of companies and stores and is typically referred to as a all-natural url from the Adriatic to the Mediterranean Sea.
From Corfu it is only about 8 NM to beautiful Paxos. Right on the northern suggestion there is the wonderful protected bay and town of Lakka with really very good eating places and outlets. The principal port of the island is Gaios on the east coastline. Snorkelling tour cabo is a ideal normal harbour thanks to the islet just off the shore that generates a slim and very secured channel with excellent mooring problems. The beautiful minor town has eating places, taverns and charming souvenir stores to supply.
Due south of Paxos is the little island of Antipaxos which is ideal for enjoying calm Greek island bliss. For occasion, anchor and chill at Voutoumi seaside with its turquoise water and white sand and uncover a laidback tavern in which you can consume some great Greek food with your ft in the sand. Sail about 25 NM to the South-East and you reach Preveza, one more major charter base.
Preveza marina in Preveza town has a quite great selection of companies and five hundred moorings for boats up to twenty m. Greater boats can use Cleopatra Marina around Preveza and just 1.five miles from the town´s airport `Aktion`, also referred to as Lefkada Airport. It provides one hundred berths for yachts up to 30 m.
For a street significantly less travelled explore the lovely estuary of the Ambracian Gulf, owing east of Preveza. It is a gorgeous mother nature reserve with lagoons, marshlands and a good deal of unique wildlife. You can locate very good anchorages and there are two minor ports named Menidion and Votsina.
Head only about 6 NM south from Preveza and you reach the northernmost beach locations of Lefkas. This island has lots of coves and beach locations for you to discover. On the north-east shore you find the town as properly as marina of Lefkas, or Lefkada as it is named too. There is a fifty m prolonged bridge connecting Lefkas with the mainland, hence producing it very easily reachable from the airport. Lefkas Marina has 620 moorings for yachts up to 45 m duration and a extremely great provide of nautical services. It is one particular of the most contemporary and superb marinas in Greece and there are supermarkets, cafés, dining establishments, a swimming pool and considerably a lot more.
From Lefkas you have a large decision of sailing territories in the form of a lot of smaller sized islands inside of get to as effectively as the major ones. To title just the massive islands, there are Kefalonia and Ithaca, for occasion, each just within a six NM attain of the southernmost suggestion of Lefkas.
Ithaca is the smaller sized a single of equally and has lovely bays to anchor in. The quite protected harbour city Vathi is a well-known vacation spot and the Odysseas Marina delivers seventy two berths for boats up to 20 m as effectively as several providers.
Kefalonia with its capital Argostoli has numerous sandy coves and rugged limestone cliffs. For instance, head to extraordinary Myrtos beach front on the north aspect with spectacular white sand and aquamarine h2o that is set amongst two mountains. There is a cave you can check out as nicely.
You encounter just as breathtakingly lovely beach locations in Zakynthos, or Zante, that lies only approx. ten NM south of Kefalonia. The so-referred to as Shipwreck Beach front on the north-east side has crystal-clear drinking water, a shining white pebble beach front and is surrounded by dramatically large growing cliffs. Zakynthos city is big and offers a lot of sights and factors to do plus the global airport is near-by, generating it easy to end or start off your sailing or motor yacht hire in the Ionian Islands there.
What are the prevailing weather techniques for sailing in the Ionian?
A north-westerly sea breeze, the Maestral, moderates temperatures from afternoon till sunset. The spot of the Ionian does not have really powerful winds which is why it is great for family sailing holiday seasons. Summers are lengthy, sizzling and dry. July and August have an typical of 12 several hours of sunshine for each day. There are no significant tides.