Ionian Islands Sailing Itinerary from Lefkada: A 7-Day Cruise to Meganisi, Ithaca, Kefalonia and Kastos

The route departs from Lefkada Marina, a well-equipped sailing base connected to the mainland by a retractable bridge, and follows a circular circuit south and east through the central Ionian archipelago before returning north along the protected eastern coastline of the island. The entire route stays within a compact area of the southern Ionian, with inter-island distances short enough to leave most of each day free for swimming, eating and exploring ashore.

In summer, navigation here is often shaped by the Maistros, a northwesterly thermal wind that typically builds through the late morning and peaks in the afternoon before easing toward evening. This pattern often gives the day a natural sailing window, although wind and sea conditions vary with the season and the day. The abundance of sheltered anchorages on the eastern, lee sides of the islands adds a further layer of protection throughout the week.

The islands along the route carry distinct identities despite their proximity. Meganisi is green and quiet, with olive groves and pine forest descending to a handful of clear bays. Ithaca has a deeply indented coastline of narrow fjord-like harbors and wooded ridges, with a pace of life largely untouched by mass tourism. Kefalonia offers its widest and most varied landscape, particularly along the northern coast, with limestone cliffs, turquoise water and the village of Fiskardo, one of the few settlements in Kefalonia to survive the 1953 earthquake largely intact.

Kastos, one of the smallest inhabited islands in the archipelago, rounds out the circuit with a harbor-side village of whitewashed houses and fishing boats, almost no motor traffic and a quiet rhythm that has remained largely unchanged for decades. The return leg north along the eastern coast of Lefkada passes through some of the calmest and most scenic water of the entire week, including the sheltered inlet of Desimi Bay and the waters around Skorpios, the private island that once belonged to Aristotle Onassis.

Days follow a natural pattern shaped by the wind, a morning departure from the previous night's anchorage, a swim stop at sea or in a cove along the way in the warmer months, arrival at the day's destination in the early afternoon, and an evening ashore in a waterfront village or on deck in a quiet bay, depending on the stop and the mood of the group.