Sailing Ionian Islands, Greece

Located at the western side of mainland Greece and stretching all the way from Corfu in the north to Zante in the south, the Ionian Sea is one of our favorite cruising areas while sailing Greece, so we’ll try to describe the islands for you here, although it’s difficult to put in words their real beauty!

One thing that makes the western side of Greece different is the lush vegetation, which consists mostly of olive groves, vineyards, a variety of fruit trees but also pine and cyprus forests. And all that, thanks to the high rainfall that this area receives in the winter, between November and March.

With the exception of the two bigger and more touristy islands (Corfu and Zante), the rest are off the beaten track and the best way to visit them is by yacht, as they don’t even have ports or airports. The locals who are mostly fishermen and farmers are very laid back and friendly, so we are not surprised when we often hear our guests mention that during their evening walk they were invited by an old lady to her garden for a cup of coffee!

The history of these islands goes back a few thousand years, so there are a few archaeological sites in the area, although they are not as big and important as the ones you would find on the Greek mainland. Rather than big and impressive temples, archaeologists in this area have discovered mostly objects and smaller buildings. An island well known for its ancient history is Ithaca (the island of Homer’s Odysseus), where you can visit the small museum with all the findings from the excavations, but also the remains of the palace. Ancient Olympia (the birth place of the Olympic Games) is also in the Ionian Sea, situated on the west coast of the Peloponnese (the southern part of the Greek mainland).

It is very famous worldwide and one of the most impressive archaeological sites to visit when sailing Greece, but as it is at the southern Ionian (on the latitude of Zante) you would need a two week cruise in order to visit it, or a one week cruise where you should be prepared to spend longer days at sea.