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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Explore one of these glorious holiday destinations in your own sailing yacht.
FLOTILLA SAILING HOLIDAYS: Sail your own yacht with the added support of a lead boat crew.
LEARN TO SAIL HOLIDAYS: Start from scratch or brush up your skills.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Sail your yacht in any one of our glorious holiday destinations and explore at your own pace.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
- PLAN YOUR TRIP
AIRPORT PARKING & HOTELS: Save up to 60% when you book airport parking & hotels in advance.
BOOKING CONDITIONS: Check our Booking Conditions.
CAR RENTAL: Rent a car instead of an airport transfer or if you add a week ashore.
CRUISING GUIDES: Start planning before you travel with a cruising guide or chart to your sailing destination.
PASSPORTS & VISAS: Check the passport & visa requirements of your sailing destination.
SAILING LOGS: Read our reports on sailing holidays we've been on.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Don't travel without adequate insurance. We offer single trip or Annual multi-trip travel insurance.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN: Read our handy hints on taking small children on a sailing holiday.
USEFUL LINKS: Check these websites for more information on your sailing destination.
WHAT'S ONBOARD: Standard inventory for all charter yachts.
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WHY BOOK WITH US: How do you benefit?
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Are you thinking of buying a new yacht and putting her with a charter fleet? Speak to us about the best deal for you. Nautilus Yachting has been arranging sailing holidays throughout the Mediterranean & Caribbean since 1992 so we are ideally qualified to advise you on yacht charter management. Find out more
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Yacht Charter in the Ionian
The Ionian on the west coast of Greece is ideal for a relaxed sailing holiday in Greece, so popular with families and less experienced crews.
Explore the beautiful Ionian islands and experience gentle afternoon breezes, warm seas and friendly harbour-front tavernas. This sailing area is ideal for couples and families with children seeking a relaxed sailing holiday.
The sheltered waters of the Ionian offer an unlimited number of tranquil bays and enchanting fishing harbours. Navigation is straightforward with no tides, currents or other hazards. There are good sailing breezes from late morning through the afternoon, but winds rarely exceed Force 5. Anchor in picturesque bays or moor up in bustling fishing harbours.
From Corfu you can sail south to the beautiful islands of Paxos and Anti-Paxos, visiting the attractive harbours of Mourtos and Parga on the mainland. From Lefkas explore the sheltered waters of the Southern Ionian and discover the charms of Meganissi, Ithaca and Cephalonia.
Sailing in the Ionian
The Ionian is very popular sailing destination for bareboat yacht charter. With two charter bases in the Ionian at Corfu and Lefkas, you have the choice of sailing in the Northern Ionian or Southern Ionian or, in 2-weeks, exploring both.
Seasoned sailors can plan a more ambitious sailing itinerary of these very picturesque islands from Corfu in the north to Zakynthos in the south.
DAY 1 : Embark at Gouvia Marina. A short sail south takes you to Corfu Town (5nm). Stroll round the historic town and enjoy dinner in one of the traditional tavernas.
DAY 2 : Plataria (18nm) is a fishing village on the mainland. Enjoy generous servings of fresh prawns and ice cold beer while watching the sun set over Corfu.
DAY 3: Sivota (24nm) is in a group of tiny islands scattered with sandy beaches. Spend the afternoon swimming, and later enjoy dinner in the lively village of Mourtos.
DAY 4: Lakka, Paxos (18nm) is a pretty harbour in a bay on the northern tip of Paxos surrounded by pine and olive groves.
DAY 5: Anti-Paxos (14nm) The waters of Emerald Bay truly live up to the name. Overnight at Mongonisi, a sheltered bay or Gaios, the main harbour on Paxos.
DAY 6: Petriti, Corfu (14nm) is a picturesque harbour on the south coast of Corfu island.
DAY 7: Return to Gouvia Marina (15nm).
DAY 1 : Embark at Lefkas Marina in the centre of Lefkas Town, a typical Greek town with its evening promenade, harbour-side restaurants and interesting shops.
DAY 2 : Sivota, Lefkas (16nm) is charming harbour on the south side of Lefkas.
DAY 3 : Fiskardo, Cephalonia (11nm). On the way you pass a choice of bays on Meganisi for a lunchtime anchorage. Fiskardo on the northern tip of Cephalonia is one of the prettiest waterfronts in the Ionian and offers a safe and picturesque harbour.
DAY 4 : Vathi, Ithaca (16nm). Ithaca is reputedly the island home of Odysseus and the east coast offers numerous bays and anchorages. Vathi has good shopping and numerous tavernas in the town.
DAY 5 : Port Kalamos (20nm). Walk up to the traditional village above the harbour for fresh bread in the morning and a stunning view.
DAY 6 : Spartohori, Meganissi (15nm) has a fabulous view from the town up the hill.
DAY 7 : Return to Lefkas (15nm). Stop for a last lunchtime swim off Skorpios, Onassis’ private island, or one of the bays on Meganissi.
For more information on the Ionian cruising area visit the very informative Ulysses Sailing website,the brainchild of one of our clients. Here you'll find details of harbours, beaches and bays from Corfu to Zakynthos.
Sailing conditions
Weather conditions in the Ionian are very favourable for relaxed sailing. There are good sailing breezes late morning through the afternoon, but winds rarely exceed Force 5. From May to October the wind is from the Northwest. It arrives around noon, blows Force 2-5 and subsides around sunset. The wind tends to be stronger at the start and end of the season. Experience level 1.
Yacht charter in Ionian - Corfu, Lefkas & Palairos
We offer 2 fleets based in the Ionian. Kiriacoulis run one of the largest fleets of bareboat charter yachts in the Mediterranean, and have yachts based at Gouvia Marina in Corfu and Lefkas Marina. These yachts can start and finish charters any day of the week, giving you total flexibility over your holiday dates. We also offer yachts from Odysseus Yachting Holidays who run a fleet of over 40 yachts from Corfu and Palairos. The service from this family-run company is professional and friendly.
Not all yacht models are available in every base. We can also offer yachts from other fleets in the Ionian so please ask.
Click on the yacht names below to view yacht layout & specification
2 cabin
Yachts from Corfu & Lefkas
3 cabin
Yachts from Corfu & Lefkas
4+ cabin
Yachts from Corfu & Lefkas
Catamarans
Yachts from Corfu & Lefkas
Yachts from Corfu & Palairos
Yachts from Corfu & Palairos
Yachts from Corfu & Palairos
Yachts from Corfu
Check availability of Kiriacoulis yachts in Corfu & Lefkas online
Yacht charter rates are shown WITHOUT flights giving you the flexibility to book your own flights.
If you want a flight-inclusive holiday Nautilus Yachting is a fully bonded ATOL tour operator and can book flights from the UK to fit your sailing holiday. Choose from a wide choice of airlines - we are not tied to any particular airline. All flight-inclusive holidays are fully bonded for your financial protection under our ATOL 3016. Airport transfers can also be pre-arranged.
FLIGHTS TO CORFU:
easyJet have flights from Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol to Corfu. Monarch have flights on Saturdays from Gatwick to Corfu. Thomson and Thomas Cook have flights from most UK airports on Mondays. Transfer time to Gouvia Marina 15 minutes.
FLIGHTS TO PREVEZA:
Thomson and Monarch have flights on Sundays from Gatwick and Manchester to Preveza. NEW FOR 2013: Monarch also have flights from Birmingham. Transfer time to Lefkas Marina 30 minutes and to Palairos 30 minutes.
To charter a yacht bareboat or on flotilla you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew.
At present you need an RYA Day Skipper qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for charters in Croatia, Montenegro, Mallorca, Tenerife and Malta.
The RYA ICC will be ever more required by overseas port authorities but if you have skipper experience it is easily obtained in a day from RYA sailing schools in the UK such as Hamilton Sailing or Brixham Sea School
Whether you are an experienced sailor or setting foot on a yacht for the first time, we can offer you a holiday afloat to suit you. We have given all the sailing areas a level with 'Experience Level 1' suitable for less experienced crews and 'Experience Level 3' for the experts.
This takes into account the wind strength, tidal range and currents, distances between stops and ease of mooring. Of course even experts may choose to sail in Level 1 areas as they still offer stunning scenery and great sailing.
Experience Level 1: Ionian
Generally light winds Force 2-4, line of sight navigation, shorter sailing distances under 20nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 1 week or 100nm as skipper
Experience Level 2: Saronic Gulf & Sporades
Stronger winds up to Force 3-5 with some longer passages up to 30nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 2 weeks or 200nm as skipper
Experience Level 3: Aegean & Dodecanese
Stronger winds up to Force 4-7 which can lead to bigger seas on long passages between the islands. You will be Coastal Skipper standard with experience to a higher level having sailed at least 4 weeks or 400nm as skipper
The Diapondia Islands - which translates to the 'Faraway Islands' - are a group of 3 tiny islands off the northwest coast of Corfu. The islands of Othoni, Ericousa and Mathraki are all totally off the tourist map and have beautiful sandy beaches and crystal clear water. Mathraki is a beautiful island with a small port and a long sandy beach at Portello on the north-east of the island.
The island of Kefalonia in the Ionian is a firm favourite. The harbour at Fiskardo delights with its candy-coloured, 18th-century Venetian buildings that have been made into smart restaurants and shops. The romantic epic, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was filmed on the island, mostly at Sami and on Myrtos Beach. Hire a car and explore inland - the Drogarati Caves and Melissani Lake are worth the trip.
Was Ithaca the home of legendary Odysseus? Was it here he returned after 10 years to see off his rivals for his wife Penelope? An 8th BC century palace which Greek archaeologists claim was the home of Odysseus was discovered in Ithaca in 2010, fuelling theories that the hero of Homer's epic poem was real. Whatever the truth, it adds interest to visiting this beautiful island.
"First rate service.Great information package. Could not fault the process. Flotilla staff were friendly without being intrusive.The briefings were clear and concise & I was particularly impressed by the training/advice sessions held by the skipper. The holiday was perfect, I can't think of any way to improve it."
Skiathos flotilla 2011 - R.D-B.
