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The Ionian week is the easiest charter in Greece. From Corfu Town to the south end of Antipaxos is 38 nautical miles in a straight line. The full 7-day loop covers 110 to 130 nautical miles depending on how often you anchor versus how often you cross to the mainland. Charter rates in the Ionian run roughly 10 to 15 percent below comparable boats in the Cyclades, fuel burn is lower because legs are short, and the meltemi that defines a July week in Mykonos does not reach this coast.
The trade is that the Ionian gets oversold as a Caribbean-style snorkelling week and it is not that. The water clarity in Antipaxos is real. The number of yachts anchored in Voutoumi Bay on a Saturday in August is also real. This post is the honest version of the 7-day route, what each day actually delivers, what brokers consistently oversell, and the two anchorages that have become unusable on weekends.
What the Ionian is and is not
The Ionian Sea sits west of mainland Greece. The charter cruising ground for a 7-day week runs from Corfu in the north to roughly Lefkas in the south, with Paxos, Antipaxos, the mainland coast at Parga and Sivota, and the small archipelago around Meganisi as the stopping points. Most weeks stop at the south of Antipaxos and turn back; running south to Lefkas and Ithaca needs nine to ten days at a relaxed pace.
The wind here is the maistro, a thermal north-westerly that fills from late morning and dies at sunset. It rarely tops 20 knots in July and August. Sailing yachts can run downwind south and motor back north, or the reverse. The waters are calm enough that motor yachts under 30m can charter here with no rough-sea allowance built into the schedule.
What the Ionian is not: a destination for guests who want a different town every day with restaurants, bars, and a scene. Corfu Town delivers. Gaios on Paxos delivers at a smaller scale. After that the stops are anchorages with one or two tavernas, not towns. Clients who chose Corfu because they wanted Mykonos-with-better-water leave disappointed. Match the charter to the client.
The verified 7-day route from Corfu
Distances below are anchor-to-anchor, not marina-to-marina. Times assume a 12-knot motor yacht cruising speed. Sailing yachts running the same route under sail will be slower and should plan an extra hour on each long leg.
| Day | Route | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat | Embark Gouvia or Corfu Old Port. Run south to Sivota Mourtos | 18 nm | Easy first day, no open water |
| Sun | Sivota to Paxos (Lakka or Gaios) | 22 nm | Crossing in morning, anchor by lunch |
| Mon | Paxos day, overnight in Lakka | 0 to 8 nm | Move only if Lakka or Gaios is full |
| Tue | Paxos to Antipaxos (Voutoumi or Vrika) | 6 nm | Day in Antipaxos, return Paxos overnight |
| Wed | Paxos to Parga (mainland) | 12 nm | Town and beach day |
| Thu | Parga to Sivota Mourtos | 14 nm | Reposition north |
| Fri | Sivota to Corfu, overnight at Garitsa Bay or Kassiopi | 18 nm | Final town night |
| Sat | Disembark Corfu | 0 nm | Standard 10:00 disembarkation |
Total: 90 to 100 nautical miles. Add 20 to 30 nm if the charter runs further south to Lefkas or out to Erikousa.
The day-by-day truth
Day 1, Corfu to Sivota Mourtos. Sivota Mourtos is on the mainland coast 18 nautical miles south of Corfu Town. The bay is protected, the holding is good in 5 to 10 metres of sand, and the village ashore has six tavernas. This is the correct first night for a charter week. Brokers who route Day 1 to Paxos add an hour to embarkation logistics and arrive at Lakka or Gaios after the moorings are taken.
Day 2, Sivota to Paxos. The crossing is 22 nautical miles of open water, the only crossing on the week where weather matters. Sail or motor in the morning before the wind fills. Anchor in Lakka at the north end of Paxos. Lakka holds 30 to 40 yachts comfortably, more in season at the cost of swing room. Gaios, the main town, is on the east side of the island and is best entered after 14:00 once day-trip ferries have left.
Day 3, Paxos. This is the day to stay on Paxos. Lakka in the morning, lunch ashore at one of two tavernas on the bay, Gaios in the afternoon for the town. Brokers who add a same-day Paxos to Antipaxos to Parga triangle on Day 3 are billing the speed, not the experience. Slow down.
Day 4, Paxos to Antipaxos and back. Voutoumi and Vrika are the two named beaches on the north end of Antipaxos. Both are reachable as a day trip from Paxos by tender or by repositioning the yacht. On weekdays in June or September the anchorages are excellent. On Saturdays in July and August Voutoumi has more than 50 yachts in 200 metres of bay and the holding becomes a question. We routinely advise clients to take Antipaxos on a Tuesday or Wednesday, never a Saturday. If your charter starts Saturday-to-Saturday and you are forced into a weekend day at Antipaxos, anchor at the south end at Mesovrika rather than the photographed north end.
Day 5, Paxos to Parga. Parga is a small mainland town with a Venetian castle, a pebble beach, and 15 to 20 restaurants. The anchorage off the town beach is deep, often crowded, and exposed to anything from the south. The cleaner option is to anchor at Lichnos Bay two kilometres south of Parga and tender in. Captain's call. If the forecast is north or east, anchor off the town. If it is anything south, Lichnos.
Day 6, Parga to Sivota. A 14 nautical mile reposition north. Sivota delivers a second town night with restaurants ashore, an easier evening than the at-anchor stops on Paxos. The bay holds 60-plus yachts in peak August and the holding is patchy in places. Drop the anchor with care.
Day 7, Sivota to Corfu. Final night in Corfu. Garitsa Bay just south of the Old Fortress is the conventional anchorage. Kassiopi, on the north-east tip of Corfu, is the alternative for a quieter evening with a small town ashore. Kassiopi adds 25 nautical miles to the next morning's disembarkation and only works if the charter is dropping at Gouvia or the airport rather than the Old Port.
What brokers oversell
Two specific days. The first is Antipaxos. The bay is small, the photographs are accurate, and the holding is sand over rock in patches. Brokers sell Antipaxos as a snorkelling stop and a swim morning. On a Tuesday in June it is exactly that. On a Saturday in August it is a parking lot with 50 yachts and a tender traffic problem. Ask for the day-of-week the captain plans to run Antipaxos. If it is a weekend, push back.
The second is Sivota Mourtos versus Sivota on Lefkas. Two different villages 50 nautical miles apart. Both called Sivota. Sivota Mourtos is the mainland village 18 nautical miles south of Corfu. Sivota on the south of Lefkas is 70-plus nautical miles south of Corfu and is part of a different cruising loop. Brokers who write "Sivota" on a Corfu-base itinerary and quietly mean Lefkas have either a confused booker or a captain planning to push the yacht hard. Confirm which Sivota in writing before the contract.
Charter rates and verified costs
Ionian rates run roughly 10 to 15 percent below comparable Cyclades or Croatia rates, with the gap narrower at the top end of the size range. Indicative weekly rates for a Corfu-base charter:
| Yacht size | Low season (May, Oct) | Shoulder (Jun, Sep) | Peak (Jul, Aug) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-30m motor | €35K-€55K | €55K-€80K | €80K-€110K |
| 30-40m motor | €60K-€100K | €100K-€160K | €160K-€230K |
| 40-50m motor | €130K-€200K | €200K-€320K | €320K-€450K |
| 50m+ motor | €300K+ | €450K+ | €650K+ |
Rates are indicative, as of May 2026, plus APA at 30 to 35 percent and Greek VAT at 13 percent on the charter fee for itineraries entirely within Greek waters under the current MYBA-Greek licence regime. See our piece on the 2026 Greek charter law update for the VAT structure detail.
Greek port fees in the Ionian are minimal compared to the Cyclades. Corfu Old Port marina and Gouvia marina both charge under €500 per night for a 30m yacht in 2025 rates. Compare to Mykonos at €1,500 plus or Santorini, which does not have a marina at all.
What we passed on
We do not recommend the Ionian for clients who specifically asked for a different town every night. The week is two towns (Corfu and one of Parga or Sivota), one village (Gaios), and three anchorage days. That is the product. Clients who want a Mykonos-style week with a different beach club every afternoon will be unhappy.
We also pass on the Lefkas extension on a strict 7-day charter. The 70 nautical mile run south to Lefkas adds two long days of motoring to a week that should be relaxed. Lefkas is a fine 10 to 14-day charter base of its own. It is not a Day 5 detour from Corfu.
When to book
Peak weeks (the last two weeks of July, all of August) book by February. Shoulder dates (June and September) hold availability into May for most of the 24 to 40m fleet, with the bigger boats committing earlier. The first two weeks of October are the best value in the Ionian: water still 23 to 25 degrees, daytime temperatures 24 to 27, and rates down 30 to 40 percent on August. Weather risk increases after the second week of October.
FAQ
How many nautical miles is a Corfu to Antipaxos charter week? Roughly 110 to 130 nautical miles total. No single leg is longer than 22 nautical miles.
Is the Ionian cheaper than the Cyclades? Yes. Charter rates are 10 to 15 percent lower for comparable yachts, fuel burn is lower, and Greek port fees are minimal compared to Mykonos and Santorini.
Can you charter from Corfu with a non-Greek-flagged yacht? Yes, but the yacht must hold a Greek charter licence under Law 4926/2022. Confirm the licence number in your MYBA contract before paying the first instalment.
Is Antipaxos worth a day? Yes on a weekday in June or September. No on a Saturday in July or August. Match the day to the calendar.
Can I extend the week to Lefkas and Ithaca? Not on a strict 7-day charter from Corfu. Allow 9 to 10 days for that loop, or charter from Lefkas instead.
Where to stay before and after
Corfu Town has the best pre-charter and post-charter hotel inventory in the Ionian. We list the four hotels we send clients to on hotelsforkings.com/corfu and the restaurants worth a reservation on restaurantsforkings.com/corfu.