DAY 1 – WELCOME TO CORFU AND GOUVIA MARINA

Leave Corfu behind and start your Ionian adventure

This is the day the holiday really begins.

Leave Gouvia Marina and head south-east, crossing from Corfu towards the Greek mainland.

Your destination is Sivota, one of the most attractive areas along this part of the Ionian coast.

The approach is part of its appeal. Small green islands, sheltered bays and clear water surround the town, giving you plenty of choices depending on whether you fancy a harbour for the night or somewhere quieter nearby.

After your first proper day’s sailing, head ashore and enjoy Sivota’s relaxed waterfront atmosphere.

Find a taverna overlooking the harbour, order something cold and enjoy soaking up the atmosphere.

Island Life Begins

Wake up, have breakfast and set sail south towards Paxos.

Today’s destination is Lakka, a very special place, tucked into a beautiful natural bay at the northern end of Paxos island.

The entrance into Lakka is one of those moments that makes sailing in the Ionian so memorable. Green hills surround brilliantly clear water, yachts sit peacefully at anchor and the small village is just a short dinghy ride away.

Once you are settled, there is very little you actually need to do.

Swim from the yacht in the stunning bay.

Explore the village.

Sit outside a café.

Enjoy a leisurely meal.

Or simply stay aboard and appreciate the fact that this amazing place is your home for the night.

In the evening, head ashore and enjoy one of the restaurants around the harbour before heading back to your yacht.

One day – two completely different Ionian experiences

This could easily become the day everyone talks about when you get home.

Leave Lakka and sail south past Paxos towards Antipaxos aiming for Emerald Bay.

The bay is famous for its extraordinarily clear blue and turquoise water, making it the perfect place to drop anchor for a few hours.

Stop near one of the beautiful bays. Swim. Snorkel. Have lunch aboard. Dive back into the water.

And just soak it all in.

Being able to anchor in this beautiful bay is exactly why travelling by yacht feels so different from an ordinary holiday.

Later in the afternoon, continue east towards the mainland and Parga, a couple of hours away.

Approaching Parga from the sea is spectacular. The colourful town climbs the hillside above the waterfront, overlooked by its historic castle and surrounded by green countryside.

Go ashore for the evening and explore the narrow streets, restaurants and waterfront.

And probably several hundred photographs.

A relaxed sail back towards Corfu

After breakfast in Parga, point your yacht north-west and begin making your way back to the beautiful island of Corfu.

Today’s destination is Petriti, a traditional fishing village on Corfu’s southeast coast.

After the dramatic scenery of Antipaxos and Parga, Petriti offers something different again. It is quieter and wonderfully laid-back, with fishing boats sharing the harbour with visiting yachts and tavernas lining the waterfront.

Anchor out or moor up, head ashore and enjoy an evening where there really is very little on the agenda beyond good food, good company and watching life around the harbour.

These smaller places are often the ones people remember most.

Explore Corfu’s beautiful northeast coast

Today takes you north along Corfu’s eastern coastline towards Kassiopi.

It is a longer sailing day, but also a particularly rewarding one.

As you travel north, the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic. After passing Corfu Town and the stunning citadel, Corfu’s green hills rise behind the coastline and the mountains of Albania sit across the channel to the east.

There are opportunities to break up the journey with a swim or lunch stop before continuing towards Kassiopi.

Kassiopi itself is one of the most characterful destinations on northeast Corfu. Its attractive harbour sits beneath the remains of the old castle, surrounded by restaurants, cafés and the lanes of the village.

After several days exploring Paxos and the mainland, it gives you another completely different setting for your final night away from Gouvia.

Find a table near the water, raise a glass to the week so far and try not to talk too much about tomorrow being the final day.

One last sail along the stunning northeast Corfu coast

Your final day takes you back down one of the most beautiful stretches of Corfu coastline.

Leave Kassiopi and sail south towards Gouvia, passing the bays and villages of northeast Corfu along the way.

There is no need to hurry. Stop for one final swim. Drop anchor somewhere beautiful for lunch (and another swim). Places such as Avlaki, Agni, Kalami and the bays along this coastline provide plenty of temptation to delay your return for just a little longer.

Enjoy another couple of hours on the water, Eventually, Gouvia Marina comes back into view.

You return with favourite anchorages, new sailing stories, hundreds of photographs and, quite possibly, a discussion already underway about where you are going to sail next year.

Welcome back.

This route gives you a little bit of almost everything that makes sailing from Corfu special.

The sheltered bays and lively waterfront of Sivota. The beautiful natural harbour at Lakka.

The extraordinary blue water of Antipaxos. The colourful mainland town of Parga.

Traditional village life in Petriti. The dramatic coastline and atmosphere of Kassiopi.

And finally, the beautiful sail back through northeast Corfu to Gouvia.

But the places are only part of the experience.

It is the swimming stops you didn’t plan, breakfasts in the cockpit, evenings in little harbours, meals beside the water and the freedom to change your plans that turn a sailing itinerary into a sailing holiday.

And that is exactly what a week exploring the Ionian from Corfu should be.