Sailing in the Ionian

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The Ionian Sea is one of the finest cruising grounds in the Mediterranean, offering short distances from one port to the next with many beautiful bays between.

From April to October you can expect almost continuous sunshine with fair winds in the afternoon to sail to the next port.

The Ionian Islands abound with history and different influences, from ancient times until the British ceded them to the King of Greece in 1864.

The capital of the Ionian Islands was Corfu Town. The British governor's residence, the Palace of St Michael and St George, still stands to this day at the head of the esplanade. The parade ground in front of the palace is still used for playing cricket, an inheritance left by the British, along with ginger beer, the first Greek Parliament, University and Prison.

However, the strongest influence is Venetian which can be seen in the architecture of many of the buildings and the island's fortresses. In the countryside you'll see another legacy of Venetian rule - millions of olive trees, many of them hundreds of years old. The Venetians paid the islanders twelve gold pieces per hundred olive trees they planted. After that there was no stopping them. The Islands still have a thick covering of olive trees in sharp contrast to the mainland coast,

Greece is lucky to still have many wilderness areas, where you can find bears, wild boar, wolves, lynx, jackals, wild goats and chamois. The Ionian Sea also has lots of marine life; monk seals in Kefalonia and loggerhead turtles in Zakynthos; you can see dolphins throughout the Ionian and occasionally you maybe lucky enough to see something really unusual like manta rays or even a whale.

Sailing through the islands we pass small fishing villages where the pace of life hasn't changed much with the passing of time, by day you are dazzled by the beauty of your surroundings and at night you enjoy the warmth and friendliness of the local people, leaving you wanting for nothing more than to come back and do it all again next year.

Frequently asked questions