South from Corfu: Paxos, Lefkas, Parga
The northern Ionian works differently from the waters around Lefkas: the distances are longer and half the stops are on the mainland. In exchange you get Corfu and its Venetian fortresses, turquoise Antipaxos, the mouth of the Amvrakikos gulf with its dolphins, and Parga, which looks like an Italian town that ended up in Greece by accident. About 155 nm and two legs of thirty-odd.
Day by day
Gouvia (Corfu)
- Gouvia39.651, 19.853
Fly into Corfu airport; Gouvia marina is twenty minutes away. Handover and provisioning in town. If there is an evening left, walk the old town and its two Venetian fortresses.
Corfu → Paxos (Gaios)
- Paxos39.197, 20.188
South along the mainland shore. Gaios is the capital of Paxos, hidden in a channel behind the fortified islet of Agios Nikolaos: from seaward the harbour is invisible. Moor along the quay and take the tavernas on the square in the evening.
Paxos → Antipaxos → Lefkas
- Antipaxos39.150, 20.225
- Lefkas38.832, 20.712
The longest day. In the morning, three miles to Antipaxos: Voutoumi and Vrika, beaches with water of the implausible colour every boat in the area comes for. After lunch, the long leg south to Lefkas and the bridge opening into the canal.
Lefkas → Preveza
- Preveza38.957, 20.752
Back through the canal and north to the entrance of the Amvrakikos gulf. A resident population of bottlenose dolphins lives in the strait off Preveza and is seen on almost every visit. Preveza marina is cheaper than Lefkas, and the town itself is lively and not at all touristy.
Preveza → Parga
- Parga39.283, 20.399
North along the mainland shore. Parga is an amphitheatre of coloured houses under a Venetian castle with a beach in the middle of town. Anchor in the bay or lie at the town mole; in season it gets crowded.
Parga → Corfu (Petriti)
- Petriti39.455, 20.023
Back to the island. Petriti on the south-east of Corfu is a fishing village with three tavernas on the water and not a single hotel: a good contrast for the last day.
Petriti → Gouvia
- Gouvia39.651, 19.853
A short leg up the east coast past the old town, refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Wind: a north-westerly breeze of 10–18 knots in summer, dropping in the evening. It is behind you on the leg from Corfu to Paxos and on the nose coming back from Parga, so the return is planned for the morning.
- Albania is close: the strait between Corfu and the mainland is an international border, and you cannot enter Albanian waters without clearing in. Keep to the Greek side of the channel; the fleet provides a chart with the border marked.
- Berths: Gaios, Preveza and Parga are paid town quays. Antipaxos is a daytime anchorage only — there is no water, no shop and no shelter for the night.
- If the wind will not let you go south, the route reverses: the mainland first (Parga and Preveza), leaving Paxos and Antipaxos for the way back with the wind behind you.
When to go and what it costs in Greece
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Greece
All boats in Greece
How long is the Corfu — Lefkas route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 155 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Corfu. Overnight stops in order: Gouvia, Paxos, Lefkas, Preveza, Parga, Petriti. The longest leg is day 3, 42 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Corfu — Lefkas route?
Greece's season runs April to October. In July–August the meltemi blows 25–30 knots in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, so beginners are better off in the Ionian or the Saronic Gulf in those months. June and September bring warm water, gentler wind and prices below the peak; April, May and October are the shoulder months and the cheapest weeks of the season. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is March: a median of ≈€240 per berth per week. The most expensive is December, at ≈€283. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 41%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Greece for a week starts from €1,770 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Greece”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
