Your itinerary

This is a sample itinerary. Weather or other outside factors may mean that your skipper sets an alternative course.

There is so much to do and see in this island group that it is impossible to do it all in a week! The islands are quintessentially Greek and all have a story to tell, the Legend of Odysseus being probably the best known! Your crew are well versed on the area and will be more than happy to impart their local knowledge thereby enhancing your experience of this idyllic area.

The menu is designed with a Greek flavour , traditional local dishes will be presented with a modern twist!

Arrival Day

Greeted on board at 5pm with cocktails and an assortment of local 'mezze'. Time to meet your fellow shipmates and settle into your new home for the week. Your yacht is moored outside the family run Armonia Hotel in Nidri Bay, a 3km long inlet surrounded by rolling hills dotted with olive trees.

Cruising Day 1

After a leisurely breakfast and the completion of formalities (customs etc) we head in the direction of Skorpios, the private island of the Onassis family. We catch a glimpse of Jackie Onassis mansion, left as was at the time of her unfortunate death.

Sailing onward towards the stunning island of Meganisi with it's crystal clear waters and verdantly green landscape. We enjoy lunch in the tranquil anchorage of Abelike. There's plenty of time to swim, snorkel and relax before hoisting the sails and heading to the island of Kalamos to drop anchor for the night in either Port Kalamos or Port Leone, both offer superb walking and are as equally enchanting.

After tasting the local aperitifs on the foredeck your chef will serve a traditional Greek meal accompanied by good wines or perhaps you fancy trying a glass of Retsina!

Cruising Day 2

After breakfast and perhaps a last stroll around the village we head east towards the traditional island of Kastos. The 6 sq km island is only 900m wide at its widest point and is largely uninhabited with only 50 permanent residents. The sea is like a mill pond at this time of day so the water is crystal clear. Cruising down the east side of the island underwater rock and reef formations are clearly visible as we pass by the tiny port town named after the island, a picturesque Greek village of colourful houses clinging to the hillside and surrounding the fishing port. After reaching the tip of the island we head out into the deep inky blue Ionion Sea across to the tiny island of Formikoula. Pristine turquoise water, golden sandy beaches and craggy rock formations provide the perfect backdrop for a leisurely swim or snorkel before lunch.

By mid afternoon the winds start to rise and that's our signal to raise the sails and weigh anchor. Setting sail in a south-westerly direction we head towards the historic island of Ithaca. On the way we pass by the island of Atakos, easily identified from some distance, a huge mountainous rock it rises over 300m from sea level. A photographers dream as we sail on by high cliffs, craggy rock formations, caves and inlets. Eventually leaving Atakos behind us we continue our journey towards Ithaca and the Gulf of Molou. Heading into the Gulf the full magnificence of Ithaca appears all around us with high deserted mountains on one side and green rolling hills with tranquil bays on the other. The charming and peaceful beach anchorage which will become our home for the night offers the opportunity for swimming or taking a stroll on the beach before enjoying another of the captains fantastic cocktails and watching the sun set over the hills. With good company, a great Greek dinner and some fine wines darkness descends and a million stars fill the sky. After such a thrilling sail under the Meditteranean sun and some good food, your bed will soon be calling you for a night of blissful sleep.

Cruising Day 3

Another day begins in this beautiful area and no trip in this region is complete without a stop in Ithaca. The home of Odysseus and an island full of Greek mythology, it is a wondrous place. Your crew will be able to fill you in with any missing details of this renowned epic! Late morning sees us heading to the port of Vathi on the east coast of Ithaca where on arrival we enjoy a good lunch.

The afternoon is free to stroll around the delightful and low key village but we suspect many of our guests would enjoy a guided tour of the island to visit the sights that are difficult to explore by sea. We are happy to arrange this (price not included in the cruise).

Early evening we get together for customary cocktails and a bit of 'beauty' before we experience the local cuisine ashore. Service is relaxed and as one elderly restaurant owner once said ... "It's difficult to cook and add up the bill too!" This is indicative of the delightfully slow paced attitude to life in these islands.

Cruising Day 4

An inscription outside the archeology museum in Vathi displays a quotation form Lord Byron "If this island belonged to me I would bury all my books here and never leave". Not to worry if you feel the same! After breakfast we find ourselves sailing to the captivating island of Kefallonia (Cephalonia).Despite the publicity generated by Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Kefalonia is still very much undiscovered.

On the way we stop off at the very aptly named "Sensational Bay",so named by our pioneer guests for it’s outstanding beauty. Turquoise waters, sandy beaches, craggy cliffs and rock pools, this wondrous place has it all and it’s yours to enjoy with plenty of time to take it all in. Lunch will be served here before we set sail and continue on our journey to Kefalonia and the bay of Agi Efemia.

This pretty little town used to be the main ferry port of Kefalonia until the 1953 earthquake almost completely destroyed it. The surviving inhabitants deserted what was left of the town and moved across the bay and built a new town in Sami. The town remained deserted for over twenty years but eventually people came back and started to re-build the new town around the ruins of the old one, all of which are clearly visible today. With this magnificent and historic back drop we enjoy another fine dinner worthy of Odysseus himself and good company to boot.

Cruising Day 5

The day can start with an early morning swim in the bay if you wish or just sit and watch the sun rise over the distant hills whilst your crew prepare yet another delicious breakfast. After breakfast we are happy to offer you the opportunity to take a short taxi ride and visit the caves of Malisini and Drogarty (price not included in the cruise) Used as a shrine to Pan, the god of music in Greek mythology, the entrance to Malisini is via a tunnel that opens into a vast cave and underground lake. A boatman will take you out into the inky blue water highlighted to vibrant turquoise as the suns rays streak through the hole in the roof caused by an earthquake many thousands of years ago. With enough imagination a sense of Hades can just be felt. The even bigger cavern known as Drogarty is accessed by a series of steps and ramps that take you deep underground. The cave is full of stalactites and stalagmites and a carefully constructed footpath will take you to all the best photo spots. The cave is said to have the perfect balance of acoustics and humidity for the human voice and is still used for concerts today.

After returning to your yacht your crew will take you north along the coast of Kefelonia to the bay of Limini. With the island of Ithaca standing proud on the starboard side we drop anchor for an invigorating swim and the captains pizza for lunch.

Mid afternoon and the anchor is pulled up as we depart for Fiskado further north. An absolute gem of a bay, it is picture postcard perfect and very photogenic. Fiskado is one of the few places on Kefelonia that escaped serious damage in the 1953 earthquake, which leaves the buildings surrounding the harbour typical of a vanished 19th century Italiana/Venition architecture. A stroll around the little shops and boutiques on the waterfront, and the museum showing the local marine conservation work is well recommended as is a stroll through the shady woods at the north end of the bay where you can bathe in the rock pools.

Dinner is savoured aboard with this beautiful bustling Greek fishing port in the background.

Cruising Day 6

Having enjoyed our breakfast there is just time for a last look around the jewel of the south Ionion that Fiskardo has become before we start to head north taking a last look at Kefalonia and Ithaca as we go. Passing by the uninhabited island of Arkoudia we head across to the many caves on the southern coast of Meganisi. Hugging the coastline we cruise up into the Meganisi Channel and north back to Scorpios, the private island once the home of Greece's richest and most famous man, Aristotle Onassis. The island is kept in the most magnificent manicured condition with more species of trees and plants than you will see on any other Greek island. We pass around the island to "W" bay, so named because of its rock formation.We stop here for our last lunch together and what better place to do it. The scenery is stunning, the water crystal clear and it has the only beach where members of the public are allowed to go ashore. Pictures in local bars and cafe's show Jackie Kennedy and her children swimming in these very waters and playing on the same beach. The perfect place for a last photo shoot before heading back to the place we are lucky enough to call home.

Just enough time for a dip in the pool at the Hotel Armonia....the Greek word for harmony......before beautification time, cocktails and a stroll into town for our evening meal at one of Nidri’s finest waterfront restaurants. Great food, fine wine and people watching....it really doesn't get much better than this. You won't want to leave so you will just have to come on back.

Departure Day

Breakfast onboard, and it is time to gather your belongings and memories. Your crew will arrange transport back to the airport before exchanging fond farewells. You will already be planning your next cruise…