Corfu Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes
Corfu’s varied coastline and proximity to Paxos make it ideal for both day charters and multi-day Ionian voyages. The routes below cover different ground and can be combined for a full week of island-hopping.
Day Charter Routes
Paleokastritsa and North-West Coast Day Charter
Depart Gouvia Marina and cruise north-west to Paleokastritsa (12 nm, about 40 minutes). Anchor in one of the six turquoise bays for a morning swim and snorkel over rocky reef. Visit the 13th-century Theotokos Monastery on the clifftop. Your chef prepares lunch on the aft deck. Continue to Ermones Bay or Myrtiotissa Beach for an afternoon swim, then cruise back along the coast to Gouvia. Total: roughly 30 nm, 6–8 hours.
Corfu North-East and Kassiopi Day Charter
Cruise north along Corfu’s sheltered east coast to Kassiopi (15 nm, about 50 minutes). Explore the ruined Byzantine castle, swim in one of the coves near the village, and enjoy a waterfront lunch at a harbourside taverna. Continue to the quiet bay of Agni for an afternoon swim beneath olive trees. Return to Gouvia by early evening. Total: roughly 35 nm, 6–8 hours.
3-Day Corfu Yacht Charter Itinerary: Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos
Day 1: Corfu Coast and Paleokastritsa
Board at Gouvia Marina. Spend the morning exploring Corfu’s UNESCO Old Town on foot: the Venetian fortresses, the Liston, the Church of Agios Spyridon. Return to the yacht for lunch, then cruise to Paleokastritsa (12 nm). Anchor in the main bay for a swim and a visit to the monastery. Dine onboard as the sun sets behind the north-west headland.
Day 2: Paxos
Cruise south to Paxos (30 nm, under two hours). Arrive at Lakka Bay for a morning swim in crystal water. After lunch, cruise along the dramatic western coast: sheer limestone cliffs, sea caves (the Erimitis cliffs and Ipapanti Cave are the most impressive), and deep blue water. Anchor for the night in Gaios, the Venetian-style capital, with its harbour protected by two pine-covered islets. Dine at a waterfront taverna on fresh fish and Paxos’ own white wine.
Day 3: Antipaxos and Return to Corfu
Cruise south to Antipaxos (3 nm). Anchor off Voutoumi Beach – fine white sand meeting turquoise shallows of almost unreal clarity. Swim, snorkel and paddleboard in what many guests describe as the most beautiful bay in Greece. After a leisurely lunch on the aft deck, cruise back to Corfu (30 nm, under two hours), arriving by late afternoon.
4-Day Corfu Yacht Charter Itinerary: North Ionian – Corfu, Paxos, Sivota and Lefkada
Day 1: Corfu and Kassiopi
Board at Gouvia Marina. Cruise to Corfu’s north-east coast and anchor off Kassiopi for a morning swim and exploration of the Byzantine castle ruins. The narrow strait between Corfu and Albania is barely 2 km wide – the Albanian coast is clearly visible. Continue south to the quiet bay of Kalami, where the Durrell family lived in the 1930s (the White House, now a taverna, sits right on the water). Lunch onboard, then cruise to Agni Bay for an afternoon swim. Overnight in Corfu Town harbour – dine at a candlelit restaurant in the UNESCO Old Town.
Day 2: Paxos and Sea Caves
Cruise south to Paxos (30 nm). Anchor in Loggos, the smallest and most charming of Paxos’s three harbours – pastel houses, fishing boats and a handful of tavernas right on the water. Swim in the bay, then cruise to the western coast to explore the sea caves by tender. The Erimitis cliffs are sheer and dramatic; inside Ipapanti Cave, the light plays extraordinary tricks on the turquoise water. Anchor overnight in Gaios, with dinner at a harbourside table beneath the platanos trees.
Day 3: Antipaxos and Sivota
A morning at Voutoumi Beach on Antipaxos – the jewel of the Ionian. Swim and paddleboard in water that defies description. After lunch onboard, cruise east to Sivota on the Greek mainland (15 nm from Paxos). Sivota is a sheltered natural harbour surrounded by islets with crystal water – swim between the islets and dine at a waterfront taverna on grilled fish and local wine.
Day 4: Lefkada
Cruise south to Lefkada (25 nm from Sivota, about 90 minutes). Enter the Lefkada Channel and stop at Nidri for a morning coffee on the waterfront, with views across to Skorpios and Meganisi. In the afternoon, cruise to Meganisi (4 nm) for a swim in a sheltered bay and a visit to the Papanikolis Cave. Return to D-Marin Lefkas Marina by evening, or continue exploring the southern Ionian.
Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day Corfu–Paxos route with the 4-day Corfu–Paxos–Sivota–Lefkada route or continue south through Ithaca, Kefalonia and Zakynthos for a comprehensive week-long or 8-day Ionian odyssey covering the entire island chain.