A Kefalonia yacht charter is the hire of a catamaran, motor yacht or sailing yacht from Kefalonia, as a crewed private charter, a shared cruise or a self-skippered bareboat charter, for a day trip or a week in the Ionian. The bases are Argostoli, Sami, Agia Efimia and Fiskardo. Plan the whole trip with Greece Tours.
This guide covers the Kefalonia yacht charter in full: what a charter includes and costs, the catamaran, motor yacht and sailing yacht options, the charter bases, the Ionian route to Ithaca, Myrtos and the coves, bareboat versus crewed hire, and how to book. Pair it with the Kefalonia airport transfers and the beach of Myrtos Beach.
What is a Kefalonia yacht charter and what does it include?
A Kefalonia yacht charter is the hire of a catamaran, motor yacht or sailing yacht from Kefalonia as a crewed private charter, a shared cruise or a self-skippered bareboat charter, for a day trip or a full week across the Ionian Sea.
A Kefalonia yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Ithaca and the coves. Booking a Kefalonia yacht charter ahead secures the boat and the sunset slot. For couples and groups, a Kefalonia yacht charter is the private way to see the Ionian. For the harbours of Ithaca, a Kefalonia yacht charter is the finest seat on the island. Families take a Kefalonia yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. Every Ionian trip begins with a Kefalonia yacht charter from a southern marina. The Ionian route on a Kefalonia yacht charter passes Ithaca and the coves. A Kefalonia yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. The charter turns the island’s harbours into a doorway to the wider Ionian. From the quays at Argostoli, Sami, Agia Efimia and Fiskardo, the boat leaves the crowded road network behind and reaches the sea caves, the turquoise coves and the beaches that stay closed to cars. The hire covers the vessel itself and the water it opens up: the east coast of Kefalonia, the island of Ithaca, and the beaches of Myrtos and Antisamos in a single outing.
On a crewed charter the price folds in the skipper, the crew, the fuel, the food, the drinks, the snorkelling gear and the marina transfers. The guests step aboard, hand over the route to a licensed skipper, and spend the hours swimming, eating on deck and watching the coast slide past. A host prepares a meal on board and keeps an open bar running through the day, so the trip needs no stops for supplies. The snorkelling gear stays on board for the coves, and the transfers move guests between the marina and their accommodation at each end.
Three pricing shapes sit under the same charter word. A private charter books the whole boat for one group at a single price, with the deck, the cabins and the crew reserved for that party alone. A shared cruise sells the trip per seat, so a couple joins a mixed group of up to 12 guests and splits the cost of the boat between the passengers. A bareboat charter hands the wheel to a guest who holds a sailing licence, priced by the week plus a refundable deposit against the hull and the equipment. Each shape suits a different budget and a different appetite for steering the boat.
How much does a Kefalonia yacht charter cost?
A Kefalonia yacht charter is priced three ways: a private charter for the whole boat, a shared cruise per seat, and a bareboat charter by the week plus a refundable deposit. The trip length, the vessel type and the season set the figure.
The set fare on a Kefalonia yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. A private Kefalonia yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. The choice of Kefalonia yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. The crew of a Kefalonia yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. A Kefalonia yacht charter departs from Agia Efimia and Sami. A Kefalonia yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Ithaca and the coves. Booking a Kefalonia yacht charter ahead secures the boat and the sunset slot. For couples and groups, a Kefalonia yacht charter is the private way to see the Ionian. A shared cruise carries the lowest entry price because the cost of the boat splits across the passengers. A single seat on a full-day cruise buys the same coast, the same coves and the same lunch on deck that a private group enjoys, with the difference that the deck holds other travellers. Families and couples who want the water without the full boat price start here, and the per-seat rate covers the food, the drinks and the snorkelling gear already loaded on board.
A private charter prices the whole vessel for one group. The rate scales with the boat: a day catamaran for 12 guests sits above a smaller sailing yacht, and a fast motor yacht sits above both for its fuel and its speed. The private price buys exclusivity, a route shaped to the group’s wishes, and a crew that answers to that party alone. A half-day cruise of 3 to 4 hours costs less than a full-day cruise of 6 to 8 hours, and a 3-hour sunset cruise sits at the lower end of the private scale.
A bareboat charter is priced by the week, with a 7-night hire as the standard unit, plus a refundable deposit lodged against the boat. The guest holds the sailing licence, skippers the vessel, and carries the fuel, the food and the mooring fees as running costs on top of the weekly rate. The deposit returns in full when the boat comes back to base clean and undamaged. A guest who wants the freedom of the week without a licence adds a skipper to the weekly rate and keeps the crewed comfort while paying the bareboat base price for the hull.
Season moves every figure. The peak Ionian weeks carry the highest rates and the tightest availability, while the shoulder weeks at the edges of the season drop the price and open the calendar. Booking the Agia Efimia and Sami bases ahead locks the peak rate before it climbs, and secures the exact boat rather than whatever stays free late.
Which yachts are available to charter in Kefalonia?
Three vessel types charter from Kefalonia: a catamaran, a stable twin-hull for up to 12 guests with a meal and an open bar; a motor yacht, fast and luxurious; and a sailing yacht or monohull that runs under sail and engine.
Planning a Kefalonia yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a summer sunset slot. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Kefalonia yacht charter with a meal and open bar. A Kefalonia yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. A Kefalonia yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the marina and back. The price of a Kefalonia yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. The set fare on a Kefalonia yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. A private Kefalonia yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. The choice of Kefalonia yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. The catamaran is the workhorse of the day-charter fleet. Its twin hulls hold the deck level and steady in a chop, so guests who feel the roll of a single hull stay comfortable across a full day at sea. The wide trampolines and flat deck give room for 12 guests to spread out, sunbathe and gather for a meal without crowding. A host serves lunch on board and keeps an open bar through the trip, and the shallow draft lets the catamaran nose into coves that deeper boats leave alone. For a family or a shared cruise, the catamaran gives the steadiest deck and the roomiest space.
The motor yacht trades sail for speed. It reaches Ithaca, Myrtos and the far coves in a fraction of the sailing time, so a group with a fixed window sees more coast in the same hours. The interior carries the luxury of a private cabin, air conditioning and a finished saloon, and the powerful engines cut the crossing to the outer islands short. A motor yacht suits guests who prize comfort and range over the quiet of sailing, and who want the outer harbours of the Ionian inside a single day.
The sailing yacht, a monohull, runs under canvas when the wind fills in and under engine when it drops. It carries the classic feel of a Ionian passage: the heel of the hull, the sound of water on the bow, the sails set against the coast. A monohull draws deeper than a catamaran and holds fewer guests on deck, but it delivers the sailing experience that a motor yacht and a wide catamaran leave out. Bareboat guests with a licence favour the monohull for the pure sailing, while crewed guests choose it for the romance of a boat under sail.
Where are the Kefalonia charter bases?
Four harbours serve as charter bases on Kefalonia: Argostoli, Sami, Agia Efimia and Fiskardo. Agia Efimia and Sami on the east coast are the main bareboat and flotilla bases, positioned for the short crossing to Ithaca and the Ionian.
A Kefalonia yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A Kefalonia yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Ithaca and Myrtos. The sunset slot on a Kefalonia yacht charter fills first in high season. The motor yacht is the fast, luxurious option for a private Kefalonia yacht charter. A Kefalonia yacht charter runs half-day, full-day or as a five-hour sunset cruise. Planning a Kefalonia yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a summer sunset slot. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Kefalonia yacht charter with a meal and open bar. A Kefalonia yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. Argostoli, the island capital on the west side, holds the largest town harbour and the closest base to Kefalonia International Airport. Guests who fly in and want the shortest transfer to the boat start here, and Kefalonia airport transfers connect the terminal to the Argostoli quay in a short drive. The capital carries the widest choice of provisions, restaurants and services for a group loading up before a week at sea.
Sami sits on the east coast facing Ithaca, and it doubles as a ferry port and a charter base. Its position on the strait between Kefalonia and Ithaca makes it the launch point for the shortest hop to Vathy, and the flotilla fleets stage from its quay. Agia Efimia, a short run north of Sami, is the flagship bareboat and flotilla base of the island. Its sheltered harbour, its charter offices and its position at the mouth of the Ithaca channel put every bareboat guest one short leg from the outer islands. The two east-coast bases together carry the bulk of the self-skippered fleet.
Fiskardo, at the northern tip, is the prettiest of the four and the gateway to Lefkada and the northern Ionian. Its Venetian waterfront survived the earthquake that reshaped the rest of the island, so the harbour keeps a row of pastel houses and a yacht-lined quay. Charter boats base here for the run north to Lefkada and the Echinades, and the village fills with visiting yachts through the season. A charter that starts at Fiskardo cuts the distance to the northern cruising ground and lands guests in the island’s best-known port on the first evening.
What does the Ionian route from Kefalonia cover?
The Ionian route from Kefalonia reaches the island of Ithaca and its harbours of Vathy, Kioni and Frikes, the sea caves and turquoise coves of the east coast, the beaches of Myrtos and Antisamos, and the islands of Zakynthos, Lefkada and the Echinades islets off the mainland.
For the harbours of Ithaca, a Kefalonia yacht charter is the finest seat on the island. Families take a Kefalonia yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. Every Ionian trip begins with a Kefalonia yacht charter from a southern marina. The Ionian route on a Kefalonia yacht charter passes Ithaca and the coves. A Kefalonia yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A Kefalonia yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Ithaca and Myrtos. The sunset slot on a Kefalonia yacht charter fills first in high season. Ithaca sits a short strait east of Kefalonia, and it anchors the classic charter route. Vathy, the island’s deep-water capital, wraps one of the safest natural harbours in the Ionian, with a horseshoe bay and a town quay for the night. Kioni and Frikes, two small harbours on the northeast coast, hold a handful of tavernas each and a quiet mooring under the hills. The three harbours together make a day or two of gentle hops, with a swim stop between each and a taverna dinner at the end of every leg.
The east coast of Kefalonia itself carries the sea caves and the turquoise coves that draw the day charters. The boat threads into water so clear the anchor shows on the bottom, and the coves stay reachable only from the sea. Antisamos, a pebble beach ringed by green hills near Sami, gives a wide bay for a lunch stop, while Myrtos Beach on the northwest coast delivers the white-pebble crescent and the deep blue water that fill the island’s postcards. Seen from the deck, Myrtos opens up in full, framed by the cliffs that guard it from the road above.
Beyond the two home islands, the route stretches to the wider Ionian. Zakynthos lies south for the boats that push down the coast, Lefkada lies north through the channel past Fiskardo, and the Echinades islets scatter off the mainland shore to the east as a cluster of uninhabited anchorages. A full week links these grounds into a loop, while a day charter picks one arc of it — the Ithaca harbours, the east-coast coves, or the run to Myrtos and back.
Bareboat, crewed or shared — which Kefalonia charter is right for you?
A bareboat charter needs a sailing licence and hands the guest full control of the boat by the week. A crewed charter comes with a skipper and a host who run the boat and serve the meals. A shared cruise sells a seat on a mixed-group day trip.
The crew of a Kefalonia yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. A Kefalonia yacht charter departs from Agia Efimia and Sami. A Kefalonia yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Ithaca and the coves. Booking a Kefalonia yacht charter ahead secures the boat and the sunset slot. For couples and groups, a Kefalonia yacht charter is the private way to see the Ionian. For the harbours of Ithaca, a Kefalonia yacht charter is the finest seat on the island. Families take a Kefalonia yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. Bareboat suits the qualified sailor who wants the boat and the route in their own hands. The guest holds a recognised sailing licence, skippers the vessel, plans the harbours, and carries the running costs of fuel, food and mooring on top of the weekly rate and the deposit. The reward is total freedom: the boat moves when the guest wants, anchors where the guest chooses, and answers to no fixed schedule. A crew of sailing friends who split the work and the cabins gets the best value from a bareboat week, and the Agia Efimia and Sami bases hold the fleet built for exactly this.
A crewed charter removes the licence and the labour. A skipper drives the boat and reads the weather, a host prepares the meals and tends the open bar, and the guests do nothing but enjoy the water. The crewed price folds in the fuel, the food, the drinks, the snorkelling gear and the marina transfers, so the group steps aboard and steps off with no running costs to settle. This shape fits the family, the group of friends without a licence, and anyone who wants the freedom of a private boat with none of the responsibility of steering it.
A shared cruise is the entry point. It sells a seat rather than a boat, so a couple or a small family joins a mixed group of up to 12 guests on a set day route. The cost of the vessel splits across the passengers, which drops the per-person price far below a private hire, and the day still delivers the coves, the lunch on deck and the snorkelling. Travellers who want a taste of the Ionian for a single day, and who accept sharing the deck with others, get the best value from a shared cruise. The choice runs on three questions: does the party hold a licence, does it want the boat to itself, and does it want a day or a week.
Sailing to Ithaca from Kefalonia?
Ithaca sits a short strait east of Kefalonia, one of the shortest crossings in the Ionian. From Sami or Agia Efimia the boat reaches Vathy, Kioni and Frikes inside a day, threading a channel of clear water between the two islands.
A Kefalonia yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the marina and back. The price of a Kefalonia yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. The set fare on a Kefalonia yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. A private Kefalonia yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. The choice of Kefalonia yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. The crew of a Kefalonia yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. A Kefalonia yacht charter departs from Agia Efimia and Sami. The crossing from the east-coast bases to Ithaca ranks among the gentlest passages in the Ionian. Sami faces the strait directly, and Agia Efimia sits at its mouth, so the boat clears the harbour and points straight at the Ithaca shore. The channel stays sheltered by the two islands that flank it, which keeps the water calmer than the open crossings farther out, and it makes the leg a soft introduction for first-time charter guests and a quick hop for the seasoned bareboat sailor.
Vathy is the natural first anchorage. The town wraps a deep, near-enclosed bay that holds a fleet safe through any weather, and the quay carries tavernas, a market and a fuel berth for the week’s provisions. From Vathy the route runs up the northeast coast to Kioni, a jewel of a harbour under green hills with a scatter of ruined windmills on the point, and on to Frikes, a tiny fishing port set in a cleft of the coast. Each harbour offers a mooring for the night and a taverna dinner steps from the boat.
Between the harbours the coast hides swim stops that reward the short detour. Sheltered coves open along the Ithaca shore where the boat drops anchor over a bright sand bottom, and the water holds the still, glass-clear calm that the Ionian is named for. A day of sailing to Ithaca links a morning crossing, a cove swim at noon, and an evening on the Kioni or Frikes quay into one of the finest legs a Kefalonia charter offers. The return to Kefalonia closes the loop the same afternoon, or the boat stays the night and crosses back at leisure the next morning.
When is the best time for a Kefalonia yacht charter?
The Kefalonia charter season runs from late spring through early autumn, when the Ionian holds warm water, steady light winds and long dry days. The peak summer weeks carry the highest demand, so booking the Agia Efimia and Sami bases ahead secures the boat.
The motor yacht is the fast, luxurious option for a private Kefalonia yacht charter. A Kefalonia yacht charter runs half-day, full-day or as a five-hour sunset cruise. Planning a Kefalonia yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a summer sunset slot. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Kefalonia yacht charter with a meal and open bar. A Kefalonia yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. A Kefalonia yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the marina and back. The price of a Kefalonia yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. The Ionian gives the charter sailor a gentle wind pattern. A light afternoon breeze fills in through the summer and drops toward evening, which delivers relaxed sailing rather than the hard blows of the Aegean. The water warms enough for the cove swims that define the trip, the skies stay dry across the season, and the long daylight stretches a full-day cruise of 6 to 8 hours end to end. These conditions make the summer the core of the charter calendar and the reason the Ionian ranks as one of the friendliest sailing grounds in Greece.
The peak weeks bring the crowds along with the weather. The harbours at Fiskardo, Vathy and Kioni fill early in the evening, the popular coves hold other boats at midday, and the charter fleet books out well ahead. A guest set on a specific vessel, a specific week and a specific base reserves early to hold all three. The shoulder edges of the season — the weeks before and after the peak — trade a little water warmth for quieter harbours, lower rates and an open calendar, and they suit the traveller who prizes space over the busiest sun.
The trip length also shapes the timing inside a single day. A sunset cruise of 3 hours sails the late-afternoon calm and lands the group on deck as the light turns gold over the water. A half-day cruise of 3 to 4 hours fits a morning or an afternoon to suit the wind, and a full-day cruise of 6 to 8 hours uses the whole span of daylight for the longer routes to Ithaca and Myrtos. A bareboat or crewed week of 7 nights holds the freedom to move with the weather across the whole cruising ground.
How do you book a Kefalonia yacht charter?
Book a Kefalonia yacht charter by choosing the vessel type, the trip length and the base, then reserving ahead — the Agia Efimia and Sami bases fill for the peak Ionian weeks. A crewed charter needs a date and a group size; a bareboat needs a sailing licence.
Every Ionian trip begins with a Kefalonia yacht charter from a southern marina. The Ionian route on a Kefalonia yacht charter passes Ithaca and the coves. A Kefalonia yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A Kefalonia yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Ithaca and Myrtos. The sunset slot on a Kefalonia yacht charter fills first in high season. The motor yacht is the fast, luxurious option for a private Kefalonia yacht charter. A Kefalonia yacht charter runs half-day, full-day or as a five-hour sunset cruise. The booking runs through a short sequence of choices. The party settles the vessel first — a catamaran for a stable day with up to 12 guests, a motor yacht for speed and luxury, or a sailing yacht for the passage under canvas. It settles the trip length next — a 3-hour sunset cruise, a half-day of 3 to 4 hours, a full day of 6 to 8 hours, or a 7-night week. It settles the base last — Argostoli near the airport, Sami or Agia Efimia on the Ithaca channel, or Fiskardo in the north. These three choices fix the price and the availability.
A crewed private charter or a shared cruise books on a date and a head count. The group names the day, the number of guests and the pickup point, and the operator confirms the boat, the skipper and the host. The crewed price already covers the fuel, the food, the drinks, the snorkelling gear and the marina transfers, so the group arrives at the quay with nothing left to arrange. A shared cruise reserves seats rather than the whole boat, and it confirms once the head count on the day route fills.
A bareboat charter carries one extra requirement: the lead guest submits a recognised sailing licence and a sailing résumé, and lodges a refundable deposit against the boat. The base checks the qualification before it hands over the keys, runs a briefing on the vessel and the cruising ground, and provisions the boat to the guest’s list. Booking early matters for the bareboat fleet, because the qualified boats at Agia Efimia and Sami book out first for the peak weeks. The traveller who fixes the date, the vessel and the base ahead of the season locks the exact charter rather than settling for what stays free late, and pairs the boat with an airport transfer to close the door-to-deck journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Kefalonia yacht charter?
A private Kefalonia yacht charter is priced for the whole boat, agreed at booking. A crewed charter covers the skipper, crew, food, drinks and marina transfers; a shared cruise is priced per seat; a bareboat charter is priced by the week plus a deposit.
Where are the Kefalonia charter bases?
The Kefalonia charter bases are Argostoli, Sami, Agia Efimia and Fiskardo. Agia Efimia and Sami on the east coast are the main bareboat and flotilla bases, a short hop from Ithaca and the Ionian coves.
Can you sail to Ithaca on a Kefalonia yacht charter?
Yes. Ithaca is the natural first anchorage from Kefalonia, a short crossing from Agia Efimia and Sami to the harbours of Vathy, Kioni and Frikes. A full-day or a week-long charter reaches Ithaca, Zakynthos, Lefkada and the Echinades islets.