A Sivota yacht charter is the hire of a catamaran, motor yacht or sailing yacht from Sivota, taken as a crewed private charter, a self-skippered bareboat charter or a flotilla, for a day cruise or a week in the inner Ionian. The base is the sheltered horseshoe bay of Sivota on the south coast of Lefkada. Plan the whole trip with Greece Tours.
This guide covers the Sivota yacht charter in full: what a charter includes and costs, the catamaran, motor yacht and sailing yacht options, why Sivota bay is a prized base and anchorage, the nearby south-Lefkada coves, the run to Meganisi, Atokos and the small islands, and the larger islands of Kefalonia and Ithaca, bareboat versus crewed versus flotilla hire, and how to book. Pair it with the bay of Sivota.
What is a Sivota yacht charter and what does it include?
A Sivota yacht charter is a boat rental that starts and ends in Sivota bay on the south coast of Lefkada, giving you a private vessel to explore the sheltered inner-Ionian coves, the neighbouring islands, and the calm channels between them.
A Sivota yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A private Sivota yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. A Sivota yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A private Sivota yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. A Sivota yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A private Sivota yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. A Sivota yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A private Sivota yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. A Sivota yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A private Sivota yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. A Sivota yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. A private Sivota yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. A Sivota yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. The charter puts an entire yacht at your disposal for the length of the booking. You reserve the whole boat, not a cabin or a seat, so the deck, the cockpit, the cabins, and the itinerary belong to your group alone. The horseshoe bay of Sivota forms the launch point, and the yacht returns to the same quay at the end of the trip.
Four formats define a Sivota yacht charter, and each suits a different traveller. A crewed private charter comes with a skipper and, on the larger boats, a hostess who cooks and serves. A bareboat charter hands the vessel to a qualified sailor in your own group who holds the certificate and takes the helm. A flotilla charter groups your bareboat with a lead boat and a small fleet that sails a set route together. A shared cruise sells single cabins on a crewed boat, placing your group alongside other guests.
The vessel choice runs across three hulls. A catamaran gives two hulls, wide deck space, and shallow draft that suits the sandy south-Lefkada bays. A motor yacht delivers speed and reaches Meganisi, Kefalonia, or Ithaca fast. A sailing monohull rewards guests who want the lean and the quiet of wind power in the Vasiliki breeze.
A standard crewed booking includes the vessel, fuel to a stated allowance, the skipper, the safety gear, insurance for the hull, and the mooring in Sivota at the start and finish. Bedding, towels, and a dinghy with an outboard round out the kit. On the crewed catamarans a meal service and an open bar of soft drinks, wine, beer, and spirits form part of the day rate.
The itinerary bends to the guest. From Sivota a half-day loop covers the near coves, a full day reaches Meganisi and its sea cave, a sunset run traces the cliffs of Vasiliki, and a seven-night week strings the inner-Ionian islands into a full sailing holiday.
What sets a Sivota charter apart from a generic boat rental is the starting point. Sivota sits inside the sheltered heart of the inner Ionian, so the yacht spends its first hour swimming rather than transiting. The near coves lie within a short passage, the islands cluster close, and the sea stays protected by the ring of land that shields the whole archipelago. A group that boards in Sivota trades the long open-water slog of a mainland base for calm channels and anchorages a stone’s throw apart.
The booking scales to the trip length. A morning half-day covers the swim beaches under the south cliffs. A full day reaches the sea cave of Meganisi and returns for a taverna dinner on the Sivota quay. A week charter builds a loop through the islets and the outer islands and back. Every format runs on the same principle: the whole boat belongs to the group, the crew arrangement follows the sailing skill aboard, and the route bends to the guests rather than a fixed timetable.
How much does a Sivota yacht charter cost?
A Sivota yacht charter is priced by the whole boat, not per person, so the rate depends on the hull, the size, the crew arrangement, and the season, with day charters quoted as a flat fee and week charters quoted as a base price plus running extras.
For couples and groups, a Sivota yacht charter is the private way to reach Meganisi. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Sivota yacht charter with a meal and open bar. For couples and groups, a Sivota yacht charter is the private way to reach Meganisi. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Sivota yacht charter with a meal and open bar. For couples and groups, a Sivota yacht charter is the private way to reach Meganisi. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Sivota yacht charter with a meal and open bar. For couples and groups, a Sivota yacht charter is the private way to reach Meganisi. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Sivota yacht charter with a meal and open bar. For couples and groups, a Sivota yacht charter is the private way to reach Meganisi. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Sivota yacht charter with a meal and open bar. For couples and groups, a Sivota yacht charter is the private way to reach Meganisi. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Sivota yacht charter with a meal and open bar. For couples and groups, a Sivota yacht charter is the private way to reach Meganisi. Whole-boat pricing means the group splits one figure. A day out on a mid-size catamaran carries a single rate that a family of eight or a party of twelve divides between them, which drives the per-head figure down as the group grows. The headline number covers the boat and the crew; the group folds in the running costs on top.
The crewed rate and the bareboat rate diverge sharply. A crewed charter builds the skipper, the hostess, and the food-and-drink service into the price, so the day fee runs higher and the guest arrives to a turnkey experience. A bareboat charter strips those roles out, lists a lower base fee, and asks the group to sail, cook, and provision for itself. A flotilla booking sits between the two, adding a shared lead crew and a fixed route to a bareboat hull at a moderate premium.
A refundable security deposit attaches to every bareboat and flotilla booking. The group lodges the deposit before departure, the base holds it against damage or loss, and the full sum returns after the boat comes back clean and intact. A damage waiver lowers the deposit for an added fee. Crewed charters carry no guest deposit, because the professional skipper bears responsibility for the hull.
The booking window shapes the quote. A half-day charter of four hours covers the near bays. A full day of eight hours reaches Meganisi and the southern islets. A sunset cruise of two to three hours traces the coast at golden hour. A seven-night week charter delivers the deepest value per day and unlocks Kefalonia and Ithaca.
Season swings the rate. High summer, when the meltemi steadies and the water warms, commands the peak price. The shoulder weeks of late spring and early autumn drop the figure while the sea stays swimmable. Running extras — fuel beyond the allowance, marina fees away from Sivota, provisioning, and end-of-charter cleaning — sit outside the base fee on bareboat deals and inside it on crewed deals.
Group size drives the value. Because the rate attaches to the whole boat, a twelve-guest catamaran splits its day fee twelve ways and lands a lower per-head figure than a four-berth boat divided between two people. Families and groups of friends fill the larger hulls and cut the cost per person, while a couple pays for privacy on a smaller boat. The arithmetic rewards a full deck.
Extras separate a bareboat budget from a crewed one. A crewed booking wraps the skipper’s wage, the food, the open bar, and the end cleaning into one figure, so the guest pays once and sails. A bareboat crew adds fuel above the allowance, marina fees at the ports it visits, a provisioning pack for the galley, and an end-of-charter cleaning charge, then reclaims the security deposit after the boat returns intact. Reading the inclusions line by line — fuel, mooring, cleaning, deposit, waiver — turns two headline numbers that look far apart into a fair comparison, and clarifies what the day on the water truly costs.
Which yachts operate a Sivota yacht charter?
Three vessel classes run a Sivota yacht charter — a catamaran that carries up to twelve guests with a meal and an open bar, a motor yacht built for speed across the channels, and a sailing monohull that harnesses the Vasiliki wind — each matched to a different pace of trip.
The choice of Sivota yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. A Sivota yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Agiofili and the south-Lefkada coves. The choice of Sivota yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. A Sivota yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Agiofili and the south-Lefkada coves. The choice of Sivota yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. A Sivota yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Agiofili and the south-Lefkada coves. The choice of Sivota yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. A Sivota yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Agiofili and the south-Lefkada coves. The choice of Sivota yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. A Sivota yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Agiofili and the south-Lefkada coves. The choice of Sivota yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. A Sivota yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Agiofili and the south-Lefkada coves. The choice of Sivota yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. The catamaran leads the day-charter fleet out of Sivota. Two hulls give a stable platform that stays flat at anchor and under way, so guests who dislike the heel of a monohull settle in at once. The wide trampoline forward and the shaded cockpit aft create lounging space for a full party of twelve. The shallow draft slides into the sandy shallows of Agiofili and Ammousa where a deep-keeled boat holds back.
A crewed catamaran adds the service that defines the premium day out. A skipper reads the wind and the anchorages, and a hostess prepares a Greek lunch aboard and pours from an open bar of water, soft drinks, wine, beer, and spirits. Guests swim, eat, and drink while the crew handles the boat, the mooring, and the route.
The motor yacht answers the guest who wants reach over sail. Twin engines drive the hull across the Meganisi channel and on to Fiskardo on Kefalonia inside a morning, opening a wider circle of destinations in a single day. Sun pads on the foredeck, a swim platform aft, and air-conditioned cabins below make the fast boat a comfortable base for a group that prizes distance and speed.
The sailing monohull suits the purist. Sivota sits next to Vasiliki, the bay that funnels a steady afternoon thermal down off the mountains, and a single-hulled sailboat converts that breeze into a clean, quiet passage under canvas. A skippered monohull teaches a novice the ropes, and a bareboat monohull rewards the certificated sailor with full command of sheet and helm.
Across all three classes the boats range from compact four-berth hulls for a couple or a small family to twelve-guest platforms for a large party. The base matches the vessel to the group size, the sailing skill aboard, and the target range, so a lazy swim day in the near coves and a fast dash to Ithaca each get the right hull.
The catamaran wins the day-trip market for one reason above the rest: it stays flat. Guests who worry about seasickness step onto a boat that holds level at anchor and refuses to heel under sail, and the wide beam turns the deck into a floating lounge with room to spread out. The twin hulls draw little water, so the boat noses over the pale shallows of Agiofili and Ammousa and drops the swim ladder where the sand glows brightest.
The choice between the three hulls comes down to intent. A crew that wants to swim, eat, and sunbathe with the least motion picks the catamaran. A crew chasing distance — Fiskardo and back in a day, or a fast reach to the outer islands — takes the motor yacht for its speed and its air-conditioned cabins. A crew that sails for the sailing itself charters the monohull and rides the Vasiliki thermal under a full press of canvas. The base pairs the vessel to the day the group has in mind, and a skippered option on any of the three lifts the workload off the guests entirely.
Why is Sivota bay a prized yacht base and anchorage?
Sivota bay is a deep, near-landlocked horseshoe on the south coast of Lefkada, ringed by tavernas whose quay lets crews moor stern-to at the water’s edge, and its still, protected water makes it one of the safest and best-loved anchorages in the Ionian.
A crewed Sivota yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. For Fiskardo on Kefalonia and Kioni on Ithaca, a Sivota yacht charter reaches them by calm water. A crewed Sivota yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. For Fiskardo on Kefalonia and Kioni on Ithaca, a Sivota yacht charter reaches them by calm water. A crewed Sivota yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. For Fiskardo on Kefalonia and Kioni on Ithaca, a Sivota yacht charter reaches them by calm water. A crewed Sivota yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. For Fiskardo on Kefalonia and Kioni on Ithaca, a Sivota yacht charter reaches them by calm water. A crewed Sivota yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. For Fiskardo on Kefalonia and Kioni on Ithaca, a Sivota yacht charter reaches them by calm water. A crewed Sivota yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. For Fiskardo on Kefalonia and Kioni on Ithaca, a Sivota yacht charter reaches them by calm water. A crewed Sivota yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. The shape of the inlet creates the shelter. High green hills wrap the bay on three sides, cutting the swell and blunting the wind, so the surface stays glassy even when the open channel outside kicks up a chop. A yacht that ducks into Sivota finds calm holding while the meltemi blows itself out beyond the headlands.
The taverna quay defines the evening. Boats come alongside stern-to, drop an anchor off the bow, and back up until the passerelle reaches the stone. Guests step straight off the transom onto the waterfront, and the row of family tavernas serves grilled fish, Lefkada meats, and local wine three steps from the cockpit. The ritual of mooring, showering, and walking to dinner without a dinghy ride is the signature of a Sivota night.
The holding ground is reliable. The bed of the bay grips an anchor firmly, and the depth stays workable across the inner basin, so both a shoal-draft catamaran and a deep monohull find a berth. Water and, at the quay-side tavernas, a meal and a shower come easy, which turns the bay into a full service stop as well as a scenic one.
Position seals the appeal. Sivota sits at the southern tip of Lefkada, the exact hinge point of the inner Ionian, with Meganisi one short hop east, the Vasiliki cliffs a short sail west, and the open run to Kefalonia and Ithaca opening to the south. A yacht based here starts every day inside the sheltered heart of the archipelago rather than a long transit from it. For the fuller island picture beyond the bay, a Lefkada yacht charter covers the whole coastline and its northern anchorages.
The village keeps the scale small. Sivota stays a fishing harbour turned yacht haven rather than a resort, so the waterfront holds tavernas, a handful of shops, and a charter or flotilla base, and the crowds that fill the big ports thin out here. The intimacy is the point.
The bay earns its reputation as a hurricane hole. When the wind pipes up across the open Ionian, cruising crews from far down the coast run for Sivota because the encircling hills flatten the sea inside. The word travels among sailors, and the anchorage fills on a blowy night with boats that crossed from other islands for the shelter alone. A base built on that natural protection starts and ends every trip in secure water.
The waterfront service completes the draw. Fresh water reaches the quay, the tavernas serve straight to the transom, and a shower and a cold drink stand three paces from the passerelle. The crew that berths here at dusk swaps sea legs for a stone terrace, orders grilled fish and a carafe of Lefkada wine, and watches the last light drain off the hills across the inlet. That easy passage from cockpit to dinner table, with no dinghy shuttle and no long walk, is the pleasure that keeps sailors coming back to Sivota year after year and marks it as a base rather than a mere passing stop.
Which south Lefkada coves and beaches do you reach by sea from Sivota?
From Sivota a yacht reaches a string of south-Lefkada anchorages within a short sail — Agiofili and Vasiliki bay to the west, Ammousa, Mikros Gialos and Poros to the east, and the deep green inlet of Desimi — each a turquoise cove that road traffic barely touches.
The full-day slot on a Sivota yacht charter fills first in the peak Ionian weeks. The crew of a Sivota yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. The full-day slot on a Sivota yacht charter fills first in the peak Ionian weeks. The crew of a Sivota yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. The full-day slot on a Sivota yacht charter fills first in the peak Ionian weeks. The crew of a Sivota yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. The full-day slot on a Sivota yacht charter fills first in the peak Ionian weeks. The crew of a Sivota yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. The full-day slot on a Sivota yacht charter fills first in the peak Ionian weeks. The crew of a Sivota yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. The full-day slot on a Sivota yacht charter fills first in the peak Ionian weeks. The crew of a Sivota yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. The full-day slot on a Sivota yacht charter fills first in the peak Ionian weeks. Agiofili sits just west of Sivota, tucked under a cliff at the mouth of Vasiliki bay. A crescent of white pebbles meets water so clear the anchor chain reads on the bed, and the beach faces open sea while the headland breaks the swell. The cove holds a handful of boats at anchor, and swimmers reach a small sea cave at the northern end. Arriving by yacht skips the steep footpath and the water taxi that land visitors queue for.
Vasiliki bay opens wide to the west of Agiofili. The broad sweep of the bay backs the windsurf village of the same name, and a yacht anchors off the sand to watch the sails cross the afternoon breeze. The water shelves gently, the holding is sound, and the run from Sivota takes a short passage under the southern cliffs.
East of Sivota the coast folds into Ammousa and the twin inlets of Mikros Gialos and Poros. Ammousa is a quiet pebble strand under olive slopes with anchorage close in. Mikros Gialos, the bay of Poros, cuts a deep protected notch into the coast with a taverna-lined shore and firm holding, making it a second sheltered overnight stop a short hop from base.
Desimi lies between Sivota and Nydri, a double-lobed green bay backed by pine and olive. The inlet gives calm water, a sandy bed for the anchor, and beach tavernas at the head, and its position makes it a natural lunch stop on the run north toward Nydri or east toward Meganisi.
The thread that links these coves is access. The south coast of Lefkada drops in cliffs and coves that the road reaches at only a handful of points, so the finest of the water — the clearest cove, the emptiest strand — belongs to the boats. A yacht based in Sivota turns the whole southern shore into a private swimming circuit.
Timing the circuit to the wind sharpens the day. The morning stays calm before the afternoon thermal builds, so a yacht runs west to Agiofili and Vasiliki early, swims the clear water while it lies still, and turns back east toward the sheltered eastern bays as the breeze fills in. The crew reads the day and orders the coves to match the sea state, and the sheltered notches of Mikros Gialos and Desimi hold their calm even when the open channel roughens.
The contrast between the coves is the reward. Agiofili shines white and open under its cliff; Desimi wraps green and enclosed in its double bay; Ammousa lies quiet under olives; Poros cuts deep and taverna-lined into the coast. A single day’s cruise from Sivota samples the whole range — a swim in crystal water, a lunch at anchor, a second cove for the afternoon — without a passage longer than the width of the bay itself. The road delivers day-trippers to two or three of these beaches down steep tracks; the yacht reaches every one of them from the water, and reaches the empty stretches between that no track touches at all.
How short is the run from Sivota to Meganisi, and what waits there?
Meganisi lies a short sail east of Sivota across a narrow channel, close enough for a half-day trip, and it holds the huge Papanikolis sea cave, the cliff-top village of Spartochori above its harbour, and the deep sheltered fjord of Vathy.
A Sivota yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the bay and back. Families take a Sivota yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. A Sivota yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the bay and back. Families take a Sivota yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. A Sivota yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the bay and back. Families take a Sivota yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. A Sivota yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the bay and back. Families take a Sivota yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. A Sivota yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the bay and back. Families take a Sivota yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. A Sivota yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the bay and back. Families take a Sivota yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. The crossing is the shortest island hop from base. Meganisi sits directly opposite the south-east corner of Lefkada, and the channel between them stays protected by the surrounding land, so the passage is calm and quick. A yacht leaves Sivota after breakfast and drops anchor off Meganisi before mid-morning with the whole island still ahead.
Papanikolis cave is the headline. The second-largest sea cave in Greece cuts deep into the south-west cliff of Meganisi, its mouth wide enough for a yacht to nose inside, its interior opening into a cathedral of rock and green water. Legend ties the cavern to a submarine that sheltered here in wartime. A dinghy or a swim carries guests into the shadowed inner chamber while the boat waits off the entrance.
Spartochori crowns the western headland. The village perches on a cliff above the little harbour of Spilia, its lanes bright with bougainvillea and its tavernas looking back across the channel to Lefkada. Crews moor below and climb the path, or berth stern-to at the harbour quay and walk up to dinner with the sunset behind the mainland mountains.
Vathy notches the north-east coast. A long, narrow inlet reaches deep inland to a working fishing harbour ringed by tavernas, giving a snug overnight berth and a taste of island life away from the day-boat traffic. Katomeri and the coves of the south round out the island for a group that lingers a second day.
The scale of Meganisi rewards a slow visit. The island stays small, green, and quiet, with a coastline of hidden coves — Atherinos, Fanari, Ambelakia — that a yacht reaches where no road runs. A Sivota base makes the whole of Meganisi a comfortable day, and a two-day loop turns it into the heart of an inner-Ionian week.
The sea cave rewards an early arrival. The morning light angles into the mouth of Papanikolis and lifts the water to a lit emerald before the day-boats arrive from the resorts to the north, so a yacht that crosses from Sivota at first light has the chamber to itself. The crew noses the bow toward the entrance, cuts the engine, and drifts into the cool shadow where the rock arches overhead and the green glow rises from below.
The island strings its coves along a coastline built for anchoring. Atherinos bay cuts a deep, calm slot into the south coast with a taverna at its head. Fanari and the beaches of the north give clear-water swim stops. Port Vathy and Spilia below Spartochori offer stern-to berths for the night, each with a taverna quay three steps from the transom. A crew that gives Meganisi two days works east from Sivota, sleeps in one of the fjord-like harbours, and threads the hidden bays the next morning before turning south to the islets or back to base, treating the little island as the pivot of the whole holiday.
What islets lie south of Sivota — Atokos, Arkoudi, Kastos and Kalamos?
South of Sivota a cluster of near-empty islets studs the water — Atokos with its cliffs and twin white-sand bays, tiny Arkoudi, and the low-key sailing islands of Kastos and Kalamos — a quiet corner of the Ionian that day-tripper crowds miss entirely.
The bareboat format lets a licensed skipper take a Sivota yacht charter for the week. A Sivota yacht charter departs from the sheltered horseshoe bay on southern Lefkada. The bareboat format lets a licensed skipper take a Sivota yacht charter for the week. A Sivota yacht charter departs from the sheltered horseshoe bay on southern Lefkada. The bareboat format lets a licensed skipper take a Sivota yacht charter for the week. A Sivota yacht charter departs from the sheltered horseshoe bay on southern Lefkada. The bareboat format lets a licensed skipper take a Sivota yacht charter for the week. A Sivota yacht charter departs from the sheltered horseshoe bay on southern Lefkada. The bareboat format lets a licensed skipper take a Sivota yacht charter for the week. A Sivota yacht charter departs from the sheltered horseshoe bay on southern Lefkada. The bareboat format lets a licensed skipper take a Sivota yacht charter for the week. A Sivota yacht charter departs from the sheltered horseshoe bay on southern Lefkada. Atokos rises out of the sea south-east of Meganisi as a steep, uninhabited hump of rock and scrub. Its western shore holds two celebrated anchorages: the pale sand of Cliff Bay under a sheer wall, and the wider One House Bay named for the single stone dwelling above the beach. The water glows a hard turquoise over the sand, and a goat-herd and his flock are the sole residents. A yacht anchors, swims, and moves on, leaving the island as empty as it found it.
Arkoudi sits between Atokos and Kalamos, a small green islet with a sheltered cove on its north side and a lighthouse marking the channel. The anchorage gives a calm lunch stop off a pine-backed shore, and the passing traffic thins to the odd sail, so the water stays still and clear.
Kalamos climbs steeply from the sea to the south-east, a mountainous island cloaked in pine with the harbour village of Port Kalamos on its east coast. Boats moor stern-to at the quay, a taverna owner walks the line taking lines and orders, and the evening settles into the slow rhythm the island is loved for. Episkopi on the west side gives a second quiet berth.
Kastos, long and thin and lower than its neighbour, lies just west of Kalamos. A single village and a scatter of tavernas serve the yachts that pause here, olive terraces stripe the slopes, and the anchorages down the coast stay empty. Together Kastos and Kalamos form the sleepiest, least-developed pocket of the whole archipelago.
The draw of this southern cluster is emptiness. No airport, no resort, and no road bridge touch these islets, so a Sivota yacht charter that runs south trades the busy northern ports for cliffs, goat tracks, and anchorages where the only sound after dark is water on the hull. The islets sit within a day’s reach and reward the group that pushes past the obvious circuit.
One House Bay on Atokos ranks among the finest anchorages in Greece. The yacht drops the hook over pale sand in water that shades from clear shallow to deep blue, a sheer cliff rises behind the single stone house, and the swim from the transom to the beach crosses glass. The bay lies open to the east, so a crew reads the forecast and picks it for a settled night or a midday swim stop, moving to Cliff Bay on the other flank when the wind backs.
Kalamos and Kastos preserve a older Ionian. The quay at Port Kalamos runs a tradition where the taverna owner motors out, takes a line, and guides each arriving yacht stern-to before serving dinner on the terrace above, and the mooring comes free with the meal. Kastos keeps a single village, olive terraces, and anchorages down its length where a boat lies alone. Together with Arkoudi’s lighthouse cove, these low, pine-clad islands form the quietest waters in the archipelago, and a Sivota charter that runs south finds them almost untouched — no airport, no bridge, no resort, and after dark only the lap of water and the lights of a single taverna on the hill.
How do you sail from Sivota to Kefalonia and Ithaca?
From Sivota the larger islands of the outer Ionian open to the south — Fiskardo on the north tip of Kefalonia and the twin harbours of Kioni and Frikes on Ithaca sit within a day’s sail, and a week charter strings all three into the itinerary.
A flotilla Sivota yacht charter sails your own boat inside a guided group. The price of a Sivota yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. A flotilla Sivota yacht charter sails your own boat inside a guided group. The price of a Sivota yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. A flotilla Sivota yacht charter sails your own boat inside a guided group. The price of a Sivota yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. A flotilla Sivota yacht charter sails your own boat inside a guided group. The price of a Sivota yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. A flotilla Sivota yacht charter sails your own boat inside a guided group. The price of a Sivota yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. A flotilla Sivota yacht charter sails your own boat inside a guided group. The price of a Sivota yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. Fiskardo is the prize of Kefalonia’s north. The village survived the great earthquake that flattened the rest of the island, so its harbour keeps the pastel Venetian houses and the cypress-backed waterfront that make it the best-known photographed port in the Ionian. Yachts pack the quay stern-to in the evening, tavernas spill onto the stone, and the run from Sivota crosses the open channel south past Ithaca’s flank.
Kioni sits on Ithaca’s north-east coast, a horseshoe of pastel houses climbing the slope above a small harbour marked by three ruined windmills on the entrance headland. The bay gives calm anchorage and a stern-to berth at the village quay, and the tavernas at the water’s edge draw crews for a long dinner under the mills.
Frikes lies a short hop from Kioni on the same coast, a tiny fishing port in a narrow inlet ringed by green hills. The harbour holds a line of yachts and a clutch of tavernas, and its scale — a single street and a fishing fleet — keeps it quiet even in high summer. The two Ithaca harbours pair naturally into a single leg of the trip.
Ithaca carries the weight of Homer. The island claims the throne of Odysseus, and the myth threads through the coves and the hill villages, adding a layer of story to a coastline already rich in anchorages. A yacht reaches the shores that road-bound visitors never see.
The passages to Kefalonia and Ithaca run longer than the near-island hops, so a motor yacht crosses them fast and a sailing boat rides the afternoon wind south. A seven-night charter out of Sivota builds a loop that takes in Meganisi, the southern islets, Fiskardo, and the Ithaca harbours before turning back north to base, delivering the full sweep of the inner and outer Ionian in one week.
Fiskardo repays the longer crossing. The village is the one corner of Kefalonia the earthquake spared, so the Venetian houses stand whole along a waterfront backed by cypress and pine, a Roman-era ruin sits above the harbour, and a walk to the twin lighthouses on the point opens a view back across the channel to Ithaca. The quay packs tight at dusk, and a yacht that arrives by early afternoon secures a berth before the fleet builds.
Ithaca’s two north-coast harbours pair into a single, unhurried leg. Kioni curves under its three windmills with tavernas at the water and clear anchorage in the bay. Frikes hides in its narrow inlet a short hop away, a working fishing port with a single waterfront street. Between them the island climbs to hill villages and drops to coves tied to the legend of Odysseus, and a crew that anchors off these shores sails the exact water the myth maps. A week charter out of Sivota threads all of it — Meganisi, the southern islets, Fiskardo, Kioni, and Frikes — into one loop and turns back north to the sheltered home bay with the whole Ionian behind it.
What makes Vasiliki the windsurf and sailing bay next to Sivota?
Vasiliki lies a short sail west of Sivota, a wide bay where a steady afternoon thermal funnels down off the mountains and turns the water into one of Europe’s premier windsurfing and sailing venues, giving a yacht crew both a spectacle and a reliable breeze.
A Sivota yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Atokos, Kastos and Kalamos. A Sivota yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. A Sivota yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Atokos, Kastos and Kalamos. A Sivota yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. A Sivota yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Atokos, Kastos and Kalamos. A Sivota yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. A Sivota yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Atokos, Kastos and Kalamos. A Sivota yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. A Sivota yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Atokos, Kastos and Kalamos. A Sivota yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. A Sivota yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach Atokos, Kastos and Kalamos. A Sivota yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. The wind is the making of Vasiliki. Through the summer afternoons a thermal builds as the land heats, drawing air down the valley and across the bay in a dependable cross-shore breeze the local sailors named the Eric. The consistency of that wind draws windsurfers and dinghy sailors from across the continent, and the bay fills with sails from midday on.
For a Sivota yacht charter the neighbouring bay works two ways. A sailing monohull chartered out of Sivota carries its crew into that afternoon breeze for the cleanest sailing on this coast, converting the Eric into a fast, tidy reach across flat water. A crew that prefers to watch anchors off the sand and takes in the crossing fleet from the cockpit.
The village anchors the bay. Vasiliki keeps a broad waterfront of tavernas, cafés, and windsurf schools along a pebble-and-sand shore, and yachts anchor off or berth at the small quay. The evening ferry to Kefalonia and Ithaca leaves from here, and the mix of sailors, surfers, and yacht crews gives the front a lively, salt-washed buzz.
Agiofili, the white-pebble cove described earlier, sits right at the mouth of Vasiliki bay, so a westward run from Sivota chains the two together — a swim in the crystal cove, then an anchor off the windsurf beach to watch the sails. The cliffs between Sivota and Vasiliki drop straight to deep water and reward a slow coastal cruise under their walls.
The pairing of the two bays defines the west side of a Sivota charter. Sivota gives the sheltered, taverna-lined overnight; Vasiliki gives the wind, the sails, and the open sweep of the bay a short passage away. A crew that wants both calm and breeze in a single day finds them here without a long transit.
The Eric wind follows a daily clock that a crew learns fast. The bay lies flat through the morning, the thermal builds through the early afternoon as the land heats, and the breeze peaks in the late afternoon before dropping again at dusk. Sailors plan the day against that curve — a calm-water swim early, the strongest sailing in the heat of the afternoon, and a still evening back on the Sivota quay. The predictability is what turns Vasiliki into a training ground for windsurf schools and a joy for a chartered sailboat alike.
The bay serves as a hub as well as a spectacle. The ferry to Kefalonia and Ithaca sails from Vasiliki, the windsurf centres line the shore, and the taverna front fills with sailors off the water at sundown. A yacht crew anchors off the sand, watches the fleet of sails crossing the bay in the gold of late afternoon, and takes the short passage back east to Sivota for the night. The two bays — one for shelter and dinner, one for wind and sail — bracket the south-west corner of Lefkada and give a Sivota charter its range of moods within a single afternoon’s cruising.
Bareboat, crewed or flotilla — which Sivota yacht charter format fits you?
The right Sivota yacht charter format follows the skill aboard and the holiday you want — a crewed charter for guests who prefer to be looked after, a bareboat for a certificated sailor who wants command, and a flotilla for a group that wants independence with a safety net.
The set fare on a Sivota yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. The inner-Ionian route on a Sivota yacht charter passes Meganisi and the Papanikolis cave. The set fare on a Sivota yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. The inner-Ionian route on a Sivota yacht charter passes Meganisi and the Papanikolis cave. The set fare on a Sivota yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. The inner-Ionian route on a Sivota yacht charter passes Meganisi and the Papanikolis cave. The set fare on a Sivota yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. The inner-Ionian route on a Sivota yacht charter passes Meganisi and the Papanikolis cave. The set fare on a Sivota yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. The inner-Ionian route on a Sivota yacht charter passes Meganisi and the Papanikolis cave. The set fare on a Sivota yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. The inner-Ionian route on a Sivota yacht charter passes Meganisi and the Papanikolis cave. A crewed charter suits the group with no sailing qualification or no wish to work the boat. A professional skipper navigates, reads the anchorages, handles the mooring, and takes responsibility for the vessel, while a hostess on the larger boats cooks and serves. Guests choose the coves, swim, and eat, and the crew delivers the local knowledge that finds the empty anchorage and the best taverna quay. This format carries the highest day rate and the lowest effort.
A bareboat charter hands the whole vessel to a sailor in the party who holds a recognised certificate and the experience to match the boat and the waters. The group navigates, cooks, provisions, and moors for itself, gaining total freedom over the route and the timetable at a lower base fee. The trade-off is the security deposit and the workload — the crew that charters bareboat sails the boat and runs the galley.
A flotilla charter threads the middle. Your group takes a bareboat hull, and that boat joins a small fleet led by a professional lead crew — a skipper, an engineer, and a host — who plan the route, brief each morning, book the moorings, and stand by on the radio. Novice sailors gain confidence with expert help one call away, and the evenings gather the fleet at a shared taverna quay. The inner Ionian, with its short hops and sheltered water, is the classic flotilla ground.
A shared cabin cruise offers the fourth path for a couple or a solo traveller. The base sells single cabins aboard a crewed boat, so guests join a mixed group, share the crew and the itinerary, and pay per cabin rather than for the whole hull. The format trades privacy for a lower entry cost and the company of fellow sailors.
The inner-Ionian setting shapes the choice. Short passages, sheltered channels, and anchorages a stone’s throw apart make these waters forgiving, so a first-time bareboat crew or a flotilla novice finds an easy introduction, while a group that wants pure leisure hands the whole job to a crew. The base at Sivota matches the format to the party at the point of booking.
The certificate line divides the formats. A bareboat charter demands a recognised sailing qualification and logged experience from the person at the helm, and the base checks the papers before releasing the boat. A group without that qualification takes a skippered version of the same hull, hires a professional for the week, or joins a flotilla where the lead crew covers the gap. The choice starts, then, with an honest read of the sailing skill in the party.
The flotilla answers a specific wish: independence with a backstop. Each morning the lead crew briefs the route, the anchorage, and the weather; through the day each boat sails its own course; each evening the fleet gathers at a booked quay for dinner and a debrief. Engine trouble or a mooring worry brings a radio call and a fast response from the lead boat. First-time charterers and families with mixed experience take to the format because it teaches on the water, and the inner Ionian — short hops, sheltered channels, close anchorages — is the gentlest flotilla ground in Greece. The crewed and bareboat options sit either side of it, one for pure leisure and one for full command, and Sivota launches all three.
How do you book a Sivota yacht charter?
Booking a Sivota yacht charter runs through six choices — the base, the vessel, the format, the dates, the deposit, and the provisioning — settled with the charter operator in Sivota before a transfer brings the group to the boat on the day.
Planning a Sivota yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a peak Ionian week. Booking a Sivota yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth in Sivota bay. Planning a Sivota yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a peak Ionian week. Booking a Sivota yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth in Sivota bay. Planning a Sivota yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a peak Ionian week. Booking a Sivota yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth in Sivota bay. Planning a Sivota yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a peak Ionian week. Booking a Sivota yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth in Sivota bay. Planning a Sivota yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a peak Ionian week. Booking a Sivota yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth in Sivota bay. Planning a Sivota yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a peak Ionian week. Booking a Sivota yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth in Sivota bay. The base comes first. Sivota bay holds the charter and flotilla operator, and the group confirms that the boat departs from and returns to the horseshoe rather than a distant port, which keeps the sheltered coves and the near islands within easy daily reach. Confirming the base in Sivota fixes the whole geography of the trip.
The vessel follows the group. The party size, the sailing skill aboard, and the target range set the hull — a catamaran for a stable, shallow-draft platform up to twelve guests, a motor yacht for speed to Kefalonia and Ithaca, or a sailing monohull for the Vasiliki wind. The operator matches berths to heads and draft to the sandy south-Lefkada bays.
The format and the dates lock the shape of the holiday. The group picks crewed, bareboat, flotilla, or a shared cabin, then sets the length — a half day in the near coves, a full day to Meganisi, a sunset cruise along the cliffs, or a seven-night week to the outer islands. High summer books out ahead, so the peak weeks reward an early reservation while the shoulder season opens later availability.
The deposit and the paperwork clear next. A bareboat or flotilla booking asks for a refundable security deposit and proof of the skipper’s certificate, and a damage waiver lowers the held sum for a fee. A crewed booking carries no guest deposit. The balance of the charter fee settles before departure, and the operator confirms the fuel allowance and the extras that sit outside the base price.
Provisioning and the transfer finish the plan. On a crewed boat the hostess stocks the galley and the open bar; on a bareboat the group orders a provisioning pack or shops the Sivota waterfront before boarding. The operator arranges the airport transfer from Aktion (Preveza) or Kefalonia to the Sivota quay, and the crew steps aboard, takes the briefing, and casts off into the sheltered bay to begin the trip.
The transfer logistics settle before the group leaves home. Aktion airport at Preveza sits closest to Sivota by road across the Lefkada causeway, and Kefalonia airport serves an arrival from the south; the operator arranges the ground transfer from either gateway to the Sivota quay. A crew that lands in the morning boards the same day, takes the safety and systems briefing, provisions on the waterfront, and sails out for a first swim before evening.
The season shapes the reservation calendar. High summer books out ahead as families lock in school-holiday weeks, so the peak dates reward an early deposit; the shoulder weeks of late spring and early autumn open later availability with warm water and a quieter sea. A group fixes the six variables in order — base, vessel, format, dates, deposit, provisioning — and the trip falls into place from them.
The final step is the fit between the boat and the plan. A crew set on lazy swim days in the near coves needs a stable catamaran and a skipper. A qualified sailor chasing the outer islands takes a bareboat monohull and a week. A family easing into sailing joins a flotilla. Naming the holiday first, then choosing the hull and the format to serve it, produces a booking that delivers the trip the group pictured — launched from the sheltered horseshoe of Sivota, threaded through the calm heart of the Ionian, and returned to the same taverna quay at the close.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Sivota yacht charter?
A private Sivota yacht charter is priced for the whole boat, agreed at booking. A crewed charter covers the skipper, crew, food, drinks and marina transfers; a bareboat charter or flotilla is priced by the week plus a deposit.
Where does a Sivota yacht charter sail?
A Sivota yacht charter sails the south-Lefkada coves of Agiofili, Vasiliki and Mikros Gialos, the short run to Meganisi with the Papanikolis cave, the islets of Atokos, Arkoudi, Kastos and Kalamos, and the larger islands of Kefalonia with Fiskardo and Ithaca with Kioni.
Why charter a yacht from Sivota bay?
Sivota bay is a deep sheltered horseshoe on southern Lefkada, a prized anchorage where crews stern-to at the taverna quay on flat water. Its position opens the inner Ionian on short hops to Meganisi and the small islands.