Ithaca Boat Trip

An Ithaca boat trip is a cruise, speedboat or sailing day along the coves of Ithaca, the island of Odysseus in the Ionian Sea, leaving from Kefalonia or from the harbours of Ithaca, with swim stops and time ashore in Kioni, Frikes or Vathy. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours.

The sections below cover the formats, the departure points, the coves and bays, Kioni and Frikes, Atokos, private speedboats and jet boats, sailing days, what is included, the season and booking, with links into the Ithaca pages. The trips shown are checked on GetYourGuide and Viator.

What is an Ithaca boat trip?

An Ithaca boat trip is a day at sea from Kefalonia to the Ionian island of Ithaca, with swim stops in coves that roads cannot reach. Boats leave from Sami, Agia Efimia, Fiskardo, Poros or Skala and return the same day.

Ithaca lies east of the north-east coast of Kefalonia, divided from the larger island by the Strait of Ithaca. The island covers 117.8 square kilometres and stretches 23 kilometres from north to south, with roughly 100 kilometres of coastline. Two mountain masses, split by the narrow isthmus of Aetos just 600 metres wide, shape every route that an Ithaca boat trip follows across the water.

Distances stay short. Sami sits about 11 kilometres from the Ithaca shore, a crossing of 30 minutes by ferry standards. That closeness explains why a full day of cruising fits inside daylight, and why an Ithaca boat trip can reach three islands or four anchorages before the return leg begins. Guests who want to plan the wider crossing can read about the Ithaca day trip from Kefalonia alongside the water routes below.

Which Ithaca boat trip formats can you book?

An Ithaca boat trip comes in six working formats: shared day cruises from Skala, a jet boat crossing from Sami, a private speedboat, an Atokos coastal cruise, sailing days from Agia Efimia, and a bus and cruise island tour.

• From Skala, an eight-and-a-half-hour day cruise with swim stops and free time in Vathy.
• A one-hour jet boat crossing from Antisamos Beach to a cove on the south coast of Ithaca.
• A private speedboat day of seven to eight hours from Sami, with the route set by the guests.
• An eight-hour Atokos and Ithaca coastal cruise that leaves from Poros.
• An eight-hour sailing day from Agia Efimia under a skipper and a deckhand.
• A ten-hour island tour that joins a coach on Kefalonia with a ferry and village stops.

Each format suits a different appetite. The shared cruise from Skala carries a mixed group and leans on shore time, with lunch or shopping in Vathy and two swim stops in the water. The jet boat strips the day to its core: a fast crossing, one quiet cove, a return leg, all inside an hour. An Ithaca boat trip of this kind fits into a holiday morning.

The private speedboat works for families who want control. The listing names a seven-metre Italian hull, a skipper, a sun deck and a freshwater shower, and it leaves the itinerary open between Gidaki, Filiatro, Pera Pigadi, Kioni and Atokos. The coastal cruise and the sailing day trade speed for long, slow passages between anchorages. Guests who want to compare the wider range of crossings on Kefalonia boat trips can weigh the formats before booking.

Where do Ithaca boat trips depart from?

An Ithaca boat trip leaves from five main points: Sami and Agia Efimia on the east coast of Kefalonia, Fiskardo in the far north, Skala in the south-east, and Vathy on Ithaca for local shoreline runs.

Sami is the busiest starting point. The town sits on the central east coast of Kefalonia, and its harbour faces the Ithaca channel across roughly 11 kilometres of water. Cruises, jet boats and the island coach tour all use it, so a departure from there gives the widest choice of times. Arrival details by road sit on the Sami in Kefalonia page.

Agia Efimia is a small fishing village on the east coast, home to 638 people, with tavernas around a compact quay. The sailing days to Ithaca leave from the end of the harbour. Fiskardo, the northern port of Kefalonia, sits 24 kilometres north of Sami, with a protected bay two kilometres long. Fiskardo in Kefalonia kept its old houses because the great earthquake spared the village.

Skala breaks the pattern. An Ithaca boat trip from Skala starts on the beach in the south-east of Kefalonia, not in a harbour, and the boat then runs north-east along the coast. Vathy, the capital of Ithaca, holds a deep natural harbour and serves shorter local runs and water taxis to Gidaki. Poros, in the south, also sends cruises towards Atokos and Ithaca.

Which coves and bays does an Ithaca boat trip reach?

An Ithaca boat trip reaches Gidaki and Filiatro on the east coast near Vathy, Polis bay and Afales bay in the north, Kioni and Frikes bays in the north-east, and southern coves such as Ammoudi, Pera Pigadi and Skinos.

• Gidaki, a pebbled cove on the east coast that boats reach in about 20 minutes from Vathy.
• Filiatro, 3 kilometres east of Vathy, the closest organised beach to the capital.
• Polis bay, on the north-west coast below Stavros, with the Loizos cave on its north side.
• Afales bay, the north-west inlet that faces the open Ionian sea.
• Kioni and Frikes bays, the two north-eastern harbours of the island.
• Ammoudi, Skinos and Pera Pigadi, the southern coves used for swim stops and lunch.

The island bends around these inlets, so a route on the water reads like a tour of its two halves. The southern half holds Vathy and the eastern coves, where boats arrive from Sami and Skala. The northern half holds the fishing villages, Polis bay and Afales bay, where yachts arrive from Fiskardo and Frikes. Ithaca runs 23 kilometres end to end, so every leg of an Ithaca boat trip stays a short passage.

Gidaki draws a crowd for one reason: no road reaches it. The cove opens only to the sea, below green slopes, and boats slip in for a swim in calm, clear water. Filiatro is easier to reach by land, so it carries a beach bar and sunbeds, and a swell can build there when the wind turns. A skipper chooses between the two by the hour.

What does an Ithaca boat trip to Kioni and Frikes include?

An Ithaca boat trip to Kioni and Frikes adds harbour time in two fishing villages in the north-east and north of the island, with a swim stop on the way and a stop for lunch beside the water in Kioni.

• A swim stop at Gidaki or another east-coast cove before the run north.
• Free time on the quay at Kioni, with tavernas at the water’s edge.
• A longer lunch break ashore, listed at one and a half hours on a shared yacht day.
• A slow pass along the north coast with views towards Frikes and the channel beyond.

Kioni sits at the head of a bay on the north-east shore, marked as a traditional settlement, so strict planning rules keep the stone houses and their red roofs intact. Sailing boats fill the bay in summer. A road runs west from Kioni to Frikes, one of the two small harbours that face Kefalonia across the strait.

Frikes lies in the north-west, a fishing village built around a natural harbour where working boats still tie up. A summer ferry links Frikes with Kefalonia and Lefkada, and the crossing from Fiskardo takes a short time. An Ithaca boat trip that passes the bay sees the village from the water, while guests who want the quay itself take the ferry.

How does an Ithaca boat trip with Atokos work?

An Ithaca boat trip with Atokos adds a stop on an uninhabited island 9 kilometres north-east of Ithaca. Boats anchor at One House Bay or Cliff Bay, where swimmers meet clear water, a small chapel and the island’s roaming pigs.

Atokos covers 4.7 square kilometres and rises to 334 metres, one of the Echinades group, and it holds no residents. The island is privately owned and administered by the municipality of Ithaca. Goats wander the slopes, and wild boars walk the beaches and swim in the shallows on calm days, a detail that has turned Atokos into a talking point for visitors.

Two anchorages serve the island. One House Bay lies on the east coast and shelters boats from the prevailing north-west wind, with a pebbled beach, a small chapel and a short path inland. Cliff Bay sits on the south coast and works only in calm weather. Local rules tighten between late spring and the end of October, when anchoring and landing close to the island are restricted, so skippers confirm the plan before the crossing.

A typical Atokos day pairs the island with Ithaca. The coastal cruise from Poros spends 45 minutes in the water at Atokos, then moves to Kioni for an hour and a half ashore, then stops at Gidaki for 30 minutes of swimming. The luxury cruise from Sami sets its own rhythm over seven hours, with Atokos and the southern coast of Ithaca as its two poles. On an Ithaca boat trip that adds this island, the day runs longer than a single-island cruise.

How does a private Ithaca boat trip by speedboat or jet boat work?

A private Ithaca boat trip puts the route in your hands. A seven-metre speedboat with a skipper covers Gidaki, Filiatro, Pera Pigadi, Kioni and Atokos in seven to eight hours, while a jet boat crosses the strait in about one hour.

• A skipper who handles navigation, anchoring and the timing of every stop.
• Complimentary wine, beer, soft drinks and bottled water through the day.
• Snorkelling masks and fins, plus a Bluetooth sound system on deck.
• A sun deck, a freshwater shower and a shaded seat for the crossing.
• A free choice of stops, from Koutsoupia Beach to the coves of Ithaca.
• A weather clause that refunds the day when the sea turns unsafe.

The speedboat sails as a private group, so the day bends to the wishes of the passengers. The listing names a new Italian hull, a professional skipper, complimentary drinks, snorkelling gear, a Bluetooth sound system and a freshwater shower. Guests choose how long to stay at each anchorage, and a skipper who knows the coast can swap a stop when the wind shifts.

The jet boat takes the other route. It leaves from Antisamos Beach, one of the closest Kefalonia beaches to Ithaca, where passengers board from a private floating dock. The boat then crosses the strait at speed, cuts to a cove on the southern coast of Ithaca that no road serves, holds a swim stop, and turns for home. An Ithaca boat trip of this kind lasts about an hour.

Groups who want to compare hulls and hire terms can look at Kefalonia boat rental before booking, because the private options differ in size, crew and the amount of shade on deck. Both the speedboat and the jet boat carry small numbers, which keeps the swimming stops quiet even in high season.

How does a sailing Ithaca boat trip from Agia Efimia work?

A sailing Ithaca boat trip from Agia Efimia runs eight hours under sail and engine from the village quay. Yachts carry eight to ten guests, stop at Gidaki beach in the morning, then serve lunch on board or at a small port before returning.

The sailing day leaves the end of the Agia Efimia harbour at 9:00. One yacht moors in front of an ice-cream cafe on the quay and takes a maximum of ten travellers. Its route opens with a long sail east towards Ithaca, a first swim of 40 minutes at Gidaki, then a second stop at Skinos Bay where lunch is served on board with soft drinks, beer and local wine.

The all-inclusive sailing day follows a shorter list. It reaches Gidaki for an hour and a quarter of swimming, snorkelling and paddleboarding, then crosses to Lygia, a small island south-east of Ithaca, where the crew serves lunch at the port and guests snorkel in shallow water. That yacht takes a maximum of eight travellers, and the fare covers food, drinks, gear and taxes.

What is included on an Ithaca boat trip?

An Ithaca boat trip includes swim stops, snorkelling gear, lunch or snacks, drinks and free time ashore. Add-ons differ by format: paddleboards and Wi-Fi on sailing yachts, complimentary wine and beer on private speedboats, pool noodles on large cruises.

• Swim stops, from one on a jet boat crossing to three on a full coastal cruise.
• Snorkelling masks and fins, with paddleboards on the sailing days.
• Lunch, snacks and fruit, or a snack and watermelon on the smaller boats.
• Water and soft drinks, and on private boats wine, beer and Prosecco.
• Free time in a village such as Vathy, Kioni or Stavros.
• Shaded seating, a restroom and a freshwater shower on the larger yachts.

Food and drink vary with the operator, so the listing is the guide. The luxury cruise from Sami names bottled water, soft drinks, wine and Prosecco, light snacks, port fees and taxes, an English-speaking captain and crew, and a WC with a place to wash off seawater. The Skala cruise hands out free water and slices of watermelon instead of a full meal.

On-board gear widens the day. Sailing yachts carry snorkelling equipment, a stand-up paddleboard, Wi-Fi and a restroom, and the Ulysses route adds pool noodles and borrowable snorkelling gear. An Ithaca boat trip that names a Go-pro camera, as one shared yacht day does, lets the crew film the swim stops and share the footage afterwards.

Which months and sea conditions suit an Ithaca boat trip?

An Ithaca boat trip runs from late spring through early October, when the Ionian sea stays warm and winds stay light. Mornings hold calmer water, so boats leave early and plan the return before the afternoon breeze builds.

Operators schedule departures from 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning, and the shared yacht day returns to Agia Efimia around 18:30. That window matches the daily pattern of the Ionian, where the land heats through the day and pulls a breeze across the strait by the afternoon. An Ithaca boat trip that starts early collects flat water and a quiet anchorage.

The strait between Kefalonia and Ithaca lies open to the north-west wind, the one the anchored boats at Atokos shelter from. When that wind rises, boats change plans. One Skala cruise moved its departure to Poros and carried passengers there by coach. A private skipper left the listed route and found calmer coves instead. Weather can rewrite an itinerary on an Ithaca boat trip.

Travel in late spring brings cooler water and lighter crowds, while the middle weeks of summer bring a warm sea and long evenings. Autumn keeps the water warm into October, when the season closes. Operators publish a weather policy, and a private boat that cannot sail because of an unsafe forecast offers a full refund or a new date.

How do you book and cancel an Ithaca boat trip?

You book an Ithaca boat trip through a tour operator or a booking platform, choosing a date, a departure port and a language. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure on the listed cruises and sailing days.

• Pick a format and a departure port that match the resort.
• Check the start time against the drive from the resort.
• Choose a language and a group size for the day.
• Read the inclusions, from lunch to snorkelling gear.
• Note the cancellation window, set at 24 hours.
• Keep the booking reference for the meeting point.

Booking opens months ahead, and the popular dates fill first. The shared yacht day from Agia Efimia is booked, on average, 13 days in advance, and the Ulysses route 6 days ahead. Guests pick a start time, a group size and a language on the page, then pay later under a reserve-now option. Ferry tickets are part of the coach tour, so no separate crossing is needed.

Cancellation terms stay simple. The listed cruises, the jet boat, the private speedboat and the sailing days all allow a full refund when a guest cancels at least 24 hours before departure. A no-show inside that window pays nothing back. Private boats add a weather clause: when the port authority or the skipper calls the sea unsafe, the guest receives a full refund if a new date cannot be found.

An Ithaca boat trip pairs well with a night in Sami or Agia Efimia, because the earliest departures leave before the first buses from Argostoli arrive. Guests who want to compare a boat day with a road day on Kefalonia can book the sea route first and then build the rest of the holiday around it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an Ithaca boat trip last?

Durations run from one hour to ten. The jet boat crossing takes about an hour. Coastal cruises, sailing days and shared yacht days each run seven to eight hours. The island coach tour, which adds a ferry and a coach, fills ten hours. An Ithaca boat trip of any length returns the same day.

Do you need sailing experience for an Ithaca boat trip?

No. Every listed Ithaca boat trip sails with a professional skipper and, on the larger yachts, a deckhand who handles the lines. Guests sit on deck, swim off the stern and step ashore at the villages. A private speedboat adds a skipper too, so guests set the route and the stopping times without handling the boat.

Can children join an Ithaca boat trip?

Yes. The cruises welcome families, and passengers have reported snorkelling with children and quiet water in the coves. Each boat sets its own limit: the jet boat crossing and the private speedboat carry small groups, while the Ulysses route holds up to 130 travellers. The boats are not wheelchair accessible, so guests with mobility needs confirm access before booking.

What do you bring on an Ithaca boat trip?

Bring a hat, swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a camera, the items the operators list. Add a light layer for the return leg, because the wind over open water feels cooler than the shore. The cruises supply water and food, so a refillable bottle and a dry bag cover the rest.