A Kefalonia boat rental puts a small open motorboat, a RIB or a day cruiser in your hands for four to eight hours from a base at Argostoli, Lixouri, Sami, Agia Efimia, Skala or Fiskardo, with no licence needed up to 30 horsepower. Plan the rest of the trip with Greece Tours.
This page covers the hire: the licence rule, the prices, the bases, Myrtos and Assos from the water, the Ithaca crossing, the south coast, the wind, fuel, the boats, safety, who it suits, the season and how to book.
What is a kefalonia boat rental?
The hire of a small open motorboat, a RIB or a day cruiser for four to eight hours from a base at Argostoli, Lixouri, Sami, Agia Efimia, Skala or Fiskardo, driven by the renter on engines up to 30 horsepower.
Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands at 781 square kilometres, and the coast runs to 254 kilometres of it, most of which has no road access at all. A kefalonia boat rental base states this at booking and puts it in the agreement.
That geography is the reason the rental trade exists here. The best beaches on the island sit under cliffs, and half of them are reached only from the water. Every kefalonia boat rental day is planned around it before the lines come off.
A handover takes fifteen to twenty minutes and covers the controls, the anchor, the fuel gauge, the safety locker and a chart with the permitted area marked. A kefalonia boat rental is quoted on that, and the listing says so plainly.
The season runs from the start of May to the middle of October, matching the island’s flight schedule and the ferry timetable.
Do you need a licence for a kefalonia boat rental?
Not for engines up to 30 horsepower, which Greek port regulations let any adult of 18 or over drive after a briefing. Above that the base checks an original national boat licence or sends a skipper.
The licence-free tier is what the Kefalonia market runs on, and the bases at Lixouri, Skala and Agia Efimia advertise it plainly. Every kefalonia boat rental day is planned around it before the lines come off.
Where a licence applies it is checked as the original document and photographed for the file, because the insurer asks for it on any claim. A kefalonia boat rental is quoted on that, and the listing says so plainly.
An International Certificate of Competence carried alongside a national licence in another language settles the question at the desk. This is what a kefalonia boat rental delivers along the sheltered east coast.
Photo identification stays with the base for the hire, and a second driver goes onto the agreement in writing.
What does a kefalonia boat rental cost?
From 130 to 250 euros a day for a licence-free 30-horsepower boat for four to six, 260 to 520 euros for a larger RIB with a skipper, and 600 to 2,000 euros for a crewed yacht or catamaran day.
Fuel is settled separately against the gauge on return. A coastal day on a small boat burns 20 to 45 euros of petrol and a powerful RIB burns 120 to 280. A kefalonia boat rental is quoted on that, and the listing says so plainly.
Half-day blocks of four hours cost 60 to 70 percent of the day rate, and the morning block is the one that matters in July and August. This is what a kefalonia boat rental delivers along the sheltered east coast.
A skipper, where optional, adds 100 to 190 euros and buys the local knowledge of where the wind sits on any given afternoon. The kefalonia boat rental fleet is prepared for it from May to mid-October.
A card deposit of 250 to 600 euros is held and released on return, stated at booking rather than at the pontoon.
Where are the rental bases?
Argostoli and Lixouri on the Livadi gulf, Sami and Agia Efimia on the east coast, Fiskardo in the north, Skala and Katelios in the south-east, and Lourdas on the south coast.
Argostoli is the island capital and sits at the head of a long inland gulf, which makes it sheltered but a long way from the open-coast beaches. This is what a kefalonia boat rental delivers along the sheltered east coast.
Lixouri faces it across the water on the Paliki peninsula and is the base for the red-sand beaches at Xi and Megas Lakos. The kefalonia boat rental fleet is prepared for it from May to mid-October.
Agia Efimia is the sheltered east-coast harbour and the practical base for the run north to Myrtos and Assos. A kefalonia boat rental starts with this settled at the handover.
Fiskardo in the far north is the yachting village and the closest point to Ithaca, at about four nautical miles across the channel.
Can you see Myrtos beach from a boat?
Yes, and it is the reason many parties hire. Myrtos is a 700-metre crescent of white pebble under 300-metre cliffs on the north-west coast, and the view from the water is the one the road viewpoint cannot give.
The beach shelves steeply and the water turns from white to turquoise to deep blue within twenty metres of the shore, which is what makes the colour. The kefalonia boat rental fleet is prepared for it from May to mid-October.
Anchoring is done outside the swim line on a calm morning, and the bay is open to the west so it closes out when the afternoon wind fills in. A kefalonia boat rental starts with this settled at the handover.
The road viewpoint above it is the photograph everybody knows, and the sea-level view is a different picture entirely. The kefalonia boat rental timetable is built on it rather than on the clock.
From Agia Efimia the run round the northern headland takes about ninety minutes in a licence-free boat and forty in a RIB.
What about Assos and the northern coast?
Assos is a village on a narrow isthmus with a Venetian fortress of 1593 on the peninsula behind it, 20 minutes north of Myrtos by boat, with a small harbour that takes a visiting day boat.
The fortress encloses 40 hectares on the headland and is one of the largest Venetian works in the Ionian, reached by a footpath from the village. A kefalonia boat rental starts with this settled at the handover.
The village itself was rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake with help from Paris, which is why the main square carries a French name. The kefalonia boat rental timetable is built on it rather than on the clock.
North of Assos the coast runs to Fiskardo past Dafnoudi and Emblisi, small white-pebble coves with no road down to most of them. Bases brief it on the pontoon before a kefalonia boat rental leaves.
Dafnoudi holds a sea cave where Mediterranean monk seals have been recorded, and boats keep their distance from it by law.
Can you cross to Ithaca?
From Fiskardo, on a larger boat with a skipper and a settled forecast, at about four nautical miles to Frikes or Kioni. Licence-free rental agreements exclude the crossing because the channel is open water.
Kioni and Frikes are small harbours on the north-east of Ithaca with tavernas on the quay and easy visitor mooring. The kefalonia boat rental timetable is built on it rather than on the clock.
The channel funnels the north-westerly and builds a short chop by mid-morning, which is exactly what a 5-metre open boat handles worst. Bases brief it on the pontoon before a kefalonia boat rental leaves.
The organised day cruises make the crossing daily in summer from Sami and Agia Efimia in vessels built for it. It decides which kefalonia boat rental class fits the party.
The excursion side sits at Kefalonia boat trips.
What does the south coast offer?
Skala’s long sand, Katelios, Lourdas and Trapezaki, Xi and Megas Lakos on the Paliki peninsula with their red clay cliffs, and the rock formations at Kounopetra.
Xi beach is the one people remember for the colour: fine red-orange sand under white clay cliffs that visitors use as a face mask. Bases brief it on the pontoon before a kefalonia boat rental leaves.
Kounopetra was a rocking stone that moved with the swell until the 1953 earthquake stopped it, and the rock is still there and still named for it. It decides which kefalonia boat rental class fits the party.
The south coast is where the loggerhead turtles nest, and boats keep off the marked stretches from June to August.
Argostoli harbour itself holds resident loggerheads that feed off the fishing boats, and they are visible from a tender at the quay.
How does the wind work here?
The maistro blows from the north-west through the Ionian summer, light in the morning and building from late morning to 15 to 25 knots by mid-afternoon. Mornings are the flat water and the afternoons are the run home.
The east coast between Sami and Fiskardo stays sheltered longest because the island’s own bulk takes the wind. It decides which kefalonia boat rental class fits the party.
The west coast, Myrtos included, takes the maistro head on and closes out first, which is why the northern run is a morning job. The kefalonia boat rental price reflects it, litre by litre.
Above force 6 the bases cancel outright, which happens on about one day in eight through July and August.
Squalls are rare in high summer and common in May and October, and the bases watch the forecast rather than the sky.
What is included and what is extra?
Included: the boat, third-party insurance, life jackets, an anchor, a bimini, a cooler with ice, a ladder and the briefing. Extra: fuel, the optional skipper, snorkel gear and a paddleboard.
Fuel is the line that catches people, settled at the pump price against the gauge, and on a big engine it rivals the hire itself. The kefalonia boat rental price reflects it, litre by litre.
Food is not supplied, and the supermarkets in Argostoli, Lixouri and Agia Efimia sit within a few minutes of the pontoons. A kefalonia boat rental fills first on that count in July and August.
Snorkel sets and paddleboards run 10 to 25 euros a day and come free with the larger boats on some fleets.
Mooring costs nothing at the village harbours on this island, which is one advantage the Ionian holds over the Cyclades.
What safety equipment and rules apply?
Life jackets for everyone including child sizes, an anchor and chain, a fire extinguisher, flares, a first-aid kit, a bailer, a torch, oars or a spare drive, and a radio or a waterproof phone pouch.
Anchoring goes outside the yellow swim buoys, on sand rather than seagrass, with the engine off and the ladder down before anyone enters the water. A kefalonia boat rental fills first on that count in July and August.
Posidonia seagrass is protected by law and anchoring in it is an offence, and the Ionian bottom carries a great deal of it. The kefalonia boat rental route is set by it more than by distance.
Children under twelve wear the jacket for the whole hire on most agreements, and the bases carry sizes from 15 kilos.
The base number and the coastguard number go into the phone before departure, and one adult stays aboard whenever the party swims ashore.
How do you book a kefalonia boat rental?
Three to seven days ahead in June and September and two weeks in August, stating the party size, whether a skipper is wanted and which class of boat. Free cancellation to 24 or 48 hours is standard.
Take the morning block. The maistro is an afternoon wind and the northern beaches are a morning destination. The kefalonia boat rental route is set by it more than by distance.
Confirm the fuel policy, the deposit figure and the permitted area for that boat, because all three vary between operators on the same quay. Renters on a kefalonia boat rental meet it within the first hour afloat.
Ask whether Myrtos is inside the permitted area on a licence-free boat, since some bases exclude the open west coast entirely.
Bring the licence original where the boat needs one, and the same card for the deposit as for the booking. The crewed end sits at Kefalonia yacht charter.
What boats can you hire on Kefalonia?
Licence-free open boats of 4.2 to 5.2 metres with 20 to 30 horsepower outboards, 6 to 9 metre RIBs with 100 to 250 horsepower, traditional wooden caiques with a skipper, and crewed sailing yachts and catamarans for full days.
The small open boat is the island workhorse: a bimini for shade, a cooler with ice, a boarding ladder and a sun pad forward, comfortable for four and workable for six. Renters on a kefalonia boat rental meet it within the first hour afloat.
RIBs earn their keep on the northern run, covering Agia Efimia to Myrtos and Assos in forty minutes rather than ninety and handling the chop on the exposed corner. That is the kefalonia boat rental difference against a shared cruise.
The wooden caiques run at 8 to 12 knots with proper shade and cushions, and they suit a family with small children or grandparents aboard.
Catamarans take eight to twelve guests with two crew and sail from Argostoli, Sami and Fiskardo rather than from a beach.
How much fuel does a day use?
A 30-horsepower boat working the sheltered east coast burns 8 to 18 litres, about 20 to 45 euros. A 200-horsepower RIB running north to Myrtos and Assos burns 50 to 110 litres, about 130 to 280 euros.
Throttle position rather than distance decides the bill. Cruising at 12 knots instead of 25 cuts consumption by roughly two thirds on the same route. That is the kefalonia boat rental difference against a shared cruise.
The gauge is photographed at handover and on return by the operators worth booking, which settles the reconciliation before it starts. A kefalonia boat rental carries the jackets and the ice for it.
Fixed fuel packages at a small premium suit a party that wants one figure for the day.
A boat returned empty is refuelled by the base and charged with a service fee on top, and every agreement states it.
Self-drive or with a skipper?
Self-drive suits a sheltered east-coast day between Sami and Agia Efimia. A skipper suits the northern run past Myrtos, any boat above 30 horsepower, a party with small children, and a first time afloat.
What the skipper sells is judgement: when the maistro will fill in, which cove holds flat water after noon, and where the shallow rock sits off the Fiskardo approach. A kefalonia boat rental carries the jackets and the ice for it.
The gap is 100 to 190 euros, which across six people is 17 to 32 each for a day nobody has to manage. The kefalonia boat rental season turns on this more than on the calendar.
Self-drive on a light forecast is straightforward here because the east coast runs straight and the harbours are close together.
Parties celebrating take the skippered boat for the plain reason that nobody then has to stay sober to drive it.
Who does a kefalonia boat rental suit?
Parties of four to eight staying between Argostoli and Fiskardo, families with teenagers, photographers after Myrtos from the water, and anyone who has already driven the island and wants the half of it the road misses.
The road is the argument. Kefalonia’s mountain roads are slow, Myrtos has one viewpoint and one car park, and the coves either side of it have no access at all. The kefalonia boat rental season turns on this more than on the calendar.
Families do best in a wide open hull with a bimini or a wooden boat with a skipper, where there is shade and a flat floor. A kefalonia boat rental base states this at booking and puts it in the agreement.
Couples get better value from a shared cruise, since a whole boat for two is an expensive way to reach a beach.
Groups take the RIB, run north in the morning and come back through Agia Efimia for a late lunch on the quay.
When is the best month to hire?
Late May to mid-June and September. The sea holds 23 to 26 degrees, the maistro is at its weakest, rates fall 20 to 30 percent and the northern coves hold almost nobody.
July and August are the windy, busy months, and the usable window narrows to the hours before lunch on most days. A kefalonia boat rental base states this at booking and puts it in the agreement.
September is the strongest month here, with warm water into October and mornings that stay glassy until eleven. Every kefalonia boat rental day is planned around it before the lines come off.
October runs on a day-by-day forecast and the fleets come out of the water by the middle of the month.
May is calm and cheap with the sea at 19 to 21 degrees, which suits a coastal day more than a swimming one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a licence to rent a boat in Kefalonia?
Not for engines up to 30 horsepower, which Greek port regulations let any adult of 18 or over drive after a briefing. Above that the base checks an original national boat licence or supplies a skipper.
What does a Kefalonia boat rental cost?
From 130 to 250 euros a day for a licence-free boat for four to six, 260 to 520 euros for a skippered RIB, and 600 to 2,000 euros for a crewed yacht or catamaran. Fuel is settled against the gauge on return.
Can you reach Myrtos beach by hire boat?
Yes on a calm morning. Myrtos is 700 metres of white pebble under 300-metre cliffs on the north-west coast, about 90 minutes from Agia Efimia in a licence-free boat, and the bay closes out when the afternoon wind fills in.