The northern variant of the Ionian, from Corfu, blends islands and mainland: the turquoise water of Paxos and Antipaxos, the postcard village of Parga clinging to its cliff, and the green coves of southern Corfu. Around 110 miles in a loop, a steady NW breeze, and a single genuinely exposed passage, the crossing to Paxos. Accessible from intermediate level, gorgeous with a family. Full detail below, anchorages, plan B options and variations included.
In brief
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base | Corfu (Gouvia); Preveza or Lefkada variant |
| Access | Fly to Corfu (CFU); base 15 min away |
| Total distance | ~110 NM (loop) |
| Sailing time | ~24 h over 6 sailing days |
| Duration | 7 days / 6 nights |
| Level | Intermediate, accessible to supervised beginners |
| Recommended boat | 40-46 ft monohull or catamaran |
| Best time | May to October |
| Winds | Maestro from NW, 10-18 kt in the afternoon |
| Indicative budget | ~700 to 1,100 € per person all in |
Explore the stops
Approximate destination locations for trip planning. Use current nautical charts and local information for navigation.
Corfu · Sivota · Paxos · Antipaxos · Parga · Petriti · Kassiopi
Weather month by month
| Month | Wind | Air | Sea | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | Light | 22-24° | 19-20° | Calm |
| June | Moderate | 26-28° | 22-23° | Ideal |
| July | Maestro 12-18 kt | 30-32° | 24-25° | Ideal, breezy |
| August | Steady maestro | 30-33° | 25-26° | Book early |
| September | Easing | 26-28° | 24-25° | Ideal |
| October | Variable | 22-25° | 22-23° | End of season |
What to understand about the area
A single exposed crossing. The hop from Corfu or the mainland to Paxos runs across more open water, best in the morning before the maestro freshens. The rest of the route is sheltered and coastal.
Antipaxos, by day only. Its turquoise beaches (Vrika, Voutoumi) offer no safe overnight shelter; anchor there for a swim and lunch, then sleep at Paxos.
Parga is not a marina. You anchor in the bay off the village, holding variable; in a westerly, prefer the neighbouring Valtos bay.
Day by day
Day 1: Corfu (Gouvia) to Mourtos (mainland Sivota), 18 NM, ~4 h
Sailing: down the Corfu channel, sail in the afternoon. A relaxed shakedown.
Anchorage: the Sivota (Mourtos) archipelago, small islets and sheltered coves, anchor or quay.
Plan B: Petriti bay on southern Corfu.
Warning: shallows between the Sivota islets, enter by eye.
Day 2: Mourtos to Paxos (Lakka), 15 NM, ~3 h
Sailing: crossing to Paxos, best done in the morning.
Anchorage: Lakka bay to the north, round and well protected, anchor on sand.
Plan B: Gaios harbour, right to the south, a channel sheltered behind St Nicholas islet.
Warning: Lakka can fill up, arrive in the early afternoon.
Day 3: Paxos (Gaios) and Antipaxos, 10 NM, ~2 h
Sailing: a short run down to Antipaxos for a swim, then a night at Gaios.
Anchorage: a day at Vrika or Voutoumi (Antipaxos), night in the Gaios channel (Paxos).
Plan B: Loggos, a lovely little Paxos harbour.
Warning: Antipaxos is open, do not stay overnight.
Day 4: Paxos to Parga (mainland), 12 NM, ~3 h
Sailing: across to the mainland and the village of Parga.
Anchorage: the bay off Parga or the neighbouring Valtos bay, anchor.
Plan B: back to anchor on the Paxos side if a westerly gets up.
Warning: the Parga roadstead is exposed to westerly swell.
Day 5: Parga to southern Corfu (Petriti / Notos), 22 NM, ~5 h
Sailing: back up toward Corfu, a fine sail on the maestro.
Anchorage: Petriti, a quiet fishing harbour, or Notos bay.
Plan B: Kavos, at the very south of the island.
Warning: the longest leg with Day 6, leave early.
Day 6: southern Corfu to the north-east (Kalami / Kassiopi), 20 NM, ~4 h
Sailing: along the east coast of Corfu, the greenest.
Anchorage: Kalami bay (Durrell's house) or Kassiopi harbour to the north.
Plan B: Agni, a taverna cove next to Kalami.
Warning: ferry traffic in the Corfu channel, keep a VHF watch.
Day 7: back to Gouvia, 12 NM, ~2 h 30
Sailing: an easy run down to the base. Refuel before handover.
Variations and personalisation
Beginner / family version. Stay in the triangle southern Corfu, Sivota, Paxos, with legs of 2 to 3 h and long swims at Antipaxos.
Experienced version. Carry on south to Lefkada and Meganisi, merging with the Southern Ionian itinerary over 9 to 10 days.
One-way Corfu to Lefkada variant. Superb as a one-way: Corfu, Paxos, Parga, Sivota, Lefkada, dropping the boat at Lefkas (check one-way availability with the operator).
By season. May-June and September for calm; July-August for a firm maestro and warm water.
Summary table
| Day | Leg | NM | Time (~5 kn) | Anchorage | Shelter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Corfu to Mourtos | 18 | ~4 h | Sivota (Mourtos) | Good |
| D2 | Mourtos to Paxos | 15 | ~3 h | Lakka | Very good |
| D3 | Paxos and Antipaxos | 10 | ~2 h | Gaios | Good |
| D4 | Paxos to Parga | 12 | ~3 h | Parga / Valtos | Moderate |
| D5 | Parga to southern Corfu | 22 | ~5 h | Petriti | Good |
| D6 | Southern Corfu to Kalami | 20 | ~4 h | Kalami / Kassiopi | Good |
| D7 | Kalami to Gouvia | 12 | ~2 h 30 | Base | n/a |
| Total | ~110 | ~24 h |
Practical checklist
- Licence: coastal licence plus ICC plus VHF Short Range Certificate.
- Paxos crossing: time it for the morning, before the maestro.
- TEPAI and the usual papers on board.
- Provisioning: shop at Corfu and Gaios, more limited elsewhere.
Booking and preparation
- Compare boats available from Corfu (Gouvia).
- Consider charter insurance (deposit waiver).
- Flights: Paris to Corfu (CFU).
- Ashore: Antipaxos beaches, Parga village and its castle, east-coast Corfu coves.
See also: the guide Sailing the Ionian Islands, the Southern Ionian itinerary and the Paxos weekend.
A word from the crew
Logbook. The northern Ionian is the turquoise of Antipaxos at lunch and the silhouette of Parga at sunset. We love this week for its blend, island and mainland, swimming and villages.
The mistake to avoid. Crossing to Paxos in mid-afternoon. The maestro raises a short chop on that open water; leave in the morning, it's flat.
Our favourite, and what we skip. Favourite: Lakka bay on Paxos, a round, safe anchorage. What we skip: cramming into Gaios in high season, Lakka and Loggos are gentler.
Our verdict. Beauty 5/5. Anchorages 4/5. Ease 4/5. Crowds 3/5. Verdict: the finest gateway to the Ionian, between turquoise islands and mainland villages.
Nautical data: Ionian distance tables, harbour offices of Corfu and Paxos. Weather: HNMS, 2025 averages. Holding at Parga and Antipaxos to confirm against an up-to-date pilot.
