Antipaxos Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Antipaxos sits in the Ionian.

The Ionian is mild in summer, with a northwesterly afternoon sea breeze (the Maistro) that builds in the afternoon and eases overnight; katabatic gusts can fall into some bays at night.

It is the gentlest of the Greek cruising grounds.

This guide covers the island's main anchorages with the practical detail charterers and captains actually use: depth where a published cruising source documents it, holding, and shelter direction.

Where a figure was not documented we say so rather than guess.

Antipaxos has no marina, water or fuel, and all vessels anchor offshore on the east coast; the bays suit settled weather and day visits rather than an overnight stop in any wind.

Ashore: The Caribbean-like turquoise water of Vrika (white sand) and Voutoumi (pebble) beaches, vineyards producing local wine, and a couple of seasonal tavernas on an island with only a handful of permanent residents.

Antipaxos is the day the family week is remembered for: the two records, Vrika at four to eight metres over sand with good holding and Voutoumi at five to ten over sand, are adequate from the north-west and exposed under a southerly, and both are settled-weather anchorages for the day rather than the night.

Paxos is a few miles north and takes the night: Gaios behind St Nicholas island, six to eight metres in the channel, or Mongonisi at three to six over mud with good shelter.

Corfu is 35 nautical miles from Paxos on our distance table and Lefkada 50, so Antipaxos sits in the middle of either loop.

The hull for these depths is a catamaran, which draws little and lies close to the beach; on the Greek Charter Index 2026 a fully crewed sailing catamaran for eight runs from EUR 17,000 a week at 15 metres and EUR 18,900 to 48,000 at 16 to 19, per yacht before VAT and APA, and ARIVA, a Fountaine Pajot Power 67 with five cabins for ten, is based in Corfu on her own listing at EUR 34,000 to 48,000.

The Meltemi never reaches the Ionian.

Where can a yacht anchor at Antipaxos?

Antipaxos has 2 anchorages in this guide: Vrika (north coast), Voutoumi (NE coast). Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

Which Antipaxos anchorages are sheltered from the meltemi, the summer north wind?

Vrika (north coast): Adequate from NW, exposure increases under southerlies. Voutoumi (NE coast): Adequate from NW, limited under southerlies.

How deep are the anchorages at Antipaxos?

Vrika (north coast) 4-8m; Voutoumi (NE coast) 5-10m. Depths are typical sand-bottom anchoring depths; the captain drops on current chart data.

What is the holding like at Antipaxos?

Vrika (north coast): Sand, good. Voutoumi (NE coast): Sand, generally good.

When is the best time to anchor at Antipaxos?

Vrika and Voutoumi fill with day boats from Paxos and Corfu by late morning in July and August, so the yacht that wants the beaches to itself arrives at breakfast and leaves for lunch. The summer wind is the north-westerly afternoon sea breeze, the Maistro, which builds after midday; both bays are adequate in it and neither is a night anchorage in any wind. May, June and September are the months the water is the same colour and the beaches are empty, and on the Greek Charter Index the shoulder months price 15 to 25% below peak on the same rate card with three to four months of lead time rather than a year.

What does the captain plan around at Antipaxos?

Anchor at Voutoumi, five to ten metres over sand, or Vrika, four to eight, early, on sand, and plan to leave for Paxos before the breeze builds or the moment the wind goes south. There is no marina, water or fuel; the yacht provisions at Gaios. The night is Gaios, six to eight metres in the channel behind St Nicholas island, or Mongonisi, three to six metres over mud, both a few miles north; Lakka, three to four metres over sand, when the forecast is light. Depths and holding here follow published cruising sources; the captain confirms the anchor drop against current charts on arrival.

Cyclades

Saronic

Ionian

Sporades

Dodecanese

Crete