Ithaca Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Ithaca 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.

Ashore: Vathy's archaeological museum, the Cave of the Nymphs, the Fountain of Arethusa, and the Homeric associations of Odysseus's Ithaca.

Ithaca is the quiet island of the Lefkada week: 20 nautical miles from Lefkada on our distance table and 10 from Fiskardo on Kefalonia, so it is a morning from either and the passages are short enough that the yacht is anchored before the afternoon breeze.

Vathy, the main harbour, is three and a half to four metres, which decides the hull: a catamaran or a motor yacht under 30 metres lies to the quay, a larger yacht anchors off the town in good holding.

Frikes on the north-east is ten to twelve metres over sand and weed on the breakwater, the Aetos coves around ten metres over sand and weed with excellent holding, and Kioni, the prettiest village, takes a line ashore.

On the Greek Charter Index 2026 a fully crewed sailing catamaran for eight runs EUR 18,900 to 48,000 a week at 16 to 19 metres, a motor yacht of 18 to 25 metres EUR 17,500 to 47,500, per yacht before VAT and APA.

The Meltemi never reaches the Ionian.

Where can a yacht anchor at Ithaca?

Ithaca has 4 anchorages in this guide: Vathy (Port Vathi, main harbour, E coast), Frikes, Agios Ilias / Aetos coves, Kioni (NE). Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

How deep are the anchorages at Ithaca?

Vathy (Port Vathi, main harbour, E coast) 3.5-4m; Frikes 10-12m; Agios Ilias / Aetos coves around 10m. Depths are typical sand-bottom anchoring depths; the captain drops on current chart data.

What is the holding like at Ithaca?

Vathy (Port Vathi, main harbour, E coast): Good anchorage off the town, with quay berthing. Frikes: Sand and weed, good. Agios Ilias / Aetos coves: Sand and weed, excellent.

When is the best time to anchor at Ithaca?

Vathy fills fast in July and August with the Lefkada and Kefalonia charter fleets, and a crew that wants the quay arrives early; Kioni fills earlier still. The summer wind is the north-westerly afternoon sea breeze, the Maistro, which builds after midday and eases overnight, with afternoon chop in Vathy and gusts from the north-west at Kioni; Frikes is the one to avoid in an easterly. May, June and September are the months the island is itself, 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 Ithaca?

Vathy for the town, three and a half to four metres at the quay or the anchorage off it with good holding, relatively sheltered in the prevailing west and north-west with an afternoon chop; the Aetos coves on the same coast, around ten metres over sand and weed with excellent holding, for the quiet swim and the night away from the quay. Frikes, ten to twelve metres on the breakwater, is vulnerable to ferry wash and to an easterly funnelling in. Kioni is sheltered from everything but the rare east-south-easterly, with gusts from the north-west, and the anchorage opposite the quay is unreliable without a line ashore. Fiskardo on Kefalonia is ten miles and an all-round shelter. 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