Kalamos Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Kalamos 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.

The Kalamos-Kastos strait gusts in strong NW winds and summer katabatic winds fall off the high mountains, so plan for sudden gusts.

Ashore: The deserted village of Port Leone, abandoned after the 1953 Ionian earthquake destroyed its water supply, with only its church remaining, and pine and eucalyptus walks across a quiet, green island.

Kalamos is the green, quiet island of the inner Ionian, off the mainland coast south-east of Lefkada and a morning from Meganisi, and it is where a Lefkada week goes when it wants no crowds at all.

Port Kalamos on the east side is two and a half to four metres over mud and weed with good holding and room for about thirty yachts, good in everything but an easterly or south-easterly; Port Leone, the bay of the village abandoned after the 1953 earthquake, is six to seven metres in the south cove with a line ashore; Episkopi on the north coast is two and a half metres at the quay for five or six yachts in settled weather.

Those depths decide the hull: a catamaran or a motor yacht under 25 metres fits, a large yacht does not.

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.

Where can a yacht anchor at Kalamos?

Kalamos has 3 anchorages in this guide: Port Kalamos (east side, village), Port Leone (abandoned-village bay), Episkopi (north coast). Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

How deep are the anchorages at Kalamos?

Port Kalamos (east side, village) 2.5-4m; Port Leone (abandoned-village bay) 6-7m in the south cove, with a line ashore; Episkopi (north coast) 2.5m at the quay. Depths are typical sand-bottom anchoring depths; the captain drops on current chart data.

What is the holding like at Kalamos?

Port Kalamos (east side, village): Mud and weed, good. Port Leone (abandoned-village bay): Sand and weed, good. Episkopi (north coast): Sand and weed, good.

When is the best time to anchor at Kalamos?

Kalamos stays quieter than Lefkada and Meganisi even in July and August, because the harbours are small and the island has no marina. The summer wind is the north-westerly afternoon sea breeze, the Maistro, which builds after midday and eases overnight, and the Kalamos-Kastos strait gusts hard in a strong north-westerly; katabatic winds fall off the high mountains at night, so the anchor is set with that in mind. May, June and September are the months to come, 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 Kalamos?

Port Kalamos, two and a half to four metres over mud and weed, is the sheltered base in all but an easterly or south-easterly, when the swell makes it uncomfortable and, if strong, untenable; the taverna owner acts as informal harbourmaster. Port Leone, six to seven metres in the south cove with a line ashore, is good in the prevailing west and north-west and open to the east, with evening gusts in the cove. Episkopi is settled weather only. Vlicho Bay on Lefkada, five to seven metres over mud and protection from every direction, is the all-weather bolt-hole of the area. 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