Kastos Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Kastos 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: A quiet, barely-developed low island of very old olive trees, figs and prickly pear, the 19th-century Church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos, and the Fokotrypa (Seal Hole) sea cave with an internal sandy beach.

Kastos is the smallest inhabited island of the inner Ionian, a low green strip of old olive trees beside Kalamos, and the quietest night of a Lefkada week.

The three records: the port and main bay on the south-east, good shelter from most directions except east and south-east, room for twelve to fifteen yachts and often full by mid-afternoon in high season, with the summer katabatic gusts off Kalamos at night; Sarakiniko on the north-west coast, six to seven metres over sand with good holding, the all-weather refuge when a strong easterly makes the harbour untenable and poor in the prevailing north-west; the Prasonisi islet anchorage near the port, four to five metres over sand, good from the prevailing north-west with a possible north-easterly swell on the night land breeze, the approach carrying just under five metres.

Those depths decide the hull: a catamaran or a motor yacht under 25 metres.

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 and EUR 31,500 to 43,500 at 20 to 22, per yacht before VAT and APA.

Where can a yacht anchor at Kastos?

Kastos has 3 anchorages in this guide: Kastos port / main bay (SE side), Sarakiniko bay (NW coast), Prasonisi islet anchorage (near the port). Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

How deep are the anchorages at Kastos?

Sarakiniko bay (NW coast) 6-7m; Prasonisi islet anchorage (near the port) 4-5m. Depths are typical sand-bottom anchoring depths; the captain drops on current chart data.

What is the holding like at Kastos?

Sarakiniko bay (NW coast): Sand, good. Prasonisi islet anchorage (near the port): Sand, reasonable.

When is the best time to anchor at Kastos?

Kastos is quiet even in July and August because the harbour takes a dozen yachts and there is nothing else; it fills by mid-afternoon and the late arrival anchors off Prasonisi. 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 with katabatic winds off Kalamos at night. 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 Kastos?

The port for the village and the windmill, arriving early, good in everything but an easterly; Prasonisi, four to five metres over sand with the approach at just under five, for the late arrival and the prevailing north-westerly, the night land breeze expected; Sarakiniko on the north-west, six to seven metres over sand inside the islet, only when a strong easterly makes the harbour untenable or in settled weather and southerlies, never in the prevailing north-west. Vlicho Bay on Lefkada is the all-weather 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