Kefalonia Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Kefalonia 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: The Melissani underground lake and Drogarati cave (from Agia Efimia and Sami), Assos with its Venetian fortress, and Myrtos beach.

Kefalonia is the largest island of the Ionian and the second half of the Lefkada week: 25 nautical miles from Lefkada on our distance table, 10 from Ithaca and 35 from Zakynthos.

The four records cover the island's four uses.

Fiskardo at the north-east tip, eight to fifteen metres over sand and weed, all-round shelter, the prettiest harbour and the most crowded, a second anchoring attempt often helping on the patchy holding; Sami Bay, ten to twenty metres with good holding, sheltered from north to west and exposed from south to east, the gateway to the Melissani and Drogarati caves; Argostoli outer bay, eight to fifteen metres over mud with very good holding, the capital for provisioning; Agia Efimia on the east coast, mud, weed and rock with plenty of scope and afternoon gusts.

The Meltemi never reaches the Ionian, and the hull for the week is a catamaran: ARIVA, a Fountaine Pajot Power 67 with five cabins for ten, is based in the Ionian at Corfu on her own listing at EUR 34,000 to 48,000 a week.

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 Kefalonia?

Kefalonia has 4 anchorages in this guide: Fiskardo (NE tip), Sami Bay, Argostoli outer bay, Agia Efimia (E coast). Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

How deep are the anchorages at Kefalonia?

Fiskardo (NE tip) 8-15m; Sami Bay 10-20m; Argostoli outer bay 8-15m. Depths are typical sand-bottom anchoring depths; the captain drops on current chart data.

What is the holding like at Kefalonia?

Fiskardo (NE tip): Sand and weed, good but patchy in places. Sami Bay: Good. Argostoli outer bay: Mud, very good. Agia Efimia (E coast): Mud, weed and rock, not everywhere good, use plenty of scope.

When is the best time to anchor at Kefalonia?

Fiskardo is full every evening in July and August with the Lefkada and Ithaca fleets, and the yacht that wants the harbour arrives early or sleeps in the Aetos coves on Ithaca ten miles away; Argostoli and Sami are quieter. The summer wind is the north-westerly afternoon sea breeze, the Maistro, which builds after midday and eases overnight, with afternoon gusts at Agia Efimia; the Meltemi never arrives. 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 Kefalonia?

Fiskardo for the harbour night, in eight to fifteen metres, early, with the patience for a second anchoring attempt; Sami Bay for the caves, sheltered north to west, and Argostoli, eight to fifteen metres over mud, for the capital and the chef's provisioning; Agia Efimia with plenty of scope and the afternoon gusts expected. Zakynthos is a 35 mile morning south and a day, not a night: Navagio is left as soon as the wind picks up and the yacht returns to Argostoli or sleeps in the port of Zakynthos. Vlicho Bay on Lefkada, 25 miles north, 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