Sailing the Ionian Islands
8 Days Starting and ending in 39.625056,19.920341
Visiting: Greece
Tour operator:
Tour code:
607
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 10
Age range:
18-90
Special diets catered:
Please advise requests
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
This 8-day sailing trip will take you a seabound adventure, through the idyllic Ionian Islands, known for their green landscapes and small, secluded bays and coves. During your trip, you'll travel onboard one of our traditional gulets, spending the week at sea with stops in Sivota, Parga, Paxos and Antipaxos (Gaios and Lakka), not to mention the Old Town of Corfu from where this trip starts and ends.
Starting out in Corfu, our first stop will be Kassiopi, a fishing village on the north of the island. Leaving the main island of Corfu behind, we'll sail south, where we'll make stops in Sivota and Mourtos where we'll sail to the Blue Lagoon and visit the famous Pananikolis cave. Continuing south, we'll visit Parga, known as one of the most beautiful villages in Greece. Changing course, we head to the South West, where we'll find Paxos. We'll visit Paxos, Antipaxos and Lakka Paxos, all known for their white beaches, turqouise seas and vibrant taveras which can be found lining the coast line.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Day 1: Embark In Corfu
Accommodation Name: Our Corfu cruise starts on Saturdays, at 17:00.Disembarkation, also takes place on Saturdays, exactly one week after embarkation, at 09:00.With this in mind, we start our journey from Corfu’s Old Port, which is full of Greek tavernas, local product market
Day 2 : Day 2: Sailing Around Sivota And Mourtos Islands
Accommodation Name: The Ionian Islands are the wettest of the Greek islands, so forget about the typical rugged, rocky coasts of Greece.The Ionian Sea will amaze you with its lush forests, green hills covered with olive groves, crystal clear waters and sparkling white beache
Day 3 : Day 3: Exploring Parga
Accommodation Name: Parga has been described as one of the most beautiful villages in Greece and undoubtingly, as the most beautiful in the Ionian Sea!With its two crystal clear bays, each on both sides of the village,its famous Venetian castle, and its numerous bars and wat
Day 4 : Day 4: Hidden Antipaxos
Accommodation Name: The small island of Antipaxos is a true hidden gem and will be, a one-of-a-kind experience, for you!While here, we fuel up with lunch, before stopping for some coastal relaxation, at some of the island’s most secluded and tranquil bays, which are home to
Day 5 : Day 5: Beautiful Paxos
Accommodation Name: Until recently, Paxos was best known for its excellent olive oil, which is rumored to be one of the world’s, best varieties!Enjoy the lush green scenery of this tiny island, by renting a bicycle or a bike and head to any of its secluded coves to spend an
Day 6 : Day 6: Paxos Island
Accommodation Name: This part of Paxos Island is packed with secluded coves and sea caves.A true dream, for any sea explorer!Lakka is home to a small but vibrant village with shallow waters, known as a diving hotspot, for those who want to discover the Ionian Sea, by explori
Day 7 : Day 7: Return To Corfu Old Town
Accommodation Name: We arrive at Corfu’s Old Port, in the afternoon, which means that we will have enough time, to roam around its new and Old Town!Head to the old Venetian fortress to see the city from up high, or walk through the Old Town, admiring its gems, if of course,
Day 8 : Day 8: Departure Day
Accommodation Name: As we have successfully cruised around Corfu and its island complex, this is our departure day..We say goodbye to each other, take some last photos and head back!Hopefully, though, we will see you again. Until then, we wish you all the best!<STRONG> OVER
What's Included
What's Not Included
Mode of Transport
Gulet cruises and itineraries are subject to alterations while en-route or before departure. These are subject to the final decision of the boat captain and out of our control and may be made at short notice due to weather conditions, the number of other boats in certain bays or other practical reasons. The same overall experience will be maintained.
Check out our Q&As
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
Yes, but only if you wish to secure a private single cabin. Please enquire for details.
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Accessibility
The boats we use are not suitable for passengers with special mobility needs. Embarkation gangways do not fit all types of wheelchairs and cabin bathrooms and staircases have restricted space and are generally unsuitable for people with limited mobility. If you have other physical disabilities please contact us with any queries. It is expected that any passengers requiring special attention, assistance or treatment will be travelling with an escort.
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
No, airport transfers are not included within the trip price
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Are flights included in this tour?
No, international flights to/from Corfu are not included
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Can you tell me more about Gulets in Greece?
Spending a few days on a traditional gulet (a handmade, motorised wooden yacht) is one of the highlights of exploring the Greek Islands. You can enjoy plenty of swimming and snorkelling and explore loads of natural and historical sites along the way. As you cruise you can sunbathe on the deck, or read a book or play games on the cushioned seating in the shadow of the aft deck.
Most of the gulets we use feature an interior salon/bar area, both indoor and outdoor eating areas, and a fully equipped galley. The gulets we use in Greece generally carry up to 25 passengers, in 9 cabins (on our Mykonos Gulet, we use a larger vessel carrying up to 46 passengers). All cabins have ensuite toilet & shower facilities. Single or twin bedded cabins are not generally available unless we have an odd number of people travelling so be prepared for a same-sex room share if you are travelling alone. This being said, many people choose to sleep under the beautiful Mediterranean sky on mattresses on the deck, and only use their cabins as a wardrobe.
The gulets we use are motorised pleasure craft with sails, and while they can manoevre under sail, the majority of the time the motor will be used. This is particularly the case during July and August when winds are very low. Strong winds also cause them to bank steeply and so time actually under sail is generaly very limited. These are not sailing vessels where you are expected to help with the rigging or take part in sailing as an activity.
The gulets come with facilities for both outdoor and indoor dining. There are freezers to keep drinks cold, a CD/cassette player (so bring your music!), snorkels and masks, fishing lines and some board games.
You will need to bring your own beach towel and other personal items with you. Charging points are available for your electronic devices in your cabin (you will need to bring an adapter).
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What is the maximum group size?
The maximum ship capacity is 25 guests
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Is travel insurance compulsory?
Yes! Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our tours and needs to cover personal accident & liability, medical expenses and repatriation, travel delay & abandonment. We also strongly recommend that you take out cover against cancellation and lost/stolen baggage. Personal medical insurance does not normally provide sufficient cover and is generally not suitable for travel on our tours. You will not be able to join your tour if you have not provided us with details of your insurance or if you arrive without cover in place (no refunds will be due in this event).
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
You are always able to change your travel date. However, some charges may apply depending on how long before your departure you make the change. Our flexible booking conditions and reduced charges will apply if you are changing date because of a Covid-19 reason or because your government is advising against travel to your destination. Please check our detailed booking conditions for full details.
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When is my balance payment due?
60 days prior to departure
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
On most of our group tours, solo travellers may choose to form a temporary 'tour bubble' and share a room with another traveller of the same sex in the group. If a room share is not available then a single room supplement may be payable, with the costs for these kept as low as possible. We have also removed compulsory single supplements from many of our tours, and are reducing the cost by 50% on s
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Can I transfer my booking to someone else?
Customers may transfer their booking or any Credit on File to another person who satisfies all the relevant conditions to the tour, provided that we are notified not less than 7 days before departure, and the transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. The Client and new booker are jointly and severally responsible for any outstanding payments and a transfer administration fee of GBP50 / USD75 / CAD100 / AUD100 / NZD100 / EUR75 / ZAR1000 / INR5000 or GBP100 / USD150 / CAD200 / AUD200 / NZD200 / EUR150 / ZAR2000 / INR10,000 if the transfer is made less than 60 days before departure. Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended or transferred after they have been confirmed (for example flight tickets, Gorilla Permits) and any alteration could incur a cancellation and rebooking charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Encounters Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform encounters travel, 60 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Encounters Travel requires a minimum deposit of 150 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of encounters travel charges.
Up to 61 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 35% of booking price.
At 41 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.
At 27 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.