ITHAKI ISLAND

 CRUISE THE IONIAN ISLANDS

The island of Ithaki has been inhabited from the second millenium BC and it’s believed that it once was a capital island of the kingdom ruled by Odysseus, as mentioned in the Homer’s epic Odyssey. Like many other islands in the Ionian archipelago it once belonged to the Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Turks, the Venetians, the French and the British.

Despite its famous role in the world literature, Ithaki has seen little visits from tourists, even less than the neighbouring island of Kefalonia. That is why celebrities often come here for their much needed time off in anonymity. Ithaki is also the place where many Athenians have built their summer homes and who else can you trust when it comes to the quality and beauty of a holiday destination if not locals?

Ithaki Villages

The famous villages of Ithaki are Vathý, the capital of the island, where you can visit Maritime, Folkloric and Archeological Museums. Here you will also find Cathedral of Ithaki with its wood carved iconostasis, as well as the Church of Agios Nikolaos Xenon with the icon of Jesus painted by Greece’s most famous painter El Greco. The advantage of visiting on a yacht charter is that you can also see the tiny island of Lazarétto, right across the Vathý, which once served as a sanatorium and prison.

The village of Perahóri is where you will find the most of medieval ruins, the village of Stavrós hosts another Archeological Museum and a Anoyí is full of upright stones some as high as eight meters. Kioni is a sheltered village in the bay, established in the 16th century, whose shores and small ports are now filled with tavernas.

IthaKa Beaches

The coast of the Ithaki is as varied as its past. There are sandy, rocky and pebbled beaches, some are crowded with visitors and some are completely deserted. Most of Ithaki beaches can only be reached from the sea on a yacht charter, this includes the most beautiful of them - Platia Ammos, Aphales and Gidaki.

Filiatro beach is famous for its warm and crystal waters perfect for families with small children, full of trees that lean towards the sea and create natural shade from the sun.

Dexa is one of the most popular beaches due to its closeness to Vathý and is a perfect destination for those who like to enjoy their drinks in the comfort of a beach bar.

You can have your meal in one of the tavernas right by the water and listen to the waves and crickets singing in cacophony. Here you can enjoy the homemade bread, authentic feta cheese with mediterranean spices and creamy Greek yoghurt.

On Ithaki you are more likely to meet a local or a Greek on his vacation than a tourist. Homer may have advertised it well, but it still remains one of the Ionian archipelago’s best kept secrets. Book our yacht charter to discover the beauty of Ithaki.

SELECT ISLAND CRUISES

Spend your summer vacation on a charter yacht, enjoy the luxury of planning your time and your route however you wish and sail across the Ionian sea on your own terms.