Corfù
Venetian fortresses astern, the turquoise coves of Paxos ahead, Corfu is the Ionian Sea's most elegant point of departure.
Why Charter a Yacht IN CORFÙ
Four centuries of Venice, the greenest island in Greece, and the gentlest sailing waters in the Mediterranean.
WHY CORFU IS ONE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN'S MOST REQUESTED CHARTER DESTINATIONS
A yacht charter Corfu departure opens the northern Ionian at its most refined: the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Corfu, shaped by four hundred years of the Republic of Venice, sits twenty minutes from Gouvia Marina, the island’s principal charter base. The season runs from May to October, and because the Ionian escapes the Aegean’s meltemi, even July and August offer settled, comfortable cruising. For those peak weeks the finest crewed yachts are confirmed months ahead, we recommend booking by the preceding winter.
The cruising ground reads like a highlight reel of Greece. North-east of Corfu Town lies a shoreline the British call Kensington-on-Sea, Kalami, where the Durrells’ White House still stands, the three waterside tavernas of Agni Bay, and the fishing village of Kouloura. Thirty nautical miles south wait Paxos and Antipaxos, whose Voutoumi beach rivals the Caribbean for colour. Eastward, the mainland offers Sivota’s islet-strewn lagoon and the amphitheatre town of Parga, while longer itineraries continue to Lefkada, Ithaca and Cephalonia through the heart of the Ionian Islands.
West Coast International selects each yacht available for charter in Corfu personally, crewed sailing yachts, catamarans and motor yachts based at Gouvia Marina and Corfu Town. As MYBA and ECPY members, we secure the berths that matter, tables at Agni Bay’s tavernas at the height of summer, and captains who know every anchorage from Kerasia to Antipaxos. To understand how a crewed charter works from enquiry to embarkation, speak with a broker.
chartering in CORFÙ
attractions & activities
Old Venetian Fortress
Agni Bay Tavernas
Kalami & the White House
Voutoumi Beach
Paxos Sea Caves
Gouvia Marina
Parga
Sivota Islets
Paleokastritsa
Best Time To Visit: The charter season runs from early May to the end of October. May and June bring wildflowers, empty anchorages and sea temperatures climbing towards 23°C; July and August are warmest, with the water reaching 26°C and the Varkarola festival lighting up Paleokastritsa in mid-August with boat processions and fireworks. September is many captains’ favourite month, warm sea, soft light, quiet harbours. Unlike the Aegean, the Ionian has no meltemi: a gentle north-westerly maistro rises most afternoons and fades by evening, ideal for relaxed sailing.
Key Cruising Areas:
Charters embark at Gouvia Marina, seven kilometres north of Corfu Town, with superyachts berthing at the town’s commercial port. The classic first day rounds the north-east coast, Kalami, Agni, Kouloura and Kerasia, all calm, deep and sheltered. Southbound, Paxos offers the harbours of Gaios, Loggos and Lakka plus west-coast sea caves, with Antipaxos’ twin beaches of Voutoumi and Vrika alongside. On the mainland shore, Sivota (Mourtos) shelters a lagoon of islets, and Parga a Venetian castle above golden sand. Ten-day routes reach Lefkada, Ithaca and Fiskardo on Cephalonia.
Don’t Miss: Take the tender into Agni Bay for lunch at a table set on the pebbles, water taxis have served these three tavernas for decades. Swim beneath the sea caves of western Paxos, then anchor off Voutoumi before the day boats arrive. Walk the Liston arcade and the Old Venetian Fortress in Corfu Town on your first evening. And time an anchorage off Paleokastritsa for sunset, when the monastery cliffs turn copper above the bay.
Best Spots for Wining and Dining: Etrusco, chef Ettore Botrini’s celebrated restaurant in Kato Korakiana, is widely regarded as the finest table in the Ionian, book before you board. On the water, Toula’s in Agni Bay is famed for its prawn pilaf, while The White House at Kalami serves dinner on the very terrace where Lawrence Durrell wrote. In Corfu Town, Rex has been an institution beside the Liston since 1932, and on Paxos, the waterfront tavernas of Loggos make the definitive long Greek lunch between swims.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
- Dine at Etrusco by Ettore Botrini, Kato Korakiana — the Ionian’s most acclaimed kitchen
- Lunch at Toula’s, Agni Bay, arriving by tender or water taxi
- Book the terrace at The White House, Kalami, once home to Lawrence Durrell
- Take an evening aperitif along the Liston, Corfu Old Town, beneath the Venetian arcades
- Swim at Voutoumi Beach, Antipaxos, before 11 am for the turquoise at its clearest
- Explore the sea caves of Paxos by tender along the island’s dramatic west coast
Enquiry now:
- CALL US - +44(0)7885 912 512
- charter@westcoastint.com
- Sterling House, Fulbourne Road, E17 4EE London UK
or Request Your Personal Proposal
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CORFÙ YACHT CHARTER ITINERARIES
Where to go & what to see
From a 7 day Corfu and Paxos loop to ten days deep into the Ionian, every itinerary is bespoke.
7 Days Yacht Charter Itinerary in CORFÙ
Embark at Gouvia Marina and spend day one on the north-east coast — a swim at Kerasia, dinner at Agni Bay. Sail south to Lakka on Paxos, then round the island’s sea caves to Gaios, with a full day anchored off Voutoumi on Antipaxos. Cross to the mainland for Sivota’s islet lagoon and Parga’s castle-topped bay before returning via Corfu Town for a final evening beneath the Old Fortress. Roughly ninety nautical miles, unhurried
10 Days Yacht Charter Itinerary in CORFÙ
Ten days extend the classic loop into the central Ionian. After Paxos and Antipaxos, continue south to Lefkada’s west-coast beaches, the fjord-like inlets of Sivota Lefkadas, and Fiskardo on Cephalonia, the Venetian harbour spared by the 1953 earthquake. Return by way of Ithaca’s Homeric coves and Parga, closing with a night off Corfu Old Town. A one-way disembarkation in Lefkada can also be arranged.
YOUR NEXT VACATION IS IN corfù
MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME
Evenings here have a particular texture: cicadas in the olive groves above the anchorage, the smell of grilled fish drifting from a taverna you reached by tender, the Venetian skyline of Corfu Town glowing across the channel. Days pass between swims in water so clear the anchor is visible at fifteen metres and long lunches that stretch until the maistro fades. It is Greece at its gentlest, and its most seductive.
the perfect yachts for the perfect escape
choose your yacht for your CORFÙ holiday
Every yacht type suits a luxury yacht charter Corfu departure: crewed sailing yachts and catamarans, motor yachts and superyachts. Monohull or catamaran, classic or contemporary, our brokers will match the yacht to your party, your dates and the pace of your ideal Ionian week.
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DISCOVER OTHER DESTINATIONS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
YACHT CHARTERING IN THE MEDITERRaNEAN
Yacht Charter ionian greece
Corfu is the northern gateway to the wider Ionian, Lefkada, Ithaca, Cephalonia and Zakynthos. Explore the full regional hub for routes, seasons and every charter base across these green, sheltered islands.
Yacht Charter Greece
From the Saronic Gulf to the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, Greece offers a lifetime of charter grounds. Compare regions, seasons and the national fleet in our complete guide to yacht charter in Greece.
Yacht Charter Montenegro
Barely a day’s cruise north of Corfu, Montenegro pairs the fjord-like Bay of Kotor with Porto Montenegro’s superyacht marina, a natural extension for guests combining the Ionian with the southern Adriatic on one charter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yacht Charter in CORFÙ
May to October, with June and September the ideal balance of warm sea, gentle winds and quiet anchorages. July and August are the warmest months, sea temperatures reach 26°C, and the liveliest ashore, including the Varkarola festival at Paleokastritsa in mid-August. The best time to charter for value and space is late May or early October.
The classic route covers Corfu and the surrounding islands: Paxos (Gaios, Lakka, Loggos), Antipaxos, and the mainland harbours of Sivota and Parga. Longer charters continue south of Corfu to Lefkada, Ithaca and Cephalonia. Preveza on the mainland can serve as an alternative start or end point for one-way itineraries.
Sailing yachts and catamarans dominate the local fleet at Gouvia Marina, alongside crewed motor yachts and visiting superyachts berthed at Corfu Town. Catamarans are especially popular here for their shallow draft, perfect for the beaches of Antipaxos, while a crewed monohull remains the purist’s way to sail the Ionian.
The Charter Fee includes the exclusive use of the yacht, the services of the professional crew, crew wages and meals, yacht insurance, ship’s linen laundry, and all standard onboard equipment in working order. Operating expenses such as fuel, guest food and beverages, marina fees, local taxes, communications, and other charter-related expenses are not included and are covered through the Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA), together with any applicable VAT and delivery/redelivery fees.
One week, typically Saturday to Saturday, in July and August. In May, June, September and October many owners accept four- or five-day bookings, which comfortably cover Paxos, Antipaxos and the north-east coast. Day charters to Agni Bay and Antipaxos are available on selected motor yachts.
Corfù International Airport (CFU) sits just three kilometres from Corfu Town, Gouvia Marina is a twenty-minute transfer. Direct seasonal flights arrive from across Europe, with year-round connections via Athens. Most charters embark at Gouvia; superyachts board guests at Corfu Town’s port, and your broker arranges every transfer, by car or taxi boat.
The most forgiving in Greece. The Ionian Sea has no meltemi; instead, a light north-westerly maistro builds in the early afternoon and dies at dusk, leaving calm mornings for passages and flat evenings at anchor. Distances are short, Paxos is thirty nautical miles from Gouvia, which is why Corfu suits families and first-time charter guests so well.
Unquestionably. The Old Town of Corfu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its Liston arcade and twin Venetian fortresses reflecting four centuries under the Republic of Venice, the only major Greek island never taken by the Ottomans. Among the best things to do in Corfu is an evening passeggiata along the Spianada before your first night aboard.
Yes. Ten-day itineraries reach Lefkada, Ithaca and Cephalonia within Ionian Greece, while northbound routes cross to Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor in a day’s cruise. Guests wanting the Aegean instead, the Saronic Gulf or Cyclades, usually charter from Athens; our 12-day Saronic Greece itinerary shows that alternative.
