Cruise to the Ionian Islands with the sailing yacht ''Velos''

The Ionian Sea is one of the most idyllic cruising areas of the Mediterranean. Crystal clear turquoise waters, charming little villages, spectacular countryside, and a pleasant north-westerly breeze which rarely exceeds force 5, make it a sailor’s paradise! It is located on the western side of mainland Greece and it stretches all the way from Corfu in the north to Zante in the south. The Ionian Sea is one of our favorite cruising areas, so we’ll try to describe the islands for you here, although it’s difficult to put in words their real beauty!

• Central Ionian Islands: Lefkas, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Meganisi, Kalamos, Kastos, Atokos, Arkoudi, Skorpios
• Northern Ionian Islands: Corfu, Paxi, Antipaxi
• Southern Ionian: Zante, ancient Olympia (not actually an island but on the western coast of the Peloponnese)

SUGGESTED ITINERARIES

When you arrive onboard the first evening and after a welcome drink, everybody will sit around the chart and we will inform you about the area and all the possible places to visit. After discussing everybody's preferences a general itinerary will be drawn.
However, our experience has shown that during your cruise it may alter slightly, as you will get new ideas along the way! After all, a yachting holiday is all about freedom and exploration!

Α. 1 week - Central Ionian (relaxed cruise) 

• Sun       embarkation and departure for Meganisi (Vathi) 13 n.m
• Mon      Kalamos 13 n.m
• Tues     Ithaca (Vathi) 18 n.m
• Wed      Kefalonia (Sami) 16 n.m
• Thur      Kefalonia (Fiskardo) 18 n.m
• Fri          Lefkas (Sivota) 18 n.m
• Sat         Lefkas (Lefkas town) 18 n.m
• Sun        disembarkation at 9 a.m. after breakfast

B. 1 week - Central Ionian (relaxed cruise) 

• Sun       embarkation and departure for Meganisi (Vathi) 13 n.m
• Mon      Kastos 14 n.m
• Tues      Ithaca (Kioni) 12 n.m
• Wed      Kefalonia (Agia Efimia) 16 n.m
• Thur      Kefalonia (Fiskardo) 10 n.m
• Fri          Meganisi (Spartochori) 17 n.m
• Sat         Lefkas (Lefkas town) 14 n.m
• Sun        disembarkation at 9 a.m. after breakfast

C. 1 week - Central/southern Ionian (relaxed itinerary but 1 long day at sea)             

• Sun       embarkation and departure for Meganisi (Vathi) 13 n.m
• Mon      Zante (Agios Nikolaos) 48 n.m
• Tues     Kefalonia (Poros) 15 n.m
• Wed      Kefalonia (Sami or Agia Efimia) 12 n.m
• Thur      Kefalonia (Fiskardo) or Ithaca (Vathi) 14 n.m
• Fri          Lefkas (Sivota) or Meganisi (Spartochori) 15 n.m
• Sat         Lefkas (Lefkas town) 11 n.m
• Sun        disembarkation at 9 a.m. after breakfast

56' Yacht Velos for a crewed yacht charter in Greece

Accommodates 8 guests in 4 double/twin en-suite cabins - fully air-conditioned

• What attracted us to sailing yacht 'Velos' was not only its beautiful lines and dark blue hull but also it's really spacious cabins, double saloon, and air-conditioning.
  For our Greek Island cruises we know that the most important thing about the charter yacht is to be spacious and comfortable, both on deck and below, and Velos is exactly that!
  She is a wonderful yacht, designed and built-in 2007 by a well known Greek boatyard (Ocean Yachts) for the purpose of the charter in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean Sea, as well as for long ocean passages.
• The model is the 'Ocean Star 56.1' and it can be found in a 5 or 6 cabin version, but as space and comfort are a lot more important in our opinion than a bigger number of guests, we decided to have the 5 cabin version (4 guest cabins plus 1 crew cabin).
• She is a sloop with two large sails, a furling genoa and a furling mainsail, which makes it very easy to handle even by one person alone.
  With a total of 150 square meters of sail, Velos can offer some fast and exciting sailing and its 25 tonnes of displacement make it very stable in any sea state!
• But she is not only a very seaworthy boat, she is a luxurious one as well. Being a 56 footer, she has a large teak deck with plenty of room for sunbathing or just lying down with a book on the one hand and a drink in the other!
  A strong guard rail all around makes it a safe environment for kids who always like to wander around and participate in the sailing of the yacht, during our family cruises.
• Of course, the cockpit is the heart of a boat and so it is designed to accommodate everyone (for a meal or a drink) and still remain practical to do the 'sailing stuff '. The table in the center of the cockpit serves also as a fridge for drinks, so you don't have to make the trip below every time you want a drink.

During your cruise, you will enjoy the beauty of the Greek Islands, but you will also taste some of the nicest homemade dishes of the Mediterranean cuisine.

 Here are some of the products we use:

• vegetables and fruit: most are grown at Thanos's father's garden who sends them to us every Saturday!
• extra virgin olive oil: Alicia's handpicks the olives from our trees every November and we make our olive oil with the method of 'cold press'
• olives: Alicia's handpicks them from our olive trees every year in November and cures them during the winter
• jams and preserves: they are all made by Alicia, using the fruits from our garden
• honey: we get it from a friend who has his own beehives, high on the mountains of the Peloponnese
• liqueurs: orange liqueur and limoncello made by Alicia from our own fruit and tentoura (a cinnamon liqueur made in our hometown)

Breakfast (all the items below are served every morning buffet style)

• freshly baked bread
• homemade jams and preserves (apricot, orange, fig, plum – all based on our own home-grown fruit)
• local honey
• Greek yogurt
• variety of cereal
• milk
• cheese
• butter
• variety of fresh fruit (depends on the season: oranges, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, apples, kiwi, figs, grapes, honey melon, etc.)
• coffee
• variety of teas and herbal infusions
• fruit juices (orange, peach) 

Lunch (a variety of appetizers, mains, and salads)

Starters/Appetizers

• Tzatziki – Yogurt dip with cucumber and garlic
• Olives (homemade)
• Feta grilled with tomato, oregano, and olive oil
• Saganaki - grilled halloumi cheese
• Melitzanosalata - aubergine (eggplant) dip
• Tirokafteri - spicy cheese dip
• Hummus – chickpea puree with tahini, lemon juice, coriander, garlic, and olive oil
• Yogurt and carrot dip with walnuts
• Octopus with herbs, olive oil, and vinegar
• Bruschetta topped with tomato and feta cheese sprinkled with basil and olive oil
• Bruschetta with figs, feta, and balsamic vinegar
• Spinach roll with cream cheese and smoked salmon
• Grilled courgette (zucchini) and bacon rolls stuffed with feta cheese
• Freshly caught tuna sashimi with lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil

Salads

• Greek salad
• Green lentil and parsley salad dressed in vinaigrette
• Caprese salad (tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil)
• Black-eyed bean salad with parsley, lemon juice and olive oil
• Green bean salad with feta and mint
• Tabouleh - parsley salad with tomatoes and cucumbers dressed in a lemon vinaigrette
• Mixed green salad with parmesan, raisins and walnuts

Main dishes

• Moussakas - layered dish similar to lasagna, with baked aubergines, mincemeat and tomatoes topped with béchamel sauce
• Moroccan chicken with vegetables and orzo
• Frittata with zucchini (courgette), cherry tomatoes and feta cheese
• Spanish tortilla with potatoes end red onions
• Grilled chicken with mushrooms and cream
• Chicken fillet marinated in honey, soy sauce and garlic with basmati rice
• Pork or chicken with prunes and almonds served with lemon rice

Fish and seafood

• Anchovies baked in tomato sauce with garlic and parsley
• Barracuda baked with tomatoes and herbs
• Octopus stifado - baked with tomato sauce and red onion
• Mussels saganaki - baked with tomatoes and feta cheese
• Shrimp saganaki- baked with tomatoes and feta cheese
• Seafood risotto
• Steamed mussels with white wine, garlic and parsley

Vegetarian

• Kolokithokeftedes - courgette (zucchini) fritters
• Grilled peppers stuffed with feta cheese
• Green beans with tomatoes
• Courgette (zucchini) soup veloute
• Courgette (zucchini) pie
• Ratatouille - a casserole of summer vegetables
• Spinach risotto

Pasta

• Pasticcio - penne and bolognaise sauce baked under a layer of béchamel/cheese sauce)
• Baked carbonara
• Tagliatelle with meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce
• Smoked salmon and pasta salad
• Pasta with walnut pesto

Desserts

• Fresh fruit - variety depends on the season: figs, grapes, honey melon, watermelon, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums etc.
• Yogurt with honey
• Yogurt with grated fresh lemon zest and lemon juice
• Panna cotta
• Brownies with ice-cream
• Plum/fig crumble pie
• 'Spoon sweets' - homemade candied fruit