Active Sailing Holidays and Gentle Escapes in Greece

Sometimes I watch the yachts leaving a harbour in the morning and then I turn my back on the water and hike up into the hills. It’s so beautiful on the islands in the spring. Wildflowers everywhere. I get that most people's priority is the sailing on a sailing holiday, and that I’m privileged working on the yachts, and that I don't pay for the boat, but I always try to explore a little. Even if it’s only a run for half an hour each morning, or exploring the island on an evening hike before sunset. 

And that’s really the point. Sailing holidays in the Ionian are incredibly liberating because it allows you to island hop in such a wonderful way. I think it’s very important to take advantage of that, and enjoy a little time to soak it all up. It’s like Ferris Bueller once said "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". The real beauty of a yacht charter is that it can be any type of holiday that you make it. It can be exciting and active, or it can be a slow, lazy drift. 

Our lives are so manic now, with endless notifications and demands that it’s rare we actually spend time with our families and friends without distractions. Sailing has a wonderful way of cramming people together on a small yacht and forcing you to work together to get from A to B. Unlike skiing where you might start out with friends, but you’re really all alone with your terror on that icy black run, a sailing holiday is a group activity that brings you all together and strengthens bonds. 

It’s hugely important for a close knit group's cohesion to have to rely on each other, and to be thrust up against an existential challenge like the weather, or finding a berth in Fiscardo in the summer. Creating group memories and practicing group skills has been a part of family life since we were apes, and choosing to do just that in the beautiful Ionian makes you one of the smarter apes, in my book. 

When I hear people say “Oh, I've done sailing holidays in the Ionian”, I can't help but be sceptical. I’m still finding new things to do - and new places to go - even after 15 years here, so how they think they managed to experience everything in one week is beyond me. Even if you’ve been here sailing every year for the past decade, a Sail Ionian route plan could still throw up a few new ideas of things to do or places to go. 

Have you sailed to the little beach anchorages south of Paliovarka on the mainland for a souvlaki lunch at Kostas’ cantina? You won’t see another yacht all day even in August! 

How about a food and wine themed route, visiting vineyards on different islands to taste local varieties like Robola or Vardea, and taking a cooking class at Lefkada’s organic micro-farm? 

Or why not ramp up the excitement with our new Active Sailing Holidays in the Ionian packages supporting local partners? Whilst actually taking a mountain bike on board a yacht is a recipe for scratched GRP decking, our local partners will happily meet you at your berth on a morning with a bike and a guide so you can cycle around the olive groves for some views to build up appetite for breakfast. With an early start, you can still be back at the boat when most people are just getting up, so you don’t miss any time on the water. 

Have you ever thought about taking a kiteboarding lesson? Or how about a guided SUP trip? Paddling away from your yacht on mirror flat water into the sunrise is quite an experience. Our scuba diving partners will even pick you up from your anchorage after a day on the water for an afternoon dive. Trust me - the underwater bathymetry is just as spectacular as the topography you can see! 

If that all sounds a bit much, and you like your holidays to follow a slower pace, the Ionian is also one of the best places in the world to be. The Greek Mediterranean lifestyle is really very relaxed, with lots of great organic flavours and leisurely coffee stops. Wild swimming is of course a way of life here, and a morning yoga session on the bow of the yacht helps to set up the day in a calm, refreshing manner. It’s a way to combine your love of sailing with a real break from the everyday - freedom on the water, with space to breathe and just be. 

A yacht really does give you the freedom to travel widely in a week and to experience so many things you couldn’t do if you were shore-based. 

The clever sailor will take advantage of the off season. Prices are much lower with all charter companies in April, May or October, and temperatures more favourable to charters that don’t just revolve around long summer lunches swimming from the back of the water. April is an amazing time to visit, with Orthodox Easter offering an amazing authentic Greek cultural experience. But for watersports fans, you can’t beat October. Autumn air temperatures are more conducive to activity, and water temperatures are still high after the summer - hovering around the early 20’s centigrade - meaning you don’t need a restrictive wetsuit and can stay wet for long periods. 

Whatever your way to relax on a charter, just remember to tell the rest of the crew where you are. I once skippered for a lovely old couple in the Grenadines. They had explored the area on their own boat back in the ‘60’s, and though now a little infirm, were so happy to be out amongst the islands again. When I woke on the first morning in Cumberland Bay (one of the more impoverished areas on St.Vincent) the old lady had disappeared. Her cabin was empty and I was terrified I had a disaster on my hands. Her husband slowly told me she liked to paint watercolours on a morning in her garden at home, and after a protracted search, eventually we found her sitting, paintbrush in hand, next to a camp fire with a group of dangerous looking, machete-wielding local farmers, having a nice cup of tea! 

This post was written by Tom Fletcher