There are some delightful day anchorages on azure blue sand along the northern corner of the Inland Ionian. Mainland ports are not so often visited by charter yachts, and have a more practical and less tourist oriented style. Fish farms come and go along the rocky part of the coast, occasionally blocking off small anchorages.
Paleros or Palairos, Mainland
Paleros or Palairos (or Zaverda) is a picturesque small harbour town on the west coast of mainland Greece with a breathtaking backdrop of beautiful buildings and serene vistas. Olive trees, vineyards and pine trees extend down to the spectacular sandy beaches. Ashore there are numerous beachfront bars, restaurants and cafes as well as traditional Greek tavernas down charming small alleys. Many of the old traditions of Palairos town are kept alive and unchanged giving the village its own unique character and relaxed way of life. This is nice place and the traditional tavernas on the main square as opposed to by the sea offer better value and quality. The bakery is excellent.
Palairos is the yacht charter base for Odysseus Sailing.
Vounaki, Mainland
Just south of Palairos is Vounaki, a marina below a substantial hotel, operated from 2015 as a watersports and yacht charter centre by Neilson.
Mytikas, Mainland
Mitika or Mytikas is another traditional and simple Greek farming town which has only very recently developed into a small ferry port and yacht harbour for the islands in the Ionian inland sea. The town is a great place for a lunch time stop at one of many traditional Greek tavernas where you can enjoy excellent Greek food amongst the locals.
is a small holiday resort for Greeks, just opposite Kalamos. The town invested in a bypass to remove traffic, and now has a pleasant, quiet pedestrian high street. The harbour is dredged to 3m with good quays all round, construction of a further basin to the west was halted with quays awash. Some canny live-aboards have taken root very cheaply here.
Astakos, Mainland
Astakos port is a very traditional Greek port on the eastern shore of the Ionian sea with very few visiting sailing yachts. The port provides a good option for provisioning for anyone visiting the Dragoneras islands where you can stock up the yacht and explore the multitude of bays further south untouched by most charter yachts and flotillas.
Dragonera Islands
Explore the uninhabited group of islands and islets scattered down the western coast of Greece called the Dragonera Islands (or Nisis Dhragonera) and Echinades. Whilst there are very few safe anchorages in the islands there are several down the adjacent mainland coast.
Nisi Petalas
Just north of Oxia, this island shelters a really quiet and secure chill-out anchorage, excellent holding, with nothing near by.