About Ionian Trails

Discover travel and everyday life in Greece’s Ionian Islands, from Kefalonia and Corfu to Zakynthos, Lefkada, Ithaca and Kythira. Find practical guides, route ideas, sailing tips and local insights for holidays, island‑hopping or longer stays. Packed with photos, stories and news, this blog is your independent Ionian travel guide and inspiration hub.

What Is Ionian Trails?

Ionian Trails is a slow-travel blog dedicated entirely to Greece’s Ionian Sea and its islands:

• Kefalonia – wild mountains, hidden coves and quiet villages
• Corfu – Venetian lanes, olive groves and lively coastal life
• Zakynthos (Zante) – famous beaches, sea caves and quieter inland corners
• Lefkada – world-class beaches, walking routes and wind spots
• Ithaca – tranquil bays, myth, and everyday island rhythms
• Kythira – off-the-beaten-track hikes, waterfalls and small harbours

Here you will find:

• Practical travel guides for holidaymakers and island-hoppers
• Route ideas for road trips, coastal cruising and walking
• Sailing tips for exploring the Ionian by yacht or small boat
• Local insights into food, culture and daily life
• Stories, photos and news from the islands through the seasons

The blog is independent: no big agency, no glossy promises, no paid package tours – just honest, field-tested information and a genuine affection for the Ionian Islands.

Who This Blog Is For

Holidaymakers and First-Time Visitors

If you are planning your first trip to Kefalonia, Corfu, Zakynthos, Lefkada, Ithaca or Kythira, you will find:

• Island overviews to help you choose where to go
• Sample 7–10 day itineraries for each island
• Advice on getting around without stress
• Suggestions for beaches, villages and viewpoints beyond the obvious

Island-Hoppers and Independent Travellers

If you like to design your own trips, travel light and avoid the crowds, expect:

• Island-hopping routes and ferry tips
• Off-season travel ideas and what stays open
• Coastal and inland walks, drives and day trips
• Suggestions for locally run accommodation, tavernas and cafés

Sailors and Boaters

The Ionian is one of Europe’s favourite sailing grounds. On this blog you will find:

• Suggested sailing routes between the Ionian islands
• Notes on anchorages, marinas and small harbours
• Practical details: fuel, water, provisions and shelter
• Tips on busy seasons, meltemi-free routes and quiet bays

Whether you charter a yacht, cruise on your own boat or explore by small motorboat and kayak, the aim is to help you read the coastline and enjoy it respectfully.

Digital Nomads, Long-Stay Visitors and Expats

If you are considering spending a few months or even relocating to the Ionian Islands, you will find:

• First-hand notes on renting long-term on islands like Kefalonia, Corfu or Lefkada
• Comparisons of cost of living, from groceries to utilities
• Thoughts on working remotely from the islands
• Everyday matters like transport, off-season life, weather and bureaucracy

The blog does not sell relocation services. It simply shares realistic experiences, pros and cons, and practical tips for adapting to Greek island life.

What You’ll Find on the Blog

1. Island Guides and Itineraries

Each Ionian island has its own section with:

• Quick-start island profiles – best time to visit, character, who it suits
• Area-by-area breakdowns – north vs south, coast vs interior
• Themed itineraries, such as:
  • Kefalonia for hikers
  • Corfu for culture and villages
  • Zakynthos for beaches beyond Navagio
  • Lefkada for walking and wind sports
  • Ithaca for peace and small-harbour life
  • Kythira for road trips and hidden coves

These guides combine clear directions with enough flexibility for you to adapt them to your own pace and interests.

2. Practical Travel Guides

The Ionian is easy to love but can be confusing to plan for. The blog collects practical, up-to-date advice, for example:

• Getting there and around
  • Flights, ferries and local connections
  • Car hire vs public transport vs scooters
  • Driving, parking and narrow village roads
• Where to stay
  • Choosing between resort areas, villages and remote bays
  • Typical accommodation types and what to expect
• Budgeting your trip
  • Seasonal price changes
  • Ways to save without cutting out the good stuff
• Food and drink basics
  • What to look for on a Greek menu
  • Local dishes, wines and sweets in each island

The goal is to help you spend less time worrying about logistics and more time enjoying the sea and villages.

3. Ionian Sailing and Coastal Cruising

For sailors, there are dedicated posts and mini-guides on:

• One- and two-week sailing circuits around the central and southern Ionian
• Quiet bays and anchorages near Kefalonia, Ithaca and Lefkada
• Harbour notes for small ports in Ithaca, Kythira, Zakynthos and beyond
• Tips for shared anchorages, mooring etiquette and safety

These are not official pilot books, but they blend local experience, common-sense seamanship and an eye for beauty and shelter.

4. Walking, Nature and Outdoor Life

The Ionian Islands are not only about beaches. The blog highlights ways to get away from the shoreline crowds:

• Easy and moderate walking routes on Kefalonia, Lefkada, Ithaca and Kythira
• Viewpoint hikes, monastery walks and old mule tracks
• Notes on wildflowers, olive groves, cypress forests and coastal cliffs
• How to enjoy nature responsibly: paths, gates, animals and fire risk

You do not need to be a hardcore hiker. Many routes combine a short walk with a swim or a stop at a village café.

5. Everyday Greek Island Life

Beyond routes and must-sees, Ionian Trails explores what it feels like to live here, even temporarily:

• Seasonal rhythms – busy summers, quiet winters, stormy days
• Practicalities such as shops, markets, doctors, banks and internet
• Unspoken rules of neighbourliness, noise and timekeeping
• How to support local businesses and producers respectfully

Expect small things: conversations in cafés, changes in the harbour routine, what it means when the wind turns or the ferries stop for a day.

6. Stories, Photos and Ionian News

The blog is also a place to record and share the ongoing story of the Ionian Islands:

• Photo essays from different islands and seasons
• Short stories of people, boats, cafés, mountains and storms
• Occasional news roundups that affect travellers and islanders:
  • New ferry routes or service changes
  • Local festivals, cultural events and restorations
  • Environmental initiatives, path-clearing and clean-ups

The aim is not to chase breaking news, but to offer context and continuity for anyone who loves returning to the Ionian year after year.

How the Content Is Created

Independent, On-the-Ground Research

Every guide, route suggestion or practical tip is based on:

• First-hand exploration on the islands
• Ongoing contact with local residents, sailors and small businesses
• Regular checks to keep details as current as possible

When something changes – a bus timetable, a walking path, a harbour layout – the intention is to update the relevant posts or add notes so you are not planning from outdated information.

Honest, Unpaid Recommendations

Ionian Trails is not a booking platform and does not sell package holidays. Any mention of a taverna, guesthouse, rental or activity is because it seems genuinely useful or enjoyable, not because of a paid placement.

If affiliate links or sponsored content ever appear, they will be clearly labelled, and the focus will remain on transparent, reader-first advice.

Respect for Local Culture and Environment

The Ionian Sea is beautiful and fragile. The blog promotes:

• Low-impact travel – choosing slower, more considered ways to move
• Respect for local customs, working harbours and private land
• Simple, practical ways to reduce waste and protect beaches and trails

You will often find reminders about rubbish, noise, anchoring on seagrass, fire risk, and how small choices can help keep the islands liveable for those who call them home.

Why the Ionian Islands?

A Sea of Contrasts

The Ionian Islands mix influences from Greece, Italy and the wider Mediterranean. Venetian forts stand over Greek chapels; Ottoman histories sit next to French arcades and British relics. Each island has its own flavour:

• Kefalonia – dramatic mountains, long beaches, quiet interior
• Corfu – cosmopolitan Old Town, green hills, lively north and south coasts
• Zakynthos – famous cliffs and bays, peaceful villages inland
• Lefkada – turquoise west coast, sailors’ east coast, rural centre
• Ithaca – compact, intimate, full of corners to discover slowly
• Kythira – geographically between Ionian and Aegean, culturally its own mix

By focusing on this one sea and its islands, Ionian Trails can go into more depth than a general Greece travel website.

A Place to Return To

The idea behind the blog is not to tick islands off a list, but to build a relationship with a region:

• Returning to the same harbour in different seasons
• Watching villages change slowly over the years
• Learning which winds bring which clouds
• Getting to know familiar walks, cafés and anchorages

If you enjoy that feeling of returning somewhere and noticing what has changed – and what has not – you are in the right place.

How to Use This Blog

Planning a One-Off Holiday

Start with the Island Guides and Practical Travel sections. Pick the island that matches your interests – beaches, walking, sailing, family travel, quiet corners – and base your planning on:

• Overview posts for each island
• Suggested 7–10 day itineraries
• Practical advice on season, transport and accommodation

Designing an Island-Hopping Trip

Look for the Ionian routes and island-hopping posts. Decide on:

• Your starting and ending ports (e.g. Corfu to Kefalonia, Kefalonia to Kythira)
• Whether you will travel mainly by ferry, car, scooter or boat
• How much time you want to spend in each place

Then use the detailed island pages to fill in the stops between.

Preparing for Longer Stays or Relocation

Browse the posts tagged with expat in Greece, Ionian island life or long stays. Focus on:

• Off-season realities rather than only summer
• Practicalities such as rentals, driving, shops, schools, healthcare
• Bureaucratic basics: residence, taxes and paperwork (always double-check with official sources)

Use the blog as a starting map, not a final answer – laws and procedures change, and local advice is essential.

Staying in Touch

Ionian Trails aims to grow slowly, with solid, useful content rather than constant noise. Over time you can expect:

• New island guides and route ideas
• Updated posts with recent prices and changes
• More photo essays and stories from everyday life

If you have suggestions, corrections or questions about a specific place – a path that is overgrown, a new ferry route, a harbour change – your feedback helps keep the blog accurate and useful for everyone.

Final Word

Ionian Trails exists to make travel in the Ionian Islands richer, calmer and more connected to real life on the ground.

Whether you are planning a first visit, plotting a sailing route, or wondering what it might be like to spend a winter on Kefalonia, Corfu, Zakynthos, Lefkada, Ithaca or Kythira, this blog is here as an independent companion.

Take what you need, travel kindly, and enjoy the sea.