# Ionian Islands Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos: green, Venetian-tinged islands on Greece's western sea. The Ionian Islands sit apart from the Cyclades and Dodecanese in character as well as geography. Sheltered by mainland Greece to the east and swept by moisture-laden winds from the Adriatic, these islands carry a greenness uncommon elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Oleanders line the roads, cypress trees punctuate the hillsides, and olive groves cascade down valleys toward the sea. ## Venetian Echoes Centuries of Venetian rule between the 14th and 18th centuries left a deeper mark here than anywhere else in Greece. Corfu's old town is a layered testament to this: terracotta-roofed buildings in tight formation around a French-built esplanade, with the ancient fortifications of the old citadel rising behind. Kefalonia and Zakynthos share this architectural inheritance, their coastal towns built around stone-paved squares where the evening passagiata draws locals and visitors alike in the softening summer light. ## Coast and Interior The coastline varies dramatically between islands. Ithaca and Paxos offer rocky coves and small harbours where fishing boats still bob at anchor. Lefkada is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is known for windswept beaches along its western shore. Zakynthos draws visitors to the photographic cliché of a shipwreck beach backed by sheer white cliffs, accessible only by boat. Underlying all of them is that particular Ionian blue—deep and clear, contrasting sharply with the forested hills above. Inland, the islands are mountainous. Walking paths through Kefalonia's Mount Ainos, where wild horses still roam, or along Ithaca's ridge trails—paths said to have been walked by Odysseus himself—reveal a different pace. Stone villages sit quiet in the afternoon heat, their kafeneia shaded by grapevines, and the scent of rosemary and wild thyme rises from the rocky ground. ## The Local Pace The Ionian summer operates on its own schedule. Lunch stretches long, lunch tables shaded by orange trees. In the evenings, a seafood taverna overlooking a harbour offers grilled octopus drying in the sun, local wine, and the unhurried sense that the boat won't leave without you. ## Tours that visit Ionian Islands No tours visit this place just yet. ## Before you book you should know ### Is this trip right for you? Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that. Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in. Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month. How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above. ### Rooms, and travelling on your own Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three: - **Twin share** — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender. - **Travelling as a couple** — one double room. - **Individual room** — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard. ### Accommodation The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip. Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking. ### Passports, visas and insurance Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight. Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport. We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well. ### Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around. What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions. --- Full page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/destination/ionian-islands/