Private Ionian Coast Tour from Athens

Western Greece — the Ionian coast — is the part of the country most foreign visitors never reach. It is greener than the Aegean, the sea is a paler blue, the mountains run almost down to the water, and the food is dominated by olive oil and seafood from the Ionian islands offshore. Lefkada, Parga, Paxoi, Preveza, the Acheron River and the village of Souli — these names mean very little to most travellers, which is precisely why a private journey here is so rewarding.

Our four-day private Ionian journey leaves Athens through the Corinth Canal, crosses the Rio–Antirrio bridge (the second-longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, an engineering monument in its own right), and continues along the western coast. Day two centres on Lefkada — connected to the mainland by a short causeway, with beaches on the western side that consistently rank among the most beautiful in Europe (Egremni, Porto Katsiki, Kathisma).

Day three is Parga and Paxoi. Parga is a small Venetian-influenced harbour town built into a cliff, its houses painted in soft pastels — closer in feel to a Ligurian fishing village than to anywhere else in Greece. From the harbour we arrange a private boat day to Paxoi and Antipaxoi for the famous blue caves and a long, slow lunch on the water. Day four is the Acheron River — in mythology, the river of the underworld; in reality, a clear cold stream with shaded swimming spots — and the village of Syvota, before the return to Athens.

From €3,100 for four days, the journey includes the private vehicle and driver throughout, three nights in carefully selected boutique accommodation with breakfast, on-board Wi-Fi and water, and a small Greek farewell gift. The Paxoi boat day, restaurant lunches, ferry tickets where applicable, and any optional extras are arranged in advance and billed transparently.