Things to Do in the Ionian Islands

By Frank Adam Burns · Updated 31 August 2026

The Ionians sit off Greece's west coast and feel noticeably different from the Aegean islands — greener, wetter, more Italian in their architecture, and gentler in almost every respect. They never fell under Ottoman rule, and centuries of Venetian influence show in the towns.

Corfu

The old town is UNESCO-listed and unmistakably Venetian, with arcaded streets, two fortresses and a cricket ground left by the British. The north-east coast has the quiet coves; the west has the dramatic cliffs at Paleokastritsa. Inland, Mount Pantokrator and the old villages are almost empty.

Kefalonia

The largest Ionian island and the most varied — Myrtos Beach from the clifftop road, the underground lake at Melissani, the fishing village of Assos beneath its Venetian fort, and Mount Ainos with its endemic fir forest. Good for a week without repeating yourself.

Zakynthos

Home to the shipwreck cove that appears on every Greece poster — reachable only by boat, and busier than the photographs suggest. The island is also a loggerhead turtle nesting site, which brings real restrictions on parts of the coast during the season, and rightly so.

Lefkada and Ithaca

Lefkada is joined to the mainland by a causeway, so you can drive to it — useful — and its west-coast beaches are among the best in Greece. Ithaca, Odysseus's island, is small, quiet and mostly visited by sailors.

Why families choose the Ionians

Calmer water than the Aegean, shorter transfers, more shade, greener landscape and a gentler pace. Flights from the UK and Europe serve Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos directly in season, so you can skip Athens entirely.

The Ionians get more rain than the Aegean, which is why they are green. That mostly falls outside the summer, but spring and autumn are wetter here than on the Cyclades.