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North Ionian Sailing Holidays
North Ionian Flotilla,
Greece
Sailing the north Ionian you will visit some beautiful places along the way. The unbelievable blue bay of Lakka, the elegant Venetian architecture and gastronomy of Corfu Town and white sand beaches of Paxos. You'll have experienced so much by the time the week draws to a close.
Your Neilson lead crew are never far from reach, and come evening why not join the rest of your flotilla shipmates for traditional taverna meals out and a cocktail or two before camping down in your cabin for the night.
Our North Ionian flotillas start and end from our yacht base at the Retreat Beachclub in Sivota. (Departures on 11 & 18 October 2020 are north to south, starting at Retreat Beachclub and ending at Vounaki Beachclub).
Your flotilla route
This route will give you a flavour of what to expect from your week on the flotilla, it's an example, is not fixed and may vary from that listed below (nm = nautical miles).
7
days
Sunday Retreat Beachclub | Arrive at the Retreat Beachclub yacht pontoon. Get used to the boat and briefing from the Neilson lead crew. Yachts are available from 5pm. | - |
Monday Platarias | A gentle sail to the peaceful port of Platarias and an afternoon mooching at the marina. | 10nm |
Tuesday Corfu Town | Experience the blend of architectural style and Venetian buildings of Corfu's capital. | 25nm |
Wednesday Lakka | Sail south to the island of Paxos and explore the horseshoe inlet of Lakka. | 20nm |
Thursday Gaios | Cafés, boutiques and old-fashioned markets. Make the most of this lively Greek town. | 3nm |
Friday Parga | Head back on the open sea and set sail for the mainland and Parga. Immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of the quayside, wander the cobbled alleys and if you have time head to the Venetian castle. | 10nm |
Saturday Sivota | You've come a long way and it's time for your return leg to the yacht base at Retreat Beachclub. | 15nm |
Sunday Departure day | Yacht check out time is 9.30am. If you have time before you catch your flight, you're free to make use of the facilities at Retreat Beachclub and if you have the energy for more, try a few of the beachclub activities (small supplement, payable locally). | - |
If you want to spend longer afloat on a two-week flotilla, you can choose to do two one-week flotillas back-to-back. After your first week on flotilla, you will return to the yacht pontoon at Retreat Beachclub with the rest of the flotilla. That evening and the following day you will have the chance to stretch your sea-legs and relax at the Retreat Beachclub, making full use of the facilities, you can even have a game of tennis, go on a bike ride or take out a kayak. (Use of facilities (with exception of the spa) and activities is free of charge). 


You will then be refreshed and ready to set sail again for the second week of your holiday with a new bunch of sailors. Please note that due to the limited number of flotilla stops in the north, you will visit many of the same harbours twice.
Arrival and departure
Your flotilla boats will be ready from five pm on your arrival day. Once settled on board, the Neilson crew will give an individual boat briefing. If you arrive after 7.30pm the crew will give a short briefing on essentials such as lights, loos and gas with a full briefing the following morning.
The main flotilla briefing for all yachts is the following morning at 9 or 9.30 am and boats are free to depart at any time after the briefing is over. All boats will need to be back at the Neilson base before 6pm on the final sailing day, and vacated by 9.30 am on the day of departure.
Your sailing experience
Before you're let loose on one of our yachts, we need to know you can sail. You'll need at least two people who have sailed before and are over 18 years of age, and one will need a piece of paper to prove they can sail.
If you have any of these certificates, you're good to go: International Certificate of Competence (ICC), RYA Yachtmaster, RYA Coastal Skipper, RYA Sailing Skills: Basic Skills - Level 2 (completed on yacht), RYA Keelboat Level 2 (completed on yacht). If you don't have the necessary level of experience, a stay and sail holiday, coupled with one of our sailing courses might be a better option for you.
A few extras
Our sailing holidays include damage waiver, marine insurance and fuel, plus we don't ask for a security deposit. There are a few bits we don't include in your holiday, such as mooring fees. If you do need to pay it's usually just a few Euros per night, with the exception of Corfu which is approx. €25 per night.
For £100 per week you can book inflatable stand up paddle boards (SUP) to take with you. This includes paddle, pump and buoyancy aid. Due to limited storage space, we recommend no more than two SUP per yacht.
Stay and sail
If you'd like to go on a sailing holiday but don't have the experience, our stay and sail holidays might be just the thing. Exclusive to Retreat and Vounaki Beachclubs, we can get you to the right level of experience or even a qualification (if you prefer) during a week of yacht training in one of these two beachclubs. You can join the flotilla in the second week relaxed, fresh and experienced.
Travel info
Departure airports: London Heathrow, London Stansted, London Gatwick and NEW for 2020 Birmingham
Departure days:Â Sunday
Arrival airport:Â Preveza (PVK)
Flight duration:Â approx. 3 hours 35 minutes
Airlines:Â British Airways (BA) / Jet2 (LS) / TUIÂ (TOM/BY)
Transfer time:Â approx. 1 hour 15 minutes
Departure dates for summer 2020
First 7 night dept: Sun 24 May / Last 7 night dept: Sun 4 Oct
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Flight times for summer 2020
Heathrow (BA): outbound dept: 11:25 / inbound arrival: 19:10
Stansted (LS): outbound dept: 07:00 / inbound arrival: 14:50
Gatwick (TOM/BY):outbound dept: 13:55 / inbound arrival: 21:30
Birmingham (LS): outbound dept: 13:10 / inbound arrival: 21:00
Manchester (LS): outbound dept: 14:45Â / inbound arrival 23:00
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In-flight meals and drinks are not included, a buy onboard service is available. Flight timings are provisional and will be submitted for approval by UK and overseas scheduling committees and are therefore given for guidance only are subject to alteration and confirmation. Your ticket will show the final timings of your flight and your luggage allowances.
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