The islands were settled by Greeks at an early date, possibly as early as 1200 BC, and certainly by the 9th century BC. The early Eretrian settlement at Kerkyra was displaced by colonists from Corinth in 734 BC. The islands were mostly a backwater during Ancient Greek times and played little part in Greek politics. The one exception was the conflict between Kerkyra and its mother-City Corinth in 434 BC, which brought intervention from Athens and triggered the Peloponnesian War.
Ithaca was the name of the island home of Odysseus in the epic Ancient Greek poem the Odyssey by Homer. Attempts have been made to identify Ithaki with ancient Ithaca, but the geography of the real island cannot be made to fit Homer's description. Archeological investigations have revealed findings in both Kefalonia and Ithaca.
The six northern islands are off the western coast of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. The seventh island, Kythira, is off the southern tip of the Peloponnese, which is the southern part of mainland Greece. It is worth noting that Kythira does not belong to the region of Ionian Islands (Ionioi Nisoi) but to the region of Attica.
Choose from many route options
There are many things to do in and around Ioanian. When you decide to rent a boat from the Ioanian you have many alternatives. From Zakynthos in the south to Corfu in the north, chartering a yacht in Ionian Islands is a perfect way to experience lush green landscapes, with towering mountains at their spine and stunning horseshoe beaches fringing the water – ideal for windsurfing and diving. Although Ithaca lacks sandy beaches, it makes up for this through its importance in Greek mythology, as the home of Odysseus whose temple can be visited on the island. Featured in the best-selling novel and film, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Kefalonia is the largest and perhaps the best known island in the region. The main islands are Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Ithaki, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Kythira.
