Ithaca Cruise swim stops to beaches- With snacks & fruit
Description
This tour offers a truly unique experience aboard Christina III, a traditional handcrafted wooden boat that adds authenticity and charm to your journey. Departing from Sami Port at 9:00 a.m., the cruise takes you beyond the typical tourist trail, uncovering hidden beaches, untouched islets, and scenic coastal caves around the island of Ithaca. Guests are treated to complimentary local delicacies, including traditional Riganada and fresh fruit, along with unlimited refreshments — all served by a warm and welcoming crew. With a well-balanced itinerary of swim stops, scenic cruising, and free time in Ithaca’s picturesque capital, Vathi, this tour caters to both explorers and those seeking relaxation. Perfect for couples, families, and solo travellers alike, this small-scale, personalized excursion is a memorable and authentic way to discover the mythical island of Odysseus.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our first stop is a hidden gem where turquoise waters invite you for a swim or snorkel (please bring your own gear). While you soak in the beauty, enjoy complimentary traditional onboard treats.
Relax on this pristine beach, known for its dramatic rock formations and transparent waters — an ideal setting for a refreshing dip.
Cruise around Lazaretto Island, nestled in the center of Vathi's port. This scenic boat ride offers perfect photo opportunities, with views of rugged cliffs and fascinating sea caves along Ithaca’s stunning coastline.
Enjoy 1 hour and 10 minutes of free time to explore the charming capital. Stroll through quaint alleys, browse local shops, or relax at a seaside café with a refreshing drink by the harbour.
Our final stop is the famous Gidaki Beach, often considered one of the most beautiful in the Ionian. Unwind on this unspoiled shoreline and swim in its emerald-green waters before we begin our journey back.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note for travelers when you book. Provide us your Nationality for port authority regulations.
Reviews(17)
We were lucky with our day in terms of weather and calm sea. The boat trip is just lovely. The boat goes at a lovely pace so that you can take in the scenery and also near the coastline. The crew are very friendly and we had a drink, apple, watermelon and bruschetta. We stopped at three lovely places to swim and at Vathy which looks stunning on entering the town. All in all we had a thoroughly lovely day.
Thank you so much for taking the time to review your experience with us! Ithaca is truly beautiful and we are so happy you loved it as much as we do!
Amazing trip highly recommended the day was perfect. We were let down last minute with TUI cancelled so went to see Evan in Lourdas who made some phone calls and with superb help and communication from Kristina we managed to make the trip from Poros. We had the most magical day 1 day 24 people and a million memories. Thank you Kefalonia Excursions Evan and Kristina you were amazing and all the crew on the Valsamis cruise for being so friendly and professional. A day which will live long in the memory.
Thank you very much for your kind words and recommendation. We're delighted to hear that you had such a memorable and enjoyable experience with us. It means a lot to know that everything came together to create a perfect day for you. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future.
The outing fully met what was expected. All the staff of the boat demonstrated professionalism, care, punctuality and education. The boat modest but clean and cared for. The abundant and good snack on board.
We are beyond delighted you had a wonderful time at Ithaca! Hope to see you again in the near future
This cruise must be done. The Captain and crew are so friendly, the snacks are good. They take an excellent route very close to the island. It is truly beautiful, The stops are very interesting, including the opportunity to swim from the boat to an exclusive beach. Highly recommended.
Wow, thank you very much for your wonderful review! we hope to see you again on one of our excursions!
A wonderful day cruising from Kefalonia to Ithaca. We stopped to swim at some beautiful locations. The crew treated us to some lovely local food and snacks, and couldn't do enough to make the journey an amazing day. Who wouldn't want to spend the day cruising around these beautiful islands seeing the wildlife and views?!
Alexis! A huge thank you for your wonderful review!! We hope to see you again on one of our future excursions.
What a beautiful day, amazing! Well organised. Informed of pickup times in advance, stress free. Staff friendly, boat clean with good facilities on board. A beautiful fun trip. Would highly recommend!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to review your experience! we are so happy you had a wonderful time thank you
A really chilled day with friendly crew. Time to relax and unwind and enjoy the views across the Ionian Sea. Plenty of space on the boat when we went in early July. The captain sailed close to some parts of the shore so we could admire caves and rock formations. And the crew gave us some commentary from time to time. Just about the right amount of time at each stop. 3 swim stops - 2 in swimming distance of beaches. Floats were available for people who needed them. Then stops to explore Vathy and the little island of Lazareto. Plenty of juice, water, watermelon and savoury snacks served between stops. We’ve previously done bbq cruises and thought just snacks would leave us unsatisfied - but they left us content and not too full and sleepy for afternoon swim spots (plus room for cheese pies when we stopped in Vathy!). The trip ran exactly to time too. With the captain comfortably navigating choppy conditions back across the bay to Sami.
Thank you very much for taking the time to review your experience! We are very happy you had a wonderful time! We hope to see you again in the near future!
Excellent trip, with great beaches. Very friendly and very professsionnal crew.,Enables you to access to marvelous places for swimming, Great pleasure/price ratio !
Thank you very much for taking the time to review your experience! we are delighted you had a wonderful time! Hope to see you again in the near future!
Swimming in beautiful bays which can only be reached by boat, lovely helpful crew and a great visit to Ithaca town. Watermelon snacks freshly cut, lunch of fresh bread, feta and tomatoes - perfect for the day. Whilst there was no tannoy, the crew came round to talk with us and explained the various stops we had - much better. Beaches can only be reached by swimming - please note. An unforgettable day out. A massive thank you to the crew.
Thank you very much for taking the time to review your experience! We are beyond thrilled you had a wonderful time! We hope to see you again in the near future!
It was a good day, with some nice stops and snacks on board, however - the experience could've been better with some communication from the crew. It's quite a long day (slow boat hehe) without any introductions, stories about the region (something about a guy named Homer maybe?), etc. They didn't even communicate about why we had stopped (oh, we can jump off the ship and swim now?) and how much time we had until we had to go back. You had to ask. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a good budget option, but if you want to make it more memorable, you might want to consider a different company with some more interaction. Especially if you're a solo traveler.
Dear Simone thank you very much for taking the time to share with us your experience! Your feedback is greatly appreciated and it helps us improve! We look forward to seeing you again in the near future!
