Private cruise · Marina Gouvia, Corfu
Northeast Corfu, at your own pace.
The green coast north of Gouvia, where the mountains come down to the water and the bays stay sheltered. Anchor where you like. Swim as long as you like. Six hours includes Kassiopi; choose eight for a meal ashore as well. Your skipper is aboard throughout, on a Technohull GT7 RIB: an open boat with a solid hull and an inflatable collar.
The Corfu Riviera
The coast most people see from the road.
North of Marina Gouvia the island changes. The shoreline turns steep and green, Mount Pantokrator rises behind it, and a string of small bays opens up between the headlands — Kommeno, Barbati, Nissaki, Agios Arsenios, Kalami. From the coast road you catch them in glimpses through the olive trees. From the water they are simply there, one after another, and you can stop at whichever one you like the look of.
These bays are close to the marina, which changes the character of the day. You are not spending the morning getting somewhere — you are in clear water soon after leaving the marina, and the rest of the time is yours to spend swimming, drifting, eating and moving on when you feel like it.
It is also the only route we offer in three lengths, so you can take an afternoon or a whole day depending on how much of your holiday you want to give it.
- 4.9 · 51 Google reviews
- Up to 7 guests, always private
- Skipper, fuel & taxes included
- Marina Gouvia, Corfu
- Free cancellation up to 5 days
Why this coast
Clear water, close to shore.
The northeast bays shelve steeply and stay sheltered from the prevailing summer wind, which is why the water here reads that particular green over the pale rock and deep blue a few metres further out. You do not need to go far offshore to find it. Most of our swimming stops are close enough to the shore that you can see the bottom under the boat.
Snorkelling gear, a paddleboard and a sea scooter are aboard as standard, so a swimming stop can be brief or most of the afternoon. Your skipper will suggest which bays suit the conditions on the day — wind direction moves it around — and you decide how long to stay.
Between the stops
The time on the move is part of it.
The stretch between bays is short enough that nobody is waiting to arrive. There is a forward sunpad if you want the sun, rear seating under the central canopy if you have had enough of it, and a refrigerator keeping the water, wine and fruit cold.
There are also an onboard WC and a freshwater shower, which sound like small things until it is the fourth hour of a hot day. It is the difference between a full day on the water being a pleasure and being endured.
Where the day goes
Where the day can take you.
These are the places this stretch of coast is known for. Which of them you actually visit, and in what order, is agreed with you on the day — the weather and the time you have decide the rest.
A small chapel on the rocks with deep clear water beneath it. A favourite first stop.
A pebble cove on the longer cruises, conditions and your chosen route permitting.
The fishing harbour below a Venetian castle, at the top of the island. Included in the six- and eight-hour cruises; a meal ashore needs eight hours. Photographed here at dusk; your cruise returns to Gouvia before evening.
Barbati, Nissaki and Kalami pass one after another between the swimming stops.
- Kommeno
- Barbati
- Nissaki
- Agios Arsenios
- Akoli
- Kalami
- Kassiopi (6 or 8 hours; a meal ashore needs 8)
The six-hour northeast cruise reaches Kassiopi. Choose eight hours for Kassiopi with a meal ashore; six hours does not allow time for both.
Your day, in order
How the day actually runs.
The shape is the same whichever length you choose — the longer cruises simply give you more stops and more time in the water.
Meeting at Marina Gouvia
You meet your skipper at the pontoon, leave what you do not need aboard, and go through the day before you cast off — where you would like to swim, whether anyone wants lunch ashore, anything you would rather avoid.
North along the coast
Out past Kommeno and up the coast. The crossing to the first bay is short, which is the point of this route — you are in clear water quickly rather than spending the morning travelling.
Swimming, and whatever else
Anchor in a bay, swim, snorkel, take the paddleboard or the sea scooter out. Drinks, fruit and snacks come out of the fridge. This is the part of the day that expands to fill whatever time you have.
Ashore at Kassiopi
Six hours includes Kassiopi. If you also want time for a meal ashore, choose eight hours: six does not allow for both. With the full day, you can walk up to the castle, eat at the harbour or simply have a coffee and watch the boats. Lunch ashore is yours to choose and pay for — it is not included in the price.
Back to Gouvia
Usually one more swim on the way south, a rinse under the freshwater shower, and back into the marina. You are dropped exactly where you started.
This is the shape of the day, not a timetable. Sea conditions, the season and what your group feels like doing on the day all change the detail — which is the point of having the boat to yourselves.
Practical details
Practical details for this cruise.
Four, six or eight hours
The four- and six-hour cruises follow the same coastal route, with Kassiopi included in the six-hour cruise. Choose eight hours for Kassiopi with a meal ashore; six hours does not allow time for both.
Departing Marina Gouvia
You start and finish at the same pontoon. Parking is available at the marina, and most northeast Corfu hotels are a short taxi ride away.
Up to seven guests
The price is the total for the boat. Two of you or seven of you, the figure on this page does not change.
Shade and sun, both
A canopy over the rear seating and an open sunpad forward. On a hot August afternoon the canopy matters more than people expect.
Food and drink
Water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks are aboard and included. A restaurant meal ashore is not included and is arranged on the day if you want one.
If the weather is wrong
If conditions are unsuitable, your cruise is rescheduled or fully refunded. We would rather move your day than give you a poor one.
Your skipper
Christos Batralis has over 5,000 hours at the wheel and speaks English, German and Greek.
Included in your private price
More than the boat.
Everything below is part of the group price. You are not assembling a day out of extras.
Your skipper, Christos
Handles the boat and the navigation all day. Experienced, and speaks English and German as well as Greek.
Fuel and all taxes
Included in the price you see. There is no fuel surcharge and no hidden extra at the dock.
Drinks and refreshments
Water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks are aboard and included.
Snorkelling equipment
Masks and snorkels for up to seven, ready at every swimming stop.
A stand-up paddleboard
Aboard as standard, for the quieter bays where you want to explore.
A sea scooter
Carried aboard. Use follows the conditions and your skipper’s guidance.
Onboard WC and freshwater shower
A full day on the water stays comfortable, and you can rinse the salt off before heading back.
Shade beneath the canopy
A central canopy over the helm and the seating behind it, and an open sunpad forward for whoever wants the sun.
A refrigerator aboard
Drinks and fruit stay cold from Gouvia to the last stop.
Music
Music aboard throughout the day.
Wi-Fi aboard
Useful for the photographs you will want to send before you are back on land.
A route agreed with you
Your stops and their order are planned with you, not fixed by a timetable.
Not included: towels (bring your own), restaurant meals, transfers and any special arrangements — these are agreed with you separately before booking. Stops and their order follow your agreed route, the available time and the conditions on the day.
Choosing between boat options
Why a private day, rather than a seat on someone else’s boat.
One boat, one group, one total price — and a route agreed with you rather than set by a timetable. A shared excursion sells individual seats; your private cruise reserves the boat for your group and lets you plan the route with your skipper.
Before you enquire
Questions people ask before booking
Is the price per person or for the whole boat?
For the whole boat. The figure shown is the total for your group of up to seven guests — it does not go up per head. If there are two of you, you pay the same as a group of seven; you simply have more room.
Which cruise reaches Kassiopi?
The six-hour northeast cruise reaches Kassiopi. Choose eight hours for Kassiopi with a meal ashore; six hours does not allow time for both. The four-hour cruise follows the same coastal route as the six-hour cruise, without Kassiopi.
Do we drive the boat, or share it with other people?
Neither. Your skipper handles the boat and the navigation for the whole cruise, and the boat is reserved for your group alone. There are no other guests aboard and no fixed timetable to keep to.
What is actually included in the price?
Your skipper, fuel and all taxes; water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks; snorkelling equipment, a stand-up paddleboard and a sea scooter; the onboard WC, freshwater shower and refrigerator; shade beneath the canopy; and music and Wi-Fi aboard. Restaurant meals, transfers and any special arrangements are separate and agreed before you book.
Can we choose where we stop?
Yes, and we would rather you did. The places on this page are what the coast is known for, but your stops and their order are agreed with you — on the day, and adjusted for the wind and the sea as it actually is. We cannot guarantee a specific stop in advance, because conditions decide what is comfortable.
Is this suitable for children?
Yes — this route suits younger children well. The crossings are short and there is no minimum age. For children aged two to six, consider a four- or six-hour cruise with frequent stops; the eight-hour day works too, because it includes time ashore at Kassiopi rather than eight hours straight on the boat. There are child life jackets for every age. Tell us how many children are coming and their ages when you enquire.
How long is the journey between stops?
Short — these bays are close to Marina Gouvia, and you are in clear water soon after leaving. We would rather not publish exact timings for each leg, because they change with the sea state and with where you decide to stop.
What should we bring?
Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a hat. Soft bags rather than hard suitcases if you can. Everything else — drinks, snacks, snorkelling gear, shade, a shower and a WC — is already aboard.
What happens if we need to cancel?
Free cancellation up to five days before your cruise. If the weather is unsuitable on the day, your cruise is rescheduled or fully refunded.
We can help you work out the details of your day before you decide.