Full-day private cruise · Marina Gouvia, Corfu
Across to the mainland, for the shallow water.
Sivota is not an island. It is the Greek mainland facing Corfu, with a scatter of low islets in front of it and channels between them shallow enough to change the colour of the sea. Eight hours, up to seven guests, €1,250 for the boat rather than per person.
The mainland coast beyond Corfu
A different coastline altogether.
Your private skippered cruise runs on a Technohull GT7, a fast, open RIB with a solid deep-V hull and an inflatable collar. The hull gives stability and a smooth ride in chop; your skipper sets the pace for the sea conditions. Its pace makes this full-day island route possible from Gouvia, with the forecast deciding whether to go.
The boat is noisy, and long runs with the engines up are tiring. You are on an open deck, with wind and movement during the crossing. If you want frequent breaks between runs, consider a four- to six-hour northeast cruise with regular stops. Tell us about your group before choosing.
Sivota sits opposite Corfu on the Greek mainland, and getting there means crossing open water. We say that first because it is the part nobody pictures: this is not a potter along a sheltered shore, and the day is longer at both ends than a coastal cruise. We choose the morning on the forecast, and if the sea is wrong for it we would rather move your day than give you a poor one.
What waits on the other side is unlike anywhere on Corfu. A handful of low, wooded islets sit just off the mainland shore, and the channels between them are shallow and sandy rather than deep. The water there reads pale green instead of blue, and at Bella Vraka a sandbar runs out from the beach towards the islet in front of it — water you stand up in rather than tread.
That shallow, enclosed water is the whole reason to choose this day over the others we run. Paxos is about cliffs and a crossing to two islands; the Diapontia are about distance and emptiness. Sivota is about getting into calm, clear, shallow sea and staying in it, which is a particular kind of day and suits some groups who want time in shallow water.
- 4.9 · 51 Google reviews
- Up to 7 guests, always private
- Skipper, fuel & taxes included
- Marina Gouvia, Corfu
- Free cancellation up to 5 days
The Blue Lagoon
Water you can stand up in.
Here the seabed is sand and it shelves, rather than dropping away off rock. That changes what the day is good for: the paddleboard is genuinely usable rather than a novelty, the snorkelling is in bright light over a pale bottom, and people who are not strong swimmers are not immediately out of their depth. Snorkelling equipment, the stand-up paddleboard and the sea scooter are all aboard and included.
It is no secret, and we will not pretend otherwise. In July and August other boats come to the same water, and part of your skipper’s job is timing your stop and choosing which channel to anchor in so that you are not sitting in the middle of everyone else. We cannot guarantee a specific spot on a specific day — the wind decides which side of the islets is comfortable — but we can generally find you room.
The crossing
A long day, made comfortable.
The passage across and back is open water, and we do not publish a time for it. It varies with the sea state and with where you have asked to go first, and any figure we printed would be a guess. What we will do is talk you through what the day usually looks like at the time of year you are coming, when you enquire.
The boat is a Technohull GT7 with a forward sunpad, rear seating beneath the central canopy, a refrigerator, music and Wi-Fi. There is also an onboard WC and a freshwater shower, which sound like small details until it is the sixth hour of a hot day with a crossing still to come. Your skipper handles the boat, the anchoring and the navigation throughout, and speaks English, German and Greek.
Where the day goes
Where the day can take you.
These are the places this stretch of mainland coast is known for. Which of them you reach, and in what order, is agreed with you on the day — the wind decides which channels and bays are comfortable, and we will not promise a specific stop in advance.
A sandbar runs out from the beach towards the islet in front of it. How much of it is walkable depends on the sea and the time of year.
A sea cave in the cliffs along this coast. Whether we can approach it depends on the swell, so we treat it as a possibility rather than a fixture.
A working harbour with tavernas behind it and somewhere to walk for an hour. A meal ashore is yours to choose and pay for.
The coast on both sides of Sivota is a run of small bays. Which one you end up swimming in is decided on the water, not in advance.
- The Blue Lagoon
- Bella Vraka
- Papanikolis Cave
- Sivota harbour
Your day, in order
How the day actually runs.
Not a timetable — the shape of it. This route is offered as a full eight hours only, and the order moves around with the wind and with what your group wants.
Meeting at Marina Gouvia
You meet your skipper at the pontoon, leave aboard what you do not need to carry, and go through the day before casting off — how much swimming you want, whether anyone wants lunch ashore, anything you would rather avoid. Because of the crossing we usually agree an early start when you book.
Out of Corfu, across to the mainland
You leave the island behind and cross open water to the coast opposite. How this passage feels depends on the sea. Sit forward for the wind or aft under the canopy for the shade.
The lagoon and the sandbar
Anchor in the shallow channels between the islets. Swim, snorkel over a pale bottom, take the paddleboard out on flat water or run the sea scooter. Drinks, fruit and snacks come out of the fridge. This is the part of the day that expands to fill whatever you give it.
An hour in Sivota
Tie up in the harbour if you want to, walk about, and sit down to lunch at one of the tavernas along the front. Meals ashore are not included in the price — you pick the place and settle the bill. If you would rather stay on the water and eat what is aboard, that is an equally good day.
Back across to Gouvia
Usually one more swim on the way, a rinse under the freshwater shower, and then the run back to Corfu. You are dropped at exactly the pontoon you started from.
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.
Eight hours, full day only
€1,500, currently €1,250. The crossing at each end means this route does not work in a shorter length, so we do not offer one.
Departing Marina Gouvia
You start and finish at the same pontoon, with parking at the marina. Transfers to and from your accommodation are not included, although we can help you arrange one.
Open water each way
The crossing is exposed in a way the northeast Corfu coast is not. We choose the morning on the forecast and will not publish a crossing time we cannot stand behind.
Shallow, sheltered swimming
Once you are there the water is the calm part of the day. Sand rather than rock beneath you, and enough of a shelf that the paddleboard and the snorkelling gear both earn their place.
Up to seven guests
Up to seven guests are welcome; six fit comfortably on a crossing this long. The price is the total for the boat and does not change with the number of guests.
If the weather is wrong
If conditions are unsuitable your cruise is rescheduled or fully refunded. This route depends on an open crossing, so we watch the forecast closely and tell you straight if the day will not be good.
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. €1,250 is the total for your group of up to seven guests, and it does not rise per head. A couple pays the same as a party of seven for the same eight hours. That is the difference between a private cruise and a ticketed Blue Lagoon day boat, where the cost climbs with every extra passenger and the departure time is not yours.
Do we drive the boat, or share it with other people?
Neither. Your skipper is aboard throughout and handles the boat, the anchoring and the navigation — no licence or experience is needed from you. The boat carries your group alone, with no other guests aboard and no timetable to meet. Your skipper speaks English, German and Greek.
What is included in the price, and what is not?
Included: 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 central canopy; music and Wi-Fi aboard. Not included: restaurant meals in Sivota, transfers to and from the marina, and any special arrangements — those are agreed separately before you book. Nothing is added afterwards.
Do we need passports? Sivota is not on Corfu.
No. Sivota is on the Greek mainland, in Thesprotia, so you stay in Greece for the whole day and there is no border to cross. It is a different landscape and a different sort of coast, but administratively it is the same country you started in.
How long does the crossing take?
We will not put a number on it. It changes with the sea state and with where you have asked to go first, and a published figure would be a guess that some days we could not keep. What we will do is talk you through the shape of the day honestly when you enquire, for the time of year you are coming.
Is the Blue Lagoon crowded?
In July and August, yes, at the obvious times. It is a well-known piece of water and the tour boats know about it too. What a private boat gives you is the ability to arrive early, arrive late, or anchor in a different channel while everyone else is in the main one. Your skipper will plan around it, but we are not going to promise you an empty lagoon in August.
Is this a good choice for people who are not confident swimmers?
The water here is unusually gentle once you are there — shallow, sheltered and sandy, rather than deep water off a rock face. Tell us when you enquire who is coming and how confident they are in the sea, and we will be straight with you about what to expect and plan the stops around it. Anyone who cannot swim does not go into the sea without a life jacket and supervision, and there are life jackets for every age.
Is lunch in Sivota included?
No. Restaurant meals are not part of the price. There is usually time to tie up in the harbour and eat properly if that is what you want, and your skipper can point you towards the sensible places, but you choose and you pay. Water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks are aboard and included either way.
What if someone gets seasick?
Say so when you enquire. Reaching Sivota means a crossing to the mainland coast, so there is open water on the way — the northeast coast stays close to shore if you want to avoid an open crossing. Once you are there the water is shallow and settled. Your skipper can shorten or change the route while you are out, and if conditions on the day are unsuitable the cruise is rescheduled or fully refunded.
What happens if we need to cancel?
Free cancellation up to five days before your cruise. If conditions on the day are unsuitable, your cruise is rescheduled or fully refunded. No payment is taken at the enquiry stage, so asking about a date commits you to nothing.
We can help you work out the details of your day before you decide.