British journalist Kevin Rushby set sail through the Ionian Islands in search of the landscapes that inspired Homer's "Odyssey" — and, more recently, Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film adaptation — on a weeklong voyage beginning and ending in Palairos, in the Aitoloakarnania region.
Mr. Rushby traveled with his wife, Sophie, sailing for the first time, and multilingual captain Fabian aboard a boat named "Kafar," which Fabian translated as "Depressed Cockroach." Shortly after departure, the crew encountered a pod of dolphins swimming alongside the bow before spending their first night on Kalamos, a steep-sided island with a tiny harbor.
At a local taverna, Mr. Rushby overheard residents discussing a military drone recently found by fishermen in a nearby sea cave, its engine still running and carrying roughly 100 kilograms of explosives.
Locals also traded rumors about "unwelcoming Russians" on certain islands, marked by signs warning of aggressive dogs.
Strong winds forced a change of plans, redirecting the boat to Kioni on Ithaca instead of the island of Atokos, reportedly home to wild boar.
In the village of Stavros, Mr. Rushby visited a small museum displaying artifacts locals consider Homeric treasures, including a 2nd-century B.C. pottery shard inscribed with a dedication to Odysseus and fragments of a bronze tripod cauldron dating to the 9th century B.C.
The voyage continued toward Kefalonia and the mainland port of Sivota, though Mr. Rushby said the trip's highlight came via a tip from a support crew member: a secluded cove opposite Meganisi.
Despite a construction boom reshaping parts of the Ionian coastline with new glass-and-concrete homes, the waters around Meganisi remain quiet, ideal for diving among fish schools and exploring sea caves.
After a week at sea, the crew returned to Palairos with lasting memories — and, for Mr. Rushby personally, the loss of his snorkeling goggles during one dive.