Sea · Italy, Albania, Greece
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea lies between southern Italy, Albania and Greece. It hides the deepest point of the whole Mediterranean, the Calypso Deep, more than 5 000 metres below the waves.
Picture credit: Liridon (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Νικόλαος Κυριακάκης (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Samuele1607 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Ionian Sea?
Part of: Mediterranean Sea.
Countries on its coasts: Italy, Albania, Greece.
The story behind it
Off the south-west coast of Greece, the sea floor drops into the Calypso Deep. In 2020 an expedition measured it at 5 109 metres, the deepest spot in the Mediterranean. Along the Greek coast lie the Ionian Islands, among them Corfu, Kefalonia, the largest, Lefkada, Ithaca and Zakynthos. On the beaches of Zakynthos, loggerhead sea turtles crawl ashore at night between May and August to lay their eggs, and rare monk seals live along the island's west coast. In ancient times, writers linked the sea's name to Io, a young woman from Greek myths; today many think it comes from the Ionians, Greek sailors. Harbour towns such as Taranto, Syracuse, Catania and Patras lie on its shores. The ground here often shakes, because this is one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world.
Find it on the globe
Ionian Sea is there as a name written across its water — tap the water and its card opens. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
Questions children ask
How big is the Ionian Sea?
What is the deepest point of the Mediterranean?
It is the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea, south-west of the Greek town of Pylos. In 2020 it was measured at 5 109 metres deep.
Which islands lie in the Ionian Sea?
The best known are the Ionian Islands off Greece, such as Corfu, Kefalonia, Lefkada, Ithaca and Zakynthos. Kefalonia is the largest and Corfu has the most people.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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