The Ionian Sea is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean, which borders it to the south. It is also connected to the Adriatic Sea in the north and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, via the Strait of Messina. The sea is also bounded by Southern Italy (including Sicily) to the west and northwest, southern Albania to the northeast, and the west coast of Greece (including the Peloponnese) to the east. All major islands in the sea, located to the east, including Corfu and Ithaca, belong to Greece. Ferry routes in the northeastern part of the sea cross between Patras and Igoumenitsa in Greece and Brindisi and Ancona in Italy. Calypso Deep, the deepest point in the Mediterranean, at 17,280 feet, is located within the Ionian Sea, which is also one of the most seismically active areas in the world.
The etymology of the sea’s name (Ἰόνιον in the Greek language) is unknown, although ancient Greek writers such as Aeschylus have linked it to the myth of Io, a lover of Zeus who was turned into a cow, since she swam across it. Other narratives about other eponymic legendary figures are also possible; one such figure is Ionius, a son of Adrias, for whom the Adriatic Sea is named.
- Cruised: 2016
Traces of Places 