Beaches of Lefkada

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Green verdant slopes with pine trees touching the sea, deep blue and turquoise waters, long successive beaches with white sand and plenty of options to squeeze your towel next to others or to keep your distance to quieter beaches that are not inferior to the famous and much photographed beaches of Lefkada and the Ionian Sea.

Photos | Map | Accommodation | Access to Lefkada

The most famous beach is of course none other than Porto Katsiki, while in recent years the “spotlight” has fallen on the beach of Egremna. Both of these beaches are an attraction for visitors to the island and not without reason. They are among the most beautiful beaches of Greece and the Mediterranean Sea, something you will see for yourself if you visit them.

Access to Lefkada

One of the great advantages of Lefkada is that although it is an island, you don’t need a boat to reach it as it is connected to Central Greece by a very small bridge. This way you save a lot of money and the time to get on and off the ferry. A disadvantage is the relatively long distance from the urban centres of Athens and Thessaloniki.

Specifically from Athens the distance to the city of Lefkada is about 360 km if you follow the route from Rio Antirrio while a very beautiful alternative route is the one that crosses Central Greece and passes through Arachova, Delphi, Itea, outside Galaxidi and Nafpaktos just before you reach Antirrio.

This route is 80 km longer (440 km) and is worth following if you have an appetite for driving and some stops in beautiful destinations such as Delphi and its archaeological site, the picturesque Galaxidi and the beautiful Nafpaktos.

Athens Lefkada via Nafpaktos — Athens-Lefkada via Nafpaktos and Delphi (440km). The distance to the **town of Lefkada** is shorter, about 360km, if you follow the **route** from Rio Antirrio

thessaloniki-lefkada-diadromi — The route from Thessaloniki to Lefkada. **Lefkada** is 360 km away and will take you about 4 hours to reach.

We followed the first route to Lefkada, via the Athens-Patras highway, while in Rio we did not pay the high price to cross the bridge but the classic and ‘traditional’ way using the boat. So we paid less money and had the opportunity to enjoy the crossing under the majestic bridge.

Megali Petra Beach in Lefkada — The unique colours at Megali Petra beach in Lefkada

Photos and information about the cost of using the two means of transport (bridge and boat) can be seen and read in our detailed article about the bridge in Rio-Antirrio. On our way back we chose the second route via Nafpaktos where we also stopped to enjoy our coffee in the cafes with the amazing view right under the Medieval castle.

Accommodation in Lefkada

Find hotels and rooms to let on the island of Lefkada island compare prices among accommodation proposals by reading the comments and reviews of visitors to the island.

A few words about the beaches of Lefkada

Although, as we mentioned at the beginning, Porto Katsiki and Egremni beaches win the lion’s share in the preferences of the island’s visitors, Lefkada is lucky enough to have a plethora of excellent beaches that will keep you on the island for several days if you want to enjoy swimming in most of them.

The famous Porto Katsiki beach, Lefkada — The famous Porto Katsiki beach

Very close to the town of Lefkada is the beach of Ammoglossa (image 7 in the photo gallery below) on the west side you will find the large and popular beach of surfers Agios Ioannis (photos 1 and 3). Probably even more popular for summer sports and windsurfing lovers is the beach of Vasiliki which unfortunately we don’t have a photo of due to the weather conditions when we visited it.

Beaches in western Lefkada

In general, most of the beautiful and large beaches of Lefkada are located on the western side of the island. Leaving the town of Lefkada towards Agios Nikitas the first big beach you will find is Pefkoulia. Then you will find yourself in Agios Nikitas whose beach is located in front of the cafes and taverns of the village. From Agios Nikitas you can visit the beautiful beach of Milos by walking along the path that starts about halfway along the village’s pedestrian street.

Ionian Sea sailing Lefkada — The view of the Ionian Sea leading to the beaches is unique!

Kathisma Beach and others

Leaving Agios Nikitas towards the south of the island, a few kilometers later you will see a sign for one of the most famous beaches of Lefkada, Kathisma, where you will find many taverns, cafes and clubs for your nightlife. Driving south again you will find the village of Kalamitsi. From there you can visit the beautiful beaches of Kavalικευta and Megali Petra.

We had our swim “fighting” the big waves at Megali Petra beach following a very small path that starts just before the small and makeshift parking area that you will find at the end of the road. From Kalamitsi the route to the beaches needs some attention as the road has a steep incline with several bends and is quite narrow in most parts.

Megali Petra Beach, Lefkada, Greece — Fighting the waves at Megali Petra beach, Lefkada

The beach of Egremni

Concluding our short trip to the beaches of the western side of Lefkada we will of course visit the beaches of Egremni and Porto Katsiki. At both beaches there is a parking lot where you have to pay 3 or 3.5 euros.

To get to Egremna beach from the parking lot you have to walk a long way to the sea following a quite downhill path with steps. However, the view to the beach with the unique colour of the sea and the Ionian Sea is unique and worth any inconvenience. Shortly after the parking lot you will find a small cafe and if you are not organized with water, coffee or food, you can buy them at the beach bar that you will find as soon as you step on the beach.

The beach of Egremni, Lefkada — Egremni beach, on the west side of Lefkada

At Porto Katsiki beach

In Porto Katsiki, which is located very close to the southernmost tip of the island, at the cape with the characteristic lighthouse, you will find tavernas and some cafes just above the beach and immediately after the parking lot as you head towards it. It would be a good idea to get some sea glass to enjoy the seabed and the huge rocks on the left side of the beach. Beware of course of the waves that may be present on the day you go to all the west side beaches.

Beach and clouds at Porto Katsiki, Lefkada — Picking them up just before the storm, Porto Katsiki beach, Lefkada

Other beaches in Lefkada

In the south of Lefkada and after Vasiliki you can visit the beautiful beaches of Agiofylli, Ammoso and Mikros Gialos (in the southeast near the village of Poros).

As for the eastern side of the island, it is worth visiting the famous Nydri with its sheltered natural harbour and enjoy the view of the green islands of Madouri, Sparta and of course the famous Scorpios.