Lefkada is one of the most popular and affordable islands in Greece, not so fancy and expensive as Santorini or Mikonos, yet not so wild as Samothraki. I think Lefkada has a bit for all – deep blue water, waves, cliffs, large beaches, animated cities but also small pebbly beaches, crystal clear water perfect for snorkelling, waterfalls, lighthouse, windmills, quiet villages and much much more.
As I like to make the best out of my time, I had done some research before departing for Lefkada, so I knew which places I wanted to see and which to avoid. However, I was still pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised by some of them.
We spent 6 amazing days on the island and we were based in the southern part, in Vasiliki – the best option we could have chosen and definitely a place I would love to return to! I think it’s very convenient to move around if you are based in the south, either if you want to explore the western coast, the south or the eastern coast. Shortly, Vasiliki is vivid without being tiring, tranquil without being boring, it has great facilities and offers access to many wonderful places nearby. More things about Vasiliki will follow in a new post specially dedicated to it. Now let’s get down to business – this post is about Lefkada beaches!
In 6 days we have been to 12 beaches: 5 in the west, 5 in the south and 2 in the east. From what I have seen, I can tell the following: on the western coast, there are mostly large beaches, usually pebbly, but some with sand as well (not fine sand though), surrounded partially by cliffs, some accessible only by boat or by foot, and the water is generally like blueish milk, blurry, and it gets deep abruptly; not suitable for snorkelling; there can be big waves in the west, so when the sea is “angry”, I don’t think it’s a good idea to try the water unless you are a very good swimmer. The southern and eastern parts are more tranquil, the beaches are smaller, and the water is crystal clear and rich in fish, which makes it excellent for snorkelling. Maybe in the west, the beaches are impressive, but in the south and east, the water is impressive. If you are more into sunbathing and admiring the waves, you will most probably prefer the west. If instead, you are more into swimming and snorkelling, you will definitely love the south and east. As I went to Greece for the water and snorkelling, it’s needless to say that I absolutely love the beaches in the south and I am so happy I was based right in Vasiliki.
So here it goes, my honest opinion about the 12 beaches we have been to:
WEST
Agios Nikitas
Agios Nikitas is a small beach resort, situated on the northwestern coast (26 km away from Vasiliki). The beach is pebbly and the water is amazing – crystal clear and with unreal turquoise colour, especially when seen from above. It is suitable for snorkelling but is not as rich in fish as the southern or eastern parts of Lefkada. Honestly, from all the 5 places I have seen on the western coast, Agios Nikitas is definitely my favourite and the only one where I really enjoyed the water.
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: yes
Restaurants/Beach bar: yes, quite a few to choose from
Parking: free (5-10 min walk away from the beach)
Milos
It is a large natural beach, accessible only by foot or by a water taxi from Agios Nikitas (3 euros/person). We chose to walk (a decision that we regret). The walk starts in the pedestrian zone of Agios Nikitas behind a tavern (you will see a sign) and takes at least 20 minutes. The path leads to a hill above the village and then starts descending towards Milos beach. Although the path is about 750 m long, it seems of about 2 km because of the heat and the numerous steps that make it more tiring. The view from above was not impressive to me. I found Milos beach ordinary. The beach is mostly sandy, but near the water is pebbly. The water is not clear like at Agios Nikitas, it gets deep abruptly and was a bit agitated. I felt the effort of walking until there was not worth it – I would definitely not go again!
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: yes
Restaurants/Beach bar: no (you have to bring your own food and drinks)
Kavalikefta
It is situated near its “bigger sister” Megali Petra (24 km away from Vasiliki). You have to drive on a steep and curvy narrow road from Kalamitsi village for about 4,5 km and it was really scary at some points – definitely not the best place to go for the faint-hearted drivers. The beach is small and pebbly, there are huge rocks spreading along the beach and inside the sea. The water was opaque and agitated, even a small wave would knock me down. Not a good place for me to try the water, but it was a good place for photo shooting.
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: yes
Restaurants/Beach bar: yes, a beach bar
Parking: 10 euros/day or free, if you choose to park on the side of the road and make it even more difficult for the other drivers to get in or out of there
Megali Petra
It resembles Kavalikefta a lot, but it is bigger, sandier (with small pebbles near the water) and has no facilities at all. To arrive there, you either walk from Kavalikefta (about 10 min) on a rocky path across the shore or take another way up the hill (by foot as well). The entrance into the water is not smooth, it gets deep rapidly, and there were waves. As I don’t like this kind of water, I just took a walk along the beach, enjoyed the scenery and took some nice photos of the big rocks. I find this beach more suitable for sunbathing or for sports such as beach volleyball than for swimming.
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: no
Restaurants/Beach bar: no
Porto Katsiki
It is one of the most famous beaches in Lefkada, situated about 15 km away from Vasiliki. There are big natural cliffs forming a half-moon around the beach and the view from above is really beautiful. There are about 40 steps to the beach, but nothing scary. The beach is pebbly, and the water is calmer than the water at Milos, Kavalikefta and Megali Petra, but is still opaque and deep just a few meters away from the shore. We arrived at 5 PM and it was very crowded, the most crowded beach on the western coast, but at 7:30 PM, when we left, there were significantly fewer people. I suppose you can have a stunning view of the sunset from Porto Katsiki. We, however, chose to admire the sunset from the Lighthouse Doukato (Ducato).
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: yes
Restaurants/Beach bar: yes, up the cliff, with delivery service to the beach
Parking: 10 euros/day or free, if you choose to park on the side of the road
Cape Doukato (Ducato/Lefkatas)
It is the southernmost part of Lefkada and one of the most photographed places on the island, due to its steep cliffs, wild scenery and picturesque lighthouse. If you arrive at Porto Katsiki, it would be a pity not to go to the Lighthouse Doukato as well, as it is a 30-min drive. The best time to go would be at sunset, in order to enjoy a spectacular panorama and be amazed by the wild beauty of the island.
Restaurants: no
Parking: free, at the end of the road (then you walk a few meters up the lighthouse)
SOUTH
Agiofili
I think Agiofili beach is the most popular beach in the southern part of Lefkada, at least this is my impression after all the research I made before departing for Lefkada. Agiofili is only 3 km away from Vasiliki. You can go there by car (the road is narrow and winding) or by taxi boat from Vasiliki (departure almost every hour). The beach is pebbly and the water has an amazing colour. Although it is suitable for snorkelling, the water is not as clear as in other parts in the south (see the next beaches) or at least this is what we experienced when we went there. Definitely worth seeing, but not the best place for snorkelling.
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: yes
Restaurants/Beach bar: yes, beach bar
Parking: 10 euros/day
Ammoussa
Ammoussa beach is smaller than Agiofili, but I enjoyed it much more because the water was so clear and there were many fishes. The beach is pebbly and in the morning, there is some natural shade on the left side.
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: yes
Restaurants/Beach bar: yes
Parking: free
Lagkadaki
This is a piece of jewel that I randomly found on Google maps while checking the surroundings of Ammoussa beach. Lagkadaki beach is situated 650 meters away from Ammoussa, so you can just walk there. The road is not asphalted. The beach is very small and has no facilities, but it offers some natural shade and it’s good for snorkelling as well.
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: no
Restaurants/Beach bar: no
Parking: free, on the side of the road
Standing Stones Beach
About 1 km away from Ammoussa, there is another wonderful beach that I randomly found on Google maps. Actually, this is the one that I like most of all the 12 beaches that I have seen in Lefkada and believe it or not, I had read many articles about the best beaches in Lefkada, the best places for snorkelling, and I had checked posts in a Facebook group but NOBODY mentioned the Standing Stones Beach. Honestly, it’s not the beach that is impressive, it’s the water! You can go by car, the road is asphalted. However, in order to reach the beach, you have to follow a pedestrian path with steps. The beach is very small and pebbly, with no facilities.
The name of the beach comes from the many structures of standing stones found on the beach and even on the bottom of the sea! Yes, you’ve read that well, it seems some enthusiastic scuba divers arranged some stones on the bottom of the sea.
We arrived there at about 3 PM and the water looked amazing, the colours were more vivid than in the photos. It was the clearest water we have seen in Lefkada. And the best part? There are a lot of fishes! A few colourful ones, a lot of grey ordinary ones, but there is much to see underwater anyway. We didn’t want to get out of the water anymore, it’s a great experience for snorkelling lovers. I highly recommend it!
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: no
Restaurants/Beach bar: no
Parking: free, on the side of the road
Small Beach Vasiliki
Last, but not least, I want to tell you about my second favourite beach in Lefkada – the Small Beach in Vasiliki, which is not that small actually. You can find it on the eastern side of Vasiliki if you take the Agiofili road. While the main beach in Vasiliki is famous for windsurfing and more suitable for sunbathing than swimming, this small beach is perfect for snorkelling! The water is super clear, just like the one on the Standing Stones Beach, and is rich in fish. You will surely not get bored! We saw some wonderful green-blueish fish – we couldn’t take a photo of them but you will see them in the video that I will upload soon.
Sunbeds & umbrellas for rent: no
Restaurants/Beach bar: no
Parking: free, on the side of the road
EAST
Unfortunately, we spent just a few hours on the eastern coast, so I can’t tell you very much about it, just that there are many hidden beaches accessible only by boat. We booked a small motor boat from Perigiali (near Nydri) and drove down the coast, as shown below:
I am not 100% sure about the name of the places we stopped at, but after checking Google maps and comparing the photos, I think we stopped at Lakka Beach and at Sticky Beach, both of them very nice, with turquoise water, unbelievably clear and perfect for snorkelling – we have seen some colourful, interesting fish that we haven’t seen while snorkelling in the south.
Since many of the beaches on the eastern coast are small and accessible only by boat, there are no facilities there, you need to bring your own stuff.
There would be so much more to say and so much more to see. I am sorry we didn’t have time to go to Afteli, Ksilokeratidi Cove, Mikros Gialos, and explore more the eastern coast. I will come back with more information about Vasiliki, our boat trip, travel expenses and other details. After all, how could I summarize a whole week in Lefkada in only one post, right? Stay tuned for the next post!
