Lefkada – The magical island of the Ionian Islands

Lefkada is a beautiful island in the Ionian Islands, which if you go once, you will definitely go a second time, since its exotic beaches will make you love them!

Also, access to the island is easy and economical, as you do not need to pay for ferry tickets. You will go with your car, your motorcycle or the bus! Nature and slow pace. Water sports, sailing and nice weather.

If you go on vacation in Lefkada, you will enjoy unique beaches and swim in crystal clear waters! If you are an adventurous and athletic type, you will explore the mountains and villages of the island, walking on green paths! Also, it is worth visiting the sights of the island, walking in the alleys of the old town and meeting the locals. Therefore, I advise you to stay on the island for at least a week, in order to make the most of what it has to offer you!

Beaches for all tastes …

Lefkada offers a huge variety of beaches. In it you will find small natural beaches, but also popular with bars and activities. You can also relax on white pebbles or sandy beaches. In others you can play with the big waves, while others have shallow waters and are ideal for families and children.

The beaches on the west side of the island impress thanks to their deep blue color and their steep cliffs, which form natural islands in the sea!

The beaches on the east side are protected from the wind and are usually calm and safe. Therefore, they are preferred by families with young children.

Popular Beaches near the Gulf of Sivota

Afteli is 7 km away from Sivota. It is a small beach with amazing blue color. On the beach you will find a snack bar, sunbeds and umbrellas.

It is accessible by car and convenient for families. A few old fishing boats are parked in the bay, creating a romantic atmosphere!

Ammouso beach is located 9 km from Sivota. It has white pebbles and crystal clear blue water, while it is an ideal place for families. Sun loungers and parasols are also available for rent.

Next to the beach you will find a restaurant, which offers a wide variety of dishes.

The beach is very easily accessible by car, while right next to it there is a place where you can park your car or motorcycle, without paying.

If you enjoy walking, there is a trail along the coast, which offers a fantastic view!

Agiofili Beach is 12 km from Sivota and is located near the town of Vasiliki. Undoubtedly it is especially beautiful with turquoise waters and white stones.

Also in Agiofili sunbeds and umbrellas are available for rent.

It is accessible by boat (cruises from the town of Vasiliki). However, you can also reach it by car, passing through an unpaved road, which, however, may be difficult in some places.

Vasiliki beach is 10 km away from Sivota. It is big and famous for its excellent sailing conditions! There you will find water sports facilities and windsurfing centers.

Near the beach is the town of Vasiliki , where you can enjoy delicious food and visit its various shops.

Mikros Gialos beach is 13 km away from Sivota . This is a popular beach, protected from the winds. In it the waves are very rare and, for that, it looks like a lake. It has pebbles and crystal clear waters ideal for families with children. You will also find sunbeds and umbrellas available for rent.

Beautiful West Coast Beaches

Porto Katsiki is the most popular beach of Lefkada. Its wonderful turquoise waters and its big rocks will enchant you! Sun loungers and parasols are also provided for hire.

In August the beach is usually full of bathers. In addition, there is free parking nearby.

On the left side of the coast you will find another beach, completely abandoned. You can reach it by boat or by swimming from Porto Katsiki .

Gialos is the longest beach of Lefkada, near the village of Athani . It is not as popular as other beaches on the island and, therefore, it is not as crowded. It is sandy, while in it you will find sunbeds, umbrellas and cafes, but also quiet, private areas with natural landscape. There are several parking spaces near it.

Egremni is a paradise large beach with sand and small pebbles. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and famous beaches of Lefkada. It also provides sunbeds, umbrellas and beach bars, as well as secluded, private nature spots.

The beaches of Kavalikefta , Avali and Megali Petra are located just below the village of Kalamitsi .

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Megali Petra is the largest of the three with huge rocks, which spread along the beach and into the sea, creating an amazing landscape for photography. The same goes for Knights .

However, although Kavalikefta offers sunbeds and umbrellas for rent and has a small cafe, Megali Petra is completely natural, without tourist facilities.

Avali is not as popular as the other two beaches and is usually not crowded. Although it does not provide sunbeds and umbrellas, there is a canteen with food and drinks nearby.

Undoubtedly all three beaches offer amazing turquoise water, small white pebbles, which look like sand from a distance, and an amazing place for swimming and sunbathing. You will reach them through a steep and narrow road from the village of Kalamitsi (about 4.5 km). It is accessible by all types of cars, as long as you are careful in the sharp turns!

Kathisma beach is the “Little Ibiza” of the island. It is one of the most popular beaches of Lefkada with endless sandy beach, while most of it is covered by sunbeds and umbrellas. Also, in Kathisma you will find beach bars and taverns, while nearby there are tourist accommodations. In addition, you will find activities such as paragliding and various other water sports.

Kathisma is located near Agios Nikitas , on the north side of the island, and access to it by car is very convenient, as it is only 1 km from Main street. Due to the easy accessibility, every August the beach is full of people.

The Mill is a large natural beach, close to the famous Kathisma Beach. Unlike other popular beaches on the west side of the island, it is a natural landscape untouched by tourist activities. It has crystal clear blue waters and is sandy.

If you want to calm down and relax the Mill is the ideal place for you, as there are no tourist facilities near it. Also, if you are a friend of nudism, I inform you that nudism is allowed on this beach. Also, if you decide to visit it, make sure you bring water, food, a sunbed and an umbrella.

Pefkoulia is a very popular beach, sandy and large, near Agios Nikitas . Unlike most beaches on the west coast of the island, it is easily accessible by car and therefore quite crowded, especially during July and August.

Pefkoulia is an amazing landscape, while near it you will find some taverns and cafes. Sunbeds and umbrellas are also available for rent.

<Agios Ioannis is the nearest beach to the town of Lefkada, as it is only 3 km away. It is an exotic landscape with golden beaches and turquoise waters.

Strong winds often blow in Agios Ioannis and, therefore, it is an excellent place for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Due to the wind and the frequent big waves, it is not a very popular beach for swimming and sunbathing.

In the northern part of the beach there are three old windmills and a small church, while in the southern part you will find cafes and taverns! Sun loungers and parasols are also available, and there are water sports centers!

The Archaeological Museum of Lefkada

It is housed on the ground floor of the old City Hall of Lefkada, where the Cultural Center of the Municipality is located.

The exhibits of the Museum, the photos and the information that accompanies them, will inform you about the activities of the inhabitants of the island in antiquity.

The Archaeological Museum of Lefkada

The house where the world-famous poet and writer Angelos Sikelianos was born is housed in the museum of the same name.

This is an excellent model museum of international standards that sheds light on the ideas, personality and life path of the great lyric poet.

The Historic Center of Lefkada Hearn

The Historic Center of Lefkada Hearn is located within the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Lefkada.

With the help of photographs, texts, exhibits and interactive applications you will tour the important moments of the life of Lefkadio Hearn, the national poet of Japan, but also the cultures of Europe, America and Japan of the late 18th and early of the 19th century.

The Folklore Museum of Orpheus

The Folklore Museum of the Orpheus Musicological Group is located in the privately owned building of the Association, behind the central square of Lefkada.

It hosts more than 1,000 useful objects of rural life of Lefkada, such as tools, utensils, traditional costumes, embroidery, etc. It also includes urban exhibits and tools of old professions.

The Exhibition of Antiquities (Phonograph Museum )

The Phonograph Museum is a small private museum with phonographs, records, rare utensils, decorations, coins, stamps and photographs. The founder of the Museum is a local collector, Takis Katopodis.

The International Folklore Festival Memorial Exhibition Museum

It was founded in 2012 and is housed within the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Lefkada.

Includes items related to the long course of the International Folklore Festival, such as traditional costumes of various countries, textiles, musical instruments, flags, medals, cassettes with traditional music and much more.

The Ecclesiastical Museum of Faneromeni

It was built in 2006 and is housed in a building next to the Monastery of Faneromeni Lefkada. The museum exhibits relics of the Monastery. It also includes rare ecclesiastical manuscripts, post-Byzantine icons and iconostasis of Ionian and Lefkada hagiographers from various monasteries and temples of the island. At the same time, it has many silver and gold works, such as chalice, holy crosses and discs.

Nautical Museum of Nikos Thanos Morina

It has been operating since 2011 in the basement of the church museum of Faneromeni.

Includes over 60 handmade wooden dummies and nautical tools from around the world.

Made in 2015 by the collector Christos Vlachos. The museum exhibits come from the personal collection of its founder, which consists of rare old gramophones, radios, phonographs, pickups, jukeboxes, thousands of records and bobbinophones.

Maria Koutsochero Museum of Lefkada Embroidery

It is housed in a traditional house in Lefkada and contains a lot of handmade embroidery made with the technique of Karsani stitch, a world originality in the field of embroidery, whose protagonist was Maria Stavraka “Koutsochero”.

The technique quickly spread to the embroiderers of the village and became known throughout Greece for its originality, even decorating royal palaces.

The museum houses original embroidery by Maria Stavraka and many antique items that will take you to another era.

Short Folklore Museum of Kavalos

It has been operating since 2004 and is housed in the renovated old Primary School of the village of Kavalos. The museum was named Kontomichio in honor of Pantazis Kontomichis, the Lefkadian philologist who dealt with the history and folklore of Lefkada.

The museum houses objects related to traditional professions, useful objects, tools of the pre-industrial era, traditional textiles and costumes of the area of ​​Sfakiotes.

The Castle of Agia Mavra

The castle of Agia Mavra dominates the entrance of the city of Lefkada. It is one of the most imposing medieval buildings in Greece and a model of fortification art of that time.

It was built in the 14th century and has an area of ​​25,000 square meters, while it has been besieged a total of 12 times.

It is founded on a peninsula located between Lefkada and Acarnania and occupies an area of ​​about 25,000 square meters with a rich war history as it was besieged a total of 12 times in the 7 centuries of its existence.

The Bee Gorge

It’s not big, you cross it in about an hour. It is green with shady paths, stone bridges and running water.

Dimosari Gorge and Waterfall

A breath away from Nidri, the gorge of Dimosaris starts from a dirt path. Cross it and after a few minutes of hiking you will be in front of the homonymous waterfall, whose natural pool is suitable for refreshing, icy dips, when the mercury hits 40 amps!

The Activities on the Island of Lefkada

In Lefkada you can do many activities, from the most common, such as hiking or cycling, to the most adventurous, such as paragliding or diving.

Windsurfing (Vassiliki, Agios Ioannis) – Vassiliki is the most popular spot in Lefkada for windsurfing. It is worth noting that in 2004 the beach of Vasiliki was appointed as a windsurfing point for the Athens Olympic Games! On the beaches of Vasiliki and Agios Ioannis you will find beach clubs that offer equipment for rent and windsurfing lessons.

Seakayaking – Rent a sea kayak and explore the island!

Kitesurfing (Agios Ioannis) – On the north side of the island the conditions are perfect for kitesurfing. Agios Ioannis beach is the top kitesurfing spot.

Water Sports (Nidri, Vassiliki) – In Nidri and Vassiliki you can go water skiing, paragliding or boating on a sofa, kayak and rowing. In Vassiliki you can enjoy water sports.

Diving (Nikiana, Vasiliki) – Underwater caves, reefs and old shipwrecks are some of the attractions for divers in Lefkada. On the island there are many centers that offer diving lessons and boat trips to diving sites!

Parapente (Kathisma beach) – The west side of Lefkada offers excellent conditions for flights almost all year round, especially in March – November. It is definitely an unforgettable experience.

Sailing (Nydri, Sivota, Vasiliki) – Particularly popular activity in Lefkada.

Mountain Biking (Nydri, Vasiliki) – The island is mountainous and offers many mountain biking trails with magnificent views.

Hiking – Explore the island on foot, crossing the beautiful trails of Lefkada!