If it were a movie, it could be called “Endless Blue” or “Fifty Shades of Blue”, the beaches of western Lefkada are so wonderful that you fall for them immediately and get lost in this vibrant colourful celebration of beauty and the game of light and water.
It’s not easy to describe the natural beauty of Lefkada’s beaches, they’re so impressively unique, and the experience of being on one is just too hard to express with words. It’s no coincidence that the beaches of Lefkada are among some of the most photographed beaches in the world. Though most of western Lefkada’s beaches are already international stars, we visited them in order to present them to you, and it very quickly became clear to us why so many visitors come here each year. Our trip started in the capital and was southwest-bound. Enjoy.
PEFKOULIA
It is a beach with clean, clear waters, mostly sandy and also with segments covered in fine pebbles, and lush vegetation –the large pine trees reach the seafront offering nice shade. It’s about 10km south of Lefkada town, and just 4km from the scenic Agios Nikitas if you’re based there. It has easy access, but it’s best to park your car off the main road, because the small dirt road that leads to the beach and the surrounding area fills up quickly. It’s a serviced beach, but on the right side there also a part of the beach with more privacy, under the pines where people set up tents. Make sure to take a photo of the beach from above.
MILOS
Accessible either by boat from Agios Nikitas – boats leave regularly and the trip costs €3 – offering you a mini cruise / theme park ride, against the waves, or, for the more adventurous types, via hiking trail that starts at the main pedestrian street in the village. The duration of the hike is about 20min on a wooded hill, but it requires resilience and determination. The trail and the view from the top of the hill, however, are more than rewarding. There’s an old windmill at one edge of the beach, which presumably what gave the beach its name (milos means mill). If you’re lucky, you won’t find the huge crowds that gather at the other beaches, though Milos is becoming increasingly more popular. However, it’s a wide, long, beach, so there will be enough space for everyone. Here, too, it’s mostly sandy with pebbles. Since it’s not accessible by car, it has managed to remain only barely serviced.
KATHISMA
A very large, both in width and length, beach with white sand and pebbles and green-blue waters, considered one of the best beaches of Lefkada. It’s one of the most developed and busiest beaches on the island, attracting mostly younger crowds. It’s about 16km away from town and easily accessible by car (go south from Agios Nikitas, and after 3km turn right, following the signs) since the road reaches the seafront. On the two edges, there’s some space for people in search of quitter corners for their swim. The rocks at the two edges are the perfect setting for photographs and the seabed is great for snorkelling. If you like paragliding, then here you can enjoy it easily, since the mountain behind the beach has the perfect height and there are experienced pilots/guides that can help you enjoy a thrilling and safe flight.
KAVALIKEFTA
Right below the village Kalamitsi, 20km southwest of Lefkada town, there are some stunning and not very well-known beaches. One of them is Kavalikefta, wild and unique, yet very beautiful and impressive, distinct from the rest. It’s 4km from the village on a road with signs, that requires careful driving as it is not very easy and it is narrow and downhill, stretching between olive groves. There’s a small canteen on the beach, space for parking, as well as umbrellas and sunbeds that are placed in the least obstructive to the natural landscape way. When you reach this small, almost secret beach, you’ll be surprised. The water is lovely and clear, ground is covered in white pebbles scattered with large rocks, and if you’re lucky and find the right spot, you can get a miniature private beach. It’s a dreamy place, that in high season is usually full of people, but if you do get there and there’s not many people, you’ll feel like you’re in heaven.
AGIOS NIKITAS
This lovely village, 14km from the town, has its own beach, where the main pedestrian road leads. It’s a distance you’ll have to cover on foot, since cars are not allowed here. Following the colourful alley, between the cafés and restaurants and the souvenir shops, you’ll see the very small bay as you approach, that is usually very crowded. It has clear waters, with small boats moored along the coast, and there are taverns and cafés. It’s one of the busiest, most cosmopolitan beaches, where you don’t go to relax, but to see and be seen. At the edge of the beach there are some smaller segments that have fewer people and are quieter but also more rocks, and still belong to a busy “urban” beach.
MEGALI PETRA
Large pieces of rock, scattered on the beach, as well as one big rock that explains its name (it means big rock) comprise of Megali Petra. Right after Kavalikefta, southward, almost like they’re two parts of the same beach. Megali Petra is much larger and resembles the morphology of other beaches of Lefkada’s west coast. The same narrow, winding, difficult road that starts at Kalamitsi leads to Megali Petra, but you need to turn left a bit before the road ends in Kavalikefta and follow the small path that will reveal the beach. Alternatively, you can get to Megali Petra from Kavalikefta, by climbing over some rocks. This gem of Lefkada is a mostly sandy beach, with some pebbles, and is not serviced, ideal for those who want to be closer to nature.
Avali beach is similar, not organised and relatively secluded. It’s located north of Megali Petra and Kavalikefta, off the same road from Kalamitsi, but you need to turn right before you get to Kavalikefta. It doesn’t get crowds of tourists and has a lovely canteen that is worth trying.
GIALOS
Gialos beach is 36km southwest of Lefkada town. To get there you need to get off the main road and head to Athani. The road is full of turns, but it’s relatively easy to access the beach. It’s a serviced beach, with parking spaces, and it’s highly likely that you’ll find a free spot where you can relax. Its length makes it a great destination for anyone who wants to avoid big crowds. The fact that Porto Katsiki and Egremni are nearby helps Gialos attract fewer tourists. The beach is mostly wide, with thick sand or pebbles, in the centre of the beach and in the water there are some mostly flat rocks, while at its edges the rocks disappear. If you walk to the right or left of the beach, you’ll find parts of the beach where you can be more secluded. The landscape is unique.
EGREMNI
Egremni beach is about 38km from Lefkada town, over 2km long, with sand and fine pebbles. To get to Egremni you need to pass through Athani, unless you take a boat there form another village. It is an amazing, much-photographed, famous beach, of incredible wild beauty, with stunning views and great waters that make it a tropical, unforgettable destination. Its name (it means cliffs) comes from the huge rocks that surround the beach and seem to be hanging in the air. The landslides caused by the 2015 earthquake affected it but with the passage of time the sea has restored the beach to its previous state. It’s an oasis of relaxation and calm, mainly due to its size that means that the free part is much larger than the serviced part. To access it from land, you need to park your car on the road or in the parking and walk for more than 2km until you reach the staircase with the many steps that lead to heaven. Going down is not that hard but going back up is challenging and hard. However, the view and setting is so beautiful that you can endure pain, as being in Egremni is a unique life experience.
PORTO KATSIKI
The “Miss Universe” of the island’s beaches, and one of the true gems of the Ionian Sea, Porto Katsiki is a trademark of Lefkada. You can’t come to Lefkada and not visit Porto Katsiki. It’s an award-wining, celebrated beach, known all over the world for its one-of-a-kind coloured waters and the imposing setting with the impressive, vertical, steep white rocks. Located in the southwest part of the island, it’s the most remote of the western beaches, more than 40km away from town, easily accessible by car despite the many turns on the road. Thousands of tourists crowd the beach all day long, while during high season it’s always swarmed with people admiring it and taking photos from above, before going down the steps that lead to the beach. If we could only take one picture of Lefkada for a postcard, then it would have to be a photo of Porto Katsiki, taken from the top of the rocks. There are many parking lots that fill up fast, and you can always park on the road, even though then you’d have to walk. There are many canteens, and many boats make a stop on the beach bringing tourists. However, none of this matters once you see the beach for the first time, it’s truly a remarkable, unforgettable sight.
WORDS OF CAUTION
The unique beauty of the island’s beaches, and especially of those of western Lefkada, have made the island an ideal destination for both Greek and foreign tourists. The clear, crystalline waters, the beautiful pebbles and the sand, the glorious rocks, the verdant slopes, all compose an incredible setting, where you can enjoy a wide range of blue hues.
However, there are some things you need to know to make your stay even more pleasant.
Access to the beaches, from the easiest to the hardest-to-reach, involves going down and up paths and roads that require attention and caution. The narrow, winding roads, especially given the traffic, will have you on alert, and will exhaust you. The west coast usually has waves, especially when its windy, so you need to be very careful. Add the depth of the sea to the waves, and it’s clear that you need to be reasonable and not try to appear brave or be reckless. If the waves are big, it’s best to not get in the sea.
Since the beaches are popular and busy, they get large crowds, so traffic jams are a common occurrence during high season. In consequence, no matter how many parking lots are available, parking can be a problem. You need to be patient and creative and willing to walk.
Ideally, you’d visit the beaches early in the morning to avoid crowds, get a spot in the shade under one of the trees or near the rocks – where it is safe to sit near them. If the beach doesn’t have any natural shade and isn’t serviced, you need to be fully equipped in order to avoid discomfort and make your stay as pleasant as possible.
Since the beaches face the west, keep in mind that on any given day you can enjoy amazingly beautiful sunsets, perfect for Instagram snaps, with the sun setting and exploding the sky in orange hues over the turquoise waters adding even more beauty to the already surreal landscape.
