Lefkada Beaches: Which One Is The best (Updated 2024)
24 Lefkada beaches – a small island with spectacular beaches
After spending two whole weeks in Lefkada, we can pretty much conclude that all the beaches in Lefkada are amazing. No matter which one you choose, you just can’t go wrong.
That said, we discovered that each beach has its charm and character. And if you don’t have the time to visit them all, we can imagine that you want to select those that attract you the most.
What type of beach do you prefer?
In this guide, we will show you the stunning beaches of Lefkada and where you can find them
Tips before visiting the Lefkada beaches
To make the most of your visit to the beaches of this Ionian island, we have listed a couple of tips and insights.
It would have probably saved us a lot of time researching the beaches in Lekfada, had we known a thing or two before we left.
Which side of Lefkada has the best beaches?
In our opinion (together with many others 🙂), the west coast of Lefkada has the best beaches when it comes to swimming in crystal clear turquoise-colored waters and relaxing at the long-stretched beaches.
Moreover, before arriving at the beach itself, we were always mesmerized by the view from above
That said…
We loved the secluded beaches and its calm water in the south-east. At first glance, they might not be as spectacular as the west side of the island but they were lovely too.
How to get to the best Lefkada beaches?
Lefkada is pretty small. For instance, Lefkada town is located in the northern part of the island. The drive from Lefkada town to Vasiliki, which is located at the southern tip of the island is just about 45 minutes.
The conditions of the main road are great, so it is easy to travel around the island.
The best way to get to the beaches in Lefkada is to rent a car, motorbike, or ATV so you can go beach hopping and explore as many amazing beaches as you want.
During the summer season, we highly recommend renting a motorbike. It can get extremely busy which makes finding a parking place a nightmare.
We rented motorbikes and could always park closest to the beach entrance.
If you prefer a car, then you should go for that option. Just arrive early at the popular beaches so you don’t have to walk too much.
Many beaches are located near each other, so if you rent a car or motorbike you can easily visit 2 or 3 beaches in one day
Buses run between the bigger villages during the summer months. However, these will not take you down to the gorgeous cliff beaches along the West Coast.
Another option is to sign up for the many boat trips that will take you to the most popular and secluded beaches on the island. If this is something you want to do, then check what type of boat you want. This can range from party boats to luxurious yachts.
Are the beaches in Lefkada easily accessible?
The road conditions in Lefkada are very good, including the narrow hairpin roads that lead you to the beaches. So all beaches are easily accessible by road. Occasionally you will bump into a dirt road. These are often only for the secluded beaches along the east coast.
The beaches located between Nikiana and Nidri are all easily accessible as they are located along the main road running along the east coast of the island.
Many are located at a restaurant, beach club, or hotel. So they might not be that evident.
The beaches more south of Nidri are however only accessible via a dirt road or by boat. Luckily you are allowed to rent a small boat without a boat license. It’s the best way to explore the little hidden beaches along the East Coast of Lefkada.
When heading to the South and West Coast of the island, you will need to drive down the never-ending twisting road to reach the beach. But the road conditions are always good, so you won’t have any trouble.
We will let you know what to expect in our list of Lefkada beaches here below.
Which Lefkada beaches have waves?
If the wind is coming from the North-West and is stronger than 3km/h then there will be waves at the Lefkada West Coast. But overall the water is very calm, especially during the summer months.
The East Coast is known for its still waters and is ideal for small children to swim in, while the beaches North of Lefkada town and at Vasilki are the best places for wind- and kite surfing.
We experienced strong winds on our first day in Lefkada. At that time we were exploring the Agios Ioannis beach, located north of the town of Lefkada. The waves were pretty big and rough.
But during the rest of our 2 weeks holiday, all the beaches in Lefkada were calm and ideal for swimming.
So when visiting the beaches in the North and West, check the wind conditions first if you wish to swim. Otherwise, you will need to head to the east side of the island.
Are the Lefkada beaches crowded during the high season?
Some Lefkada beaches can get crowded during the summer months only. However, this shouldn’t withhold you from visiting it. Sometimes it can be crazy busy, yet the atmosphere is very relaxing.
Luckily there are many other beaches where you will have a piece of beach all to yourselves. It all depends on which beach you go to.
That said, if you do want space and have the feeling that you are the only one then you have two options:
- 1. Don’t go during the summer months (July, August, September) as these are the busiest months on the island. The best time to go is in May, June, the end of September, and October.
OR…
- 2. choose the long-stretched beaches instead of the tiny cliff beaches. Tiny cliff beaches tend to fill up quickly leaving hardly any space to place your towel.
If the long-stretched beach is busy too, pass the crowds and walk further away from the entrance. You are very likely to find a quiet spot there.
We visited Lefkada in June and many times we had a piece of beach all to ourselves.
Does Lefkada have sandy beaches?
Lefkada does not have powdery soft sanded beaches. You know, that type of sand that makes a squeaking sound when you walk barefooted…
Instead, they have pebbled beaches. Some are small pebbled beaches with a mixture of sand, while others have little rocks. It all depends on which beach you are at.
There are even huge boulders in the water at some beaches. Luckily the water is clear, so you can easily see where to place your feet.
It is wise to wear water shoes when visiting the beaches in Lefkada. It just makes walking on pebbles more comfortable plus you don’t have to be afraid of bumping your toe on a bigger rock.
What to bring with you when visiting the Lefkada beaches?
Besides the usual, there are a couple of things you should bring with you to make your day at the beach in Lefkada more pleasant.
Water shoes
First of all, water shoes. The beaches in Lefkada can have soft sand, but many have pebbles and even rocks. It’s easier to walk into the crystal clear with water shoes without hurting your feet.
Sun/Beach Umbrella
While many beaches have sun loungers (some don’t), we still highly recommend getting one of the simple sun umbrellas sold at the bigger supermarkets or tourist shops on the island.
Initially, we didn’t have a sun umbrella because we didn’t think we could tie it to our motorbike. But after seeing riders drive by with an umbrella tied to the bike, we did the same.
The accommodation that we stayed at offered us umbrellas which we could borrow. So that is also an option if you don’t feel like buying one.
Food and Water
Not all beaches in Lefkada have a restaurant. So make sure you bring lunch, snacks, and water with you.
After a tough off-road experience, we ended up at a deserted beach only to discover later in the day that we hadn’t brought enough food. We would have stayed the whole day if our stomachs hadn’t started to rumble.
The list of Lefkada Beaches
We have listed most of the beaches in Lefkada here. It starts with the beaches near Lefkada town, followed by the stunning cliff beaches along the west coast.
The list continues with the popular East Coast beaches such as the beaches at Nidri and Nikiana. The Southern beaches near the big town of Vasiliki are listed last.
North Coast Beaches
| Agios Ioannis |
Agios Ioannis
- Kids Friendly: ❌
- Accessibility: 🚗, easy
- Parking spot: Free
- Restaurants: ✅, south part of the beach
- Sun beds: ✅, south part of the beach
- Long-stretched sandy beach
Agios Ioannis Beach is located on the northern tip of the island, just minutes away from Lefkada town. Not many people go to this beach, despite being so close to the main town.
It is a stunning beach, with soft sand and amazing blue water however it is known as a windy beach. The water can get rough here and is therefore more popular among kite- and windsurfers.
The southern part of the beach is more developed and this is the place where you can find a couple of restaurants, accommodations, and sun-loungers on the beach.
If you head towards the north, you can find parking spots along the main road between the sea lake and the beach. The more north you go, the more deserted it will become.
When we were there during the high season there was hardly anybody at this beach. Perhaps because it was pretty windy and there were big waves. Or because there are more stunning ones just minutes away.
Gyra, Ammoglossa & Kastro Beach
There are a couple of more similar beaches more north known as Gyra, Ammoglossa, and Kastro Beach. They are popular among the locals.
These beaches are also closer to the bridge that connects Lefkada Island with mainland Greece. The water seems much calmer here than Agios Ioannis Beach, located just around the corner.
West Coast Beaches
| Pefkoulia Beach | Agios Nikitas Beach | Milos Beach | Kathisma Beach| Avali Beach | Gaidores Beach | Kavalikefta Beach | Megali Petra Beach | Gialos Beach |
Egremni Beach| Porto Katsiki Beach |
The west coast beaches lie along the lime cliffs of Lefkada. The steep cliffs give a spectacular view of these beaches with their blue turquoise waters. But for some, you do need to make some effort to reach them.
Expect another 20-minute drive down a narrow hairpin road from the main road to the beach.
Pefkoulia Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking spot: Free, large parking area
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sunbeds: ✅
- Long-stretched sandy beach
Pefkoulia beach is the first beach you will see when driving from Lefkada town along the main road to the West Coast beaches.
There is a pretty large parking area here. From there you can walk from the restaurants to the beach.
We recommend going to the north part, where the crowd slowly fades away. If you are there in the summer months, we suggest jumping in the water every now to cool down until you find your ideal spot.
We spent our whole last day at this beach and even after 2 weeks of visiting so many beaches, we were still blown away by how clear the water is.
Pefkoulia Beach is a quiet beach (even in the high season) despite being so close to Lefkada town. So it’s one you want to add to your list if you are searching for a relaxing day at the beach.
Agios Nikitas Village Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking spot: Free along the main road, paid at a parking area
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sunbeds: ❌
- small sandy beach
Agios Nikitas is a cute village just a 20-minute drive from Lefkada town. The little streets are covered with tourist shops and restaurants. So you won’t go hungry here.
We can imagine that if you would have accommodation here, it would be wonderful to head to this beach in the morning before the crowd arrives.
But when we were there, we were pretty shocked. It was extremely busy. There wasn’t even a tiny spot to place our stuff.
We were surprised that people would want to spend their day here. Luckily you can hop on a water taxi boat from Agios Nikitas to Milos Beach, a long-stretched beach just a bay further.
During the off-season months, this beach will have fewer people. This makes Agios Nikitas a wonderful place to stay so you can fully enjoy its beach.
Milos Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: by foot👣 or boat taxi🚤
- Parking spot: ❌
- Restaurants: ❌
- Sunbeds: ✅
- Long-stretched sandy beach
Milos Beach is a pretty unique beach, because you can not reach it by car. You can either tackle the trail that leads you over the hill towards the beach, or pay €4 a person and hop a boat/ water taxi to get there.
A 30-minute hike might seem like a no-go with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius, but the view is the best. Ideal to do during the colder months.
It’s a lovely long beach with small pebbled sand and when we were there the water was calm, making it perfect to be in the water the whole time.
Kathisma Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking spot: Paid at large parking area
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sunbeds: ✅
- Long-stretched sandy beach
Kathisma is the first beach after Agios Nikitas village. It is located just off the main road and it is a popular beach for paragliding and water sports.
On the dirt road along the beach, you can find a large parking area and many restaurants that rent out sun loungers.
We just spent the morning at Milos Beach and were quite overwhelmed by how busy it was. I think the contrast with Milos Beach was too big because we decided to leave straight away.
Perhaps we would have appreciated it more if we had been there at another time or had made the effort to walk further down the beach.
Kathisma is often listed as one of the best beaches in Lefkada. I think because of the many facilities (including a swimming pool?!?!) Plus I couldn’t think of a better place to go paragliding and to soar along the most stunning coast of Lefkada…
Avali Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, hair-pin road down
- Parking spot: Free, along a narrow road
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sunbeds: ❌
- Long-stretched sandy beach
Avali is one of the 4 beaches off the main road from the village Kalamitsi. When you are zigzagging downhill you will see signs pointing in the right direction.
The road will eventually become narrow, especially when you come to the point where cars are parked.
Avali is not as popular as its neighboring Kalalikefta Beach. Nevertheless, it’s a stunning beach, especially with the white pebbles set against the amazing turquoise waters.
A small canteen/ snack bar at the beach sells drinks and snacks. You will need to bring your own umbrella.
Gaidores Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: difficult 🚗, dirt road with lots of rocks
- Parking spot: Free
- Restaurants: ❌
- Sunbeds: ❌
- Long-stretched pebbled beach
Gaidores is the next beach connected to Avali Beach. You will know you have arrived at Gaidores Beach when the road gets really bad.
We ended up at this beach out of curiosity, wondering how far this dirt road would take us. Eventually, we spent the whole morning enjoying this deserted beach.
It’s a rough type of beach, with huge pebbles at the waterfront and boulders in the water. But the water was calm and clear, so we had fun swimming from one huge rock to another.
Kavalikefta Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, hairpin road down
- Parking spot: Free parking along the road, paid at the parking area
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sunbeds: ✅
- Small sanded beach with huge boulders
Kavalikefta Beach is quite different compared to most beaches at Lefkada. Huge rocks dominate it and many people find a nice sandy spot between them.
If you head to this beach, then make sure you wear water shoes.
The water has this creamy blue color that will lure you in for a swim. Wade into the water or climb up one of the many rocks and jump in.
There is organized parking at Kavalikefta beach and a small restaurant that serves snacks and drinks.
In the summer season, this beach can get busy. If you want to lose the crowd, walk further away from the parking area where it will get quieter. The rocks will suddenly disappear and be replaced by a long-stretched beach.
Initially, we thought this was also Kavalikefta Beach, but after checking the map we learned it was Megali Petra Beach.
Megali Petra Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, follow the signs to Kavalikefta beach
- Parking spot: Free parking along the road, paid at the parking area
- Restaurants: ❌
- Sunbeds: ❌
- Long-stretched sandy beach
Megali Petra Beach is directly connected to Kavalikefta Beach. While they are right next to each other, they look completely different.
Megali Petra Beach is a long stretched beach with sand. There are no rocks on the beach or in the water, making it perfect for swimming. It reminded us of Milos beach.
It’s a lovely beach. Somehow not many people come here. Perhaps because its neighboring beach is more popular.
We enjoyed the crystal clear water and consider this beach one of our favorites.
Gialos Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, hairpin road down
- Parking spot: Free parking
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sunbeds: ✅
- Long-stretched beach with a mix of pebbles, boulders and sand.
With its 4km long rocky beach and boulders in the water, Gialos Beach is probably one of the most roughest-looking beaches. But the water is calm and crystal clear making it ideal for swimming.
Gialos Beach can be divided in two. The beach is very quiet just north of the two beach restaurants. The beach is more rocky here.
But if you continue following the sandy road, you will find more people. This part of the beach is a popular place for those traveling with camper vans. I think they even stay overnight here.
The road down to the beach is a nice one. Once you take the turn off the main road, you will drive through the olive plantations followed by a pretty steep downhill hair-pin road to the beach.
The road conditions are great. Just make sure you stick to your side to make way for incoming traffic. If there is any at all…
Egremni beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy🚗, followed by a 1KM hike down, plus 360 stairs to the beach
- Parking: paid
- Restaurants: ❌, tiny canteen just before you go down the stairs
- Sun-loungers: ❌, umbrella rental available
- Long-stretched sandy beach
Be ready to take in jaw-dropping views of Egremni Beach before jumping into the bluest water we have ever seen. This is probably one of the most famous beaches on the island. It was once listed as the most beautiful in the world.
There is a catch though….
You need to put in a lot of effort to get there.
A beautiful tarmac road takes you straight to the stairs that lead to the beach. But unfortunately, this road is not accessible by car due to a dispute between the locals and the local government.
The parking area is on top of the cliff and after parking your vehicle you will need to walk down the 1 km hair-pin tarmac road to the stairs with 350 steps that lead to the beach.
We are still surprised that most people talk about the steps. Yes, they are tough but doable, especially with the incredible view.
We thought the hike up and down the road was the worst…
But that said, Egremni Beach is amazing. We were there in the morning. After a while, it got busier but we walked further away from the stairs towards the north.
We couldn’t get enough of the water. The blue water against the sheer white cliffs is a picture you want to mesmerize forever.
Try to avoid the southern part of the beach. Boats arrive here to drop off people who visit this beach during a day trip.
Porto Katsiki Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, hairpin road to parking area, stairs to the beach
- Parking: Free parking along the road, Paid parking at paid area
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- Cliff sandy beach
Porto Katsiki beach is set along a white cliff. After the never-ending turning and twisting road, you will end up at a huge car park. You need to climb down 100 stairs to reach the spectacular beach.
When we visited Porto Katsiki it was packed: cars had to park along the road, and there were a lot of people on the stairs down to the beach, and at the beach.
We couldn’t even find enough space to lay down our towels. In the end, we just piled our stuff near a huge rock and jumped into the amazing water.
Similar to the nearby Egremni Beach, Porto Katsiki is often at the top of the list of beaches to visit. This makes this beach incredibly crowded during the high season.
Nevertheless, Porto Katsiki is definitely worth visiting. You can follow several paths that offer stunning views of the beach set against the limestone cliff . So even if you are not there to jump in the wonderful water, Porto Katsiki is an amazing beach to watch from above.
The beach is pretty organized. There are restaurants, shops and a huge parking lot.
As you can tell, Porto Katsiki is much busier than Egremni Beach. Perhaps because it is more accessible.
There are boat trips and taxi boats from Vasilki that take you to Egremni Beach and Porto Katsiki Beach. This might be an option for you if you want to avoid the hike
East Coast Beaches
| Nidri Beaches | Nikiana Beaches | Kamari Beach | Desemi Beach | Ellomeno Beach| Meganisi Beaches |
Nidri Beaches
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking: Free parking along the main road
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- pebbled beach
Nidri is the second largest town on the islands, after Lefkada town. It is the number 1 tourist spot and there is a huge choice of restaurants and beaches.
Not all beaches are visible. Some beaches are along a parking area on the main road, while others are at a restaurant or beach club. They are open to the public though. So all you need to do is find a parking spot and walk between the buildings.
There are no waves here and like everywhere in Lefkada, the water is crystal clear. The beaches have mostly pebbled stoned.
The beaches in Nidri are beautiful, but we thought they were not as spectacular as the Western coast of Lefkada.
The beaches at Nidri are known for their amazing sunsets. There are many restaurants located right at the beach. So it’s a great spot to have a tasty Greek dinner.
Nikiana Beaches
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking: Free parking along the main road
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- pebbled beach
Similar to the Nidri Beaches, the beaches in Nikiana are all set along a busy main road. However, they are not obscured by buildings. So once you see a nice patch of beach, you can stop and walk straight down to the water.
Episkopis Beach is the most popular of all the Nikiana beaches. So as you can imagine, it can get busy.
We also think it is one of the nicest beaches in Nikiana and it’s easy to reach by foot from the main road.
We drove a bit further north, parked our motorbikes in the bushes, and climbed down a narrow path down to a small pebbled beach.
Desemi Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking: Paid parking at the parking area
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- pebbled beach
Desemi Beach is just south of Nidri Harbor and is dominated by a campsite. It is easy to reach. The long beach is very narrow so it can get difficult to find a spot.
There is more activity at the waterfront. Many companies rent out small boats that you can take out to explore the hidden beaches along the east coast.
We rented a paddle boat here to check out the nearby cave and to take a peak around the corner of the cliff. We highly recommend doing this, or if you have more time try to rent a small motorized boat for a whole day.
Kamari Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: difficult 🚗, dirt road
- Parking: Free at the beach
- Restaurants: ❌
- Sun beds: ❌
- pebbled beach
If you really want to leave the crowd behind, this is one of those beaches. Head to Desimi beach and before entering this bay turn right and follow the dirt road. It is a bit of an off-road experience which can be done by motorbike.
The road is narrow but we saw camper vans parked at the beach too. So it is doable if you are a confident driver.
The beach has big stone pebbles and calm crystal clear waters. From here you can see the island Meganisi.
Ellomeno Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: difficult 🚗, dirt road
- Parking: Free at the beach
- Restaurants: ❌
- Sun beds: ❌
- pebbled beach
Theoretically, Ellomeno Beach belongs to the list of beaches that can only be reached by boat, which you can rent at Nidri or Desemi Beach. However, we didn’t know that.
We saw a road….and we took it.
It was the most challenging beach to reach. It was a dirt road with lots of rock, so we lost our grip many times. But we kept going and were treated with a beach all to ourselves.
And it was beautiful…
The water was great. We had shadows from the nearby trees, snorkeling along the rocks was wonderful and we even swam to the other beaches around the corner.
If not by road, then by boat…this beach is one to be added to your list.
Meganisi Island beaches
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: the island is reached by ferry from Nidri, small roads on the island, and some beaches only accessible by boat
- Parking: Free
- Restaurants: some do, others don’t
- Sun beds: some do, others don’t
- pebbled beach
Meganisi has a whole list of wonderful beaches, some only accessible by boat. Like the beaches on the main island of Lefkada, they all have crystal clear waters.
It has sandy and pebbled beaches. But what differentiates it from the beaches in Lefkada is it is surrounded by green vegetation (even in the summer months). And it is almost deserted here. No matter what time of year you go.
So if you truly want the unspoiled Greek experience, then grab a ferry from Nidri and head to Meganisi Island. Take a motorcycle or small car with you so you can easily explore the narrow roads of this island.
South Coast Beaches
| Vasiliki Beach | Agiofili Beach | Ammoussa Beach | Afteli Beach | Mikros Gialos Beach|
Vasiliki Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking: Free and Paid parking at parking areas
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- sanded beach
Vasliliki Beach is located along the village that holds the same name. The beaches are reached through small roads found along the main road that runs through town.
Like the beaches at Lefkada town (Agios Ioannis beach), Vasiliki beach is also known for its kite- and windsurfing. You will see vans with all the gear parked along the beach. It is also one of the best places to learn windsurfing. There are many schools to choose from.
This is the only beach we visited and didn’t go for a swim. The wind made it less attractive. Plus most parts of the beach were located straight at the car park. It’s ideal if you don’t want to walk too much, but we prefer something more secluded.
In the end, we did spend two nights at Vasiliki and enjoyed the harbor. The color of the water is beautiful, just as the view of the mountains.
Agiofili Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗
- Parking: Paid parking
- Restaurants: ✅, small canteen for snacks and drinks
- Sun beds: ❌
- small pebbled beach
OK…don’t be taken off by the crowd. Remember, we were there during the peak season. So you can imagine how ideally this white pebbled beach looks during the other months.
That said, we still enjoyed this beach very much. Once we found a place to leave our stuff, we spent the whole time in the water.
Agiofili Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches closest to Vasiliki (just 15 minutes) making it very popular. Plus it is pretty tiny and it can be overcrowded easily.
We suggest skipping this popular beach entirely if you prefer relaxing on the beach without feeling like sardines in a can.
Ammoussa Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, hairpin down
- Parking: Free parking along the main road
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- small pebbled beach
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to visit Ammoussa beach. But towards the end of our trip an owner of a place we were staying at told us that Ammousssa Beach was her favorite beach of all Lefkada beaches.
Well, that says a lot…
It is near Vasiliki, so it’s ideal to visit when staying there. It is a small beach so it fills up quickly. There are a lot of facilities here, including a shower and many choices in restaurants.
Ammousssa Beach looks similar to the next beach we have listed below: Afteli Beach.
Afteli Beach
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, hairpin road down
- Parking: Free parking along the main road
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- small sandy beach
We left early to check out Afteli Beach, not expecting it to be busy. The hairpin road down is long, passing a little village and providing beautiful views of the mountain valleys.
Only when we approached this beach did we realize how tiny it is.
There was hardly any parking space so cars were already lined up along the road. There are two restaurants which are pretty big for a small beach and there were a lot of sunbeds. So the beach was full pretty quickly.
We were able to find a great spot under the tree. While this beach doesn’t sound that attractive, we loved snorkeling here. The fish seem to be used to swimmers because they are not afraid and tend to stick to the shore too.
Mikros Gialos
- Kids Friendly: ✅
- Accessibility: easy 🚗, hairpin road down
- Parking: Free parking along the main road
- Restaurants: ✅
- Sun beds: ✅
- pebbled beach
We are probably a bit biased when it comes to Mikros Gialos. We spent two nights at an accommodation right at the beachfront. This gave us the chance to experience the beach in the early mornings, and late evenings before more people arrived.
Plus we did a kayak tour here, enabling us to experience more of this beautiful beach.
While we loved this beach, we wouldn’t recommend heading to Mikros Gialos to spend the day here. However, it is worth taking the never-ending twisting road down to the beach if you are staying nearby or are driving past
We recommend swimming to the small bay located about 300m to the right of Mikros Gialos beach. It’s nice to just sit at a quiet beach and enjoy the view.
Bigger kids love jumping from the rocks found on the right side of the beach. Our son couldn’t get enough of it.
The BEST Lefkada Beaches (our favorites)
Lefkada island has so many stunning beaches. We can imagine that it is difficult to choose which one you should visit.
We have created a 3-day and a 1-week itinerary that includes most of the best beaches on the island. Perhaps this will help you plan your trip to Lefkada.
Here we have chosen 10 of the best 24 beaches we have listed. Some of them are the most popular while others are stunning or charming and are worth putting on your list to visit.
1. Egremni
- Once announced at the most beautiful beach in the world
- A mixture of white pebbles and soft sand
- In the morning cliffs provide shade during the climb down. In the afternoon the bright son will dazzle the white beach and blue water even more.
- 55min drive from Lefkada town
2. Porto Katsiki
- The white cliff gives this beach a dramatic look
- Turquoise cream blue water and white sandy beach
- Climb up the trails for the most stunning views
- 1h drive from Lefkada town
3. Avali Beach
- Quiet long stretched pebbled sandy beach
- Bluewater set against the white beach is breathtaking
- Drive or walk further north for Gaidores Beach, a deserted pebbled beach
- 45min drive from Lefkada town
4. Mylos Beach
- Secluded beach only accessible by boat or by foot
- Beautiful long stretched sandy beach
- Ideal to spend the whole day there, bring food and drinks
- 20min drive from Lefkada town, followed by a 30 min hike or 10 minutes boat ride
5. Agiofili Beach
- Small cliff beach with various shades of green and blue water
- During the summer abusy beach but still worth visiting
- Head to the end of the beach and laze away in the shallow water between the rocks
- 55min drive from Lefkada town
6. Mikros Gialos
- Pebbled beach with calm water, perfect for swimming
- Go on a kayak tour to discover caves and deserted beaches
- Swim to the next bay to discover a hidden bay
- 45min drive from Lefkada town
7. Pefkoulia Beach
- Gorgeous long sandy beach close to Lefkada town
- Easy parking, so easy for a quick visit to spend the entire day there
- Walk through the restaurants to the beach and go right. It’s a bit of a hike along the beach, but eventually, you will leave the crowd behind
- 15min drive from Lefkada town
8. Gialos Beach
- The quietest beach we have visited on the west coast of Lefkada
- The north part is almost deserted, while the south is full of camper vans
- The drive to the beach through the olive plantation is one of our favorites.
- 55min drive from Lefkada town
9. Ellomeno beach
- Very difficult to reach by car or motorbike. Perfect to visit when renting a small boat in Nidri
- Just peace and quiet. Great snorkeling along the rocks and at the little bays around the corner
- If visiting by boat, also head to other inaccessible beaches such as Lakka Beach and the Angel cave
- 45min drive from Lefkada town
10. Meganisi beaches
- This island is surrounded by a mixture of small beaches
- Some are accessible by road others by boat only.
- Beaches are quiet, also during the high season.
- 25 minutes from Lefkada to Nidri, 25 minutes by ferry to Meganisi island
Conclusion: Best beaches in Lefkada
We hope we have been able to help you find your way through the long list of Lefkada beaches. As you can tell, they are all stunning in their way.
We mostly enjoyed the views of these beaches from the mountains above. They are always spectacular. The water was of course also incredible. The Ionian Sea is known for its unbelievably clear blue water. You won’t be disappointed at Lefkada.
As we mentioned earlier, try to rent a car or motorbike so you can see many different beaches during the visit. We often visited one beach in the morning, have lunch, and spend the afternoon at another beach.
If driving isn’t your thing, then you can go on a boat trip that will take you the best beaches of Lefkada.
But most importantly…
Remember, you are on a holiday. You don’t have to check all the beaches on the list. The most important is that you take in the beauty of each beach and enjoy it to the fullest.