Lefkada – between coast, mountains and the Ionian Sea
Updated: 1 day ago
An island with many different sides
Lefkada is one of those islands where your first impression quickly changes once you start seeing more of it. It is best known for the beaches along its west coast, the intense blue of the Ionian Sea and the steep, pale cliffs. But after only a few drives around the island, it becomes clear that Lefkada is far more varied than that.
In the north are Lefkada Town and the large lagoon, while the east coast has more sheltered bays and lively harbour towns such as Nidri. The west coast, by contrast, lies open to the Ionian Sea. Between them rises a surprisingly mountainous interior with small villages, plateaus, olive groves and vegetation that changes again and again as you travel across the island.
By now, we have experienced Lefkada both in spring and during the high season. In April and May, the island felt noticeably different from midsummer. Everything seemed more relaxed, the beaches and villages were still much quieter, and travelling around the island felt calmer too. Especially compared with July and August, we really enjoyed this side of Lefkada.
Quick info: Lefkada
Location: Ionian Islands, western Greece
Ideal for: Beaches, coastal landscapes, small towns and villages, nature and trips into the mountains
Good to know: Lefkada is connected to the mainland by a movable bridge, so you can reach the island without taking a ferry.
Best time: We found the island considerably quieter in April and May than in July and August.
Unfiltered tip: Don’t stay only along the coast. Even a drive through the mountainous interior reveals a completely different side of Lefkada.
Where to explore: Lefkada – View on Google Maps
Reaching an Ionian island without a ferry
One of Lefkada’s special features becomes apparent before you even arrive. The island lies so close to the mainland that it is connected to Acarnania by a movable bridge. If you arrive by car, you can simply drive straight onto the island without having to take a ferry.
Just beyond the bridge begins a landscape that is easy to overlook if you head directly towards the coast. Around Lefkada Town are lagoons, shallow wetlands and narrow strips of land between the sea and the town.
We also explored this area on foot and found it surprisingly peaceful. In places, the landscape almost seems to have been left to itself. Between the stretches of water, low vegetation and birds, there is initially little to remind you of the familiar beach images of Lefkada.
Lefkada Town
Lefkada Town is small enough to explore easily on foot. Narrow lanes, little squares, cafés, tavernas and shops fill the centre. What we especially like is this mixture: the town is lively but still compact, and behind the larger streets, small lanes and quiet corners keep appearing.
The architecture also stands out. Lefkada has repeatedly been hit by strong earthquakes throughout its history. Many older buildings were therefore constructed using a distinctive, relatively lightweight method. Even today, you can see facades and houses that look very different from the typical white cube-shaped buildings associated with many other Greek islands.
Just outside the town stands Agia Mavra Castle, which was closely connected with Lefkada’s history for centuries. Together with the bridge and the lagoon, it forms an unusual transition between mainland and island.
Two very different coastlines
One of the most striking things about Lefkada is the difference between its west and east coasts.
The west coast lies open to the Ionian Sea. High, pale cliffs, powerful waves and long beaches dominate the landscape. Some of the island’s best-known beaches are found here, including Porto Katsiki, Egremni, Kathisma and Milos Beach.
We have now visited several beaches on Lefkada, and although they are all part of the same island, each has its own atmosphere. Sometimes it is the high cliffs behind the beach, sometimes a smaller bay, or simply the wide view across the Ionian Sea. Pefkoulia is another beach we have now explored ourselves.
The east coast, by contrast, feels more sheltered. The sea is often calmer, the landscape more intricate, and several small islands lie just offshore. Harbours, sailing boats and bays are much more characteristic of this side of Lefkada.
It is exactly this contrast that makes the island so interesting. A drive from one side to the other can change the landscape significantly within a relatively short distance.
Agios Nikitas and Nidri
Agios Nikitas is one of the places on Lefkada that we especially like. The village is compact, with a small main lane leading between tavernas and shops down towards the sea, where a small beach lies right in the village.
We particularly like this combination. You can stroll through the village, stop for something to eat and then walk straight to the water without everything being spread far apart. In spring, we found Agios Nikitas pleasantly quiet. During the high season, it is a very different story.
Nidri shows another side of Lefkada. Here you find the typical tourist mix of souvenir shops, cafés and restaurants. Tavernas, excursion boats and ferries line the harbour promenade, while the smaller islands off the east coast can be seen across the water.
We enjoy Nidri precisely because of this liveliness. It is not a quiet little island village, but that too is part of Lefkada.
Taking the ferry to neighbouring islands
Although Lefkada itself can be reached without a ferry, the island is a good starting point for trips to other Ionian islands.
Small car ferries operate from Nidri to Meganisi. From Vasiliki, there are seasonal connections to Kefalonia and Ithaca. Depending on the route, vehicles can also be taken on board.
Timetables change throughout the year, so it is worth checking the current departure times shortly before travelling.
This combination is especially practical: you can reach Lefkada from the mainland with your own car and then continue by ferry to smaller or neighbouring islands.
The roads get narrower inland
We have by no means seen all of Lefkada’s mountainous interior yet. Even so, simply driving through some of the villages is enough to notice how different the island feels here.
The roads become narrower, some villages cling to the hillsides, and certain routes through them are surprisingly winding. With a larger car, these sections can quickly become awkward. A small, manoeuvrable car is definitely more comfortable in the interior.
Distances can also be deceptive. On the map, many places appear close together, but mountain roads, bends and narrow village streets can make journeys take considerably longer than expected.
In return, the landscape keeps changing along the way. Olive groves, woodland, open plateaus and mountainous stretches alternate with one another. In general, we have repeatedly been struck by how varied Lefkada’s vegetation is.
High above Lefkada
One of our most interesting drives took us up into the mountains above Englouvi. Along the way, you cross an open plateau that has almost nothing in common with the familiar coastal landscapes of Lefkada.
In this area lies a former military and communications facility dating from the Cold War. Today, the abandoned buildings look almost surreal in the middle of the mountain landscape. We found the site itself impressive, but the view from up there was at least as striking.
Nearby is the small church of Profitis Ilias, which is still on our list. From there, the view is said to stretch far across the island. Depending on the weather, it is even possible to look down onto lower clouds or banks of mist.
Places like these show just how much more there is to Lefkada than its beaches.
Mountain villages and agriculture
Places such as Karya and Englouvi represent a side of Lefkada that can easily fade into the background when you stay near the coast.
Karya is known, among other things, for its traditional embroidery. Englouvi lies high in the mountains and is closely associated with the cultivation of small brown lentils, one of the island’s best-known agricultural products.
Around the mountain villages, you find cultivated land, old paths and traces of a time when agriculture played a much greater role in everyday life on Lefkada.
Wine, olive oil, honey, ladopita and Lefkada’s well-known salami are also among the products and specialities associated with the island.
Waterfalls and gorges
Streams and gorges run between the mountains. The best known are probably the Dimosari Waterfalls near Nidri.
We visited in April, when plenty of water was flowing through the gorge. We enjoyed the walk between large plane trees, pale rocks and small pools almost as much as the main waterfall itself.
Dimosari reveals yet another side of Lefkada: shadier, greener and far removed from the familiar images of the open west coast.
Cape Lefkatas at the southern tip of the island
Cape Lefkatas is another place we still want to visit ourselves. At the far southern end of Lefkada, pale cliffs drop steeply into the Ionian Sea. Today, a lighthouse stands there.
The site already played a role in antiquity. A sanctuary dedicated to Apollo Lefkatas once stood in this area, and various ancient traditions are associated with the cliffs. One of them is the well-known story that the poet Sappho threw herself into the sea here because of unrequited love. This episode, however, is not historically documented.
The name Lefkada is also often linked to the pale or white cliffs of this cape, although there are different explanations for the origin of the island’s name.
Amente above the west coast
One place we would like to visit on a future trip is Amente Restaurant & Cocktail Bar above the west coast.
The location alone makes us curious. From up there, the view stretches far across the Ionian Sea, and the scenery is said to be particularly impressive in the evening. Live music evenings are also held there regularly.
It is precisely the combination of views, evening atmosphere, food and music that interests us. Whether it really is as beautiful as it looks in photos and descriptions is something we can only say once we have been there ourselves.
An island with a varied history
Lefkada has a long and eventful history. Important settlements already existed on the island in antiquity. Later, Agia Mavra Castle became an important political and military centre.
Rule over the island changed hands several times over the centuries. Among others, the Ottomans, Venetians, French and British left their mark on Lefkada. The Venetian period in particular had a significant influence.
After further political changes, Lefkada eventually became part of the Ionian Islands under British protection. In 1864, the Ionian Islands were united with Greece.
Lefkada has also produced several well-known cultural figures. One of them is Aristotelis Valaoritis, whose name we had already encountered in connection with the Dimosari Waterfalls. For a time, he lived on the small island of Madouri opposite Nidri.
Lefkada in spring and high summer
Our impressions of Lefkada now differ considerably depending on the time of year.
In April and May, we found the island very relaxed. Many places were already open, while the roads, villages and beaches were still considerably quieter. You could stop somewhere spontaneously, walk through a village or take a stroll around the lagoon without constantly feeling that everything was crowded.
In July and August, Lefkada shows a different side. Especially along the coast, in well-known places and on the main roads, it can become very busy. Finding a parking space, heavier traffic and longer driving times can become just as much a part of everyday island life as beaches and the sea.
We have also noticed just how much construction is taking place on Lefkada, particularly near the coast. More and more accommodation is being built, while during the high season it is also clear how much pressure is placed on roads, parking and other parts of the infrastructure.
For us, that is just as much part of the picture as everything we like about the island. Lefkada is very popular, and in midsummer you notice it clearly.
From our own experience, at least, we can say that we found Lefkada considerably more relaxed in April and May than in July and August.
What we like about Lefkada
Lefkada is hard to define by a single type of landscape. There are the large beaches of the west coast, the smaller harbours in the east, Lefkada Town and its lagoon, the narrow mountain villages and the open plateaus of the interior.
It is exactly this variety that we like. One day you are standing on a steep coast above the Ionian Sea, a little later you are driving through a winding mountain village, and in the evening you might be sitting among boats on a harbour promenade.
We have by no means seen everything on Lefkada yet. But by now, that too has become part of how we think of the island. Even after several stays, there are still roads, villages and landscapes that we have yet to discover.
And with every visit, we find something we did not know before.
Practical tips for your visit
Getting there: Lefkada is connected to the Greek mainland by a movable bridge. If you arrive by car, no ferry is required.
Getting around the island: A car is very useful for reaching many beaches, mountain villages and more remote places. In the interior, a small, manoeuvrable car is often more comfortable because of the narrow roads and winding routes through villages.
Driving times: Distances can look short on the map. Mountain roads, bends and narrow village streets can make journeys take considerably longer, however.
High season: In July and August, popular beaches, coastal towns and the main roads can become very busy.
Spring: We found Lefkada much quieter in April and May. For us, this was an especially pleasant time to visit.
Ferries: There are connections from Nidri to Meganisi, and seasonal car ferries from Vasiliki to Kefalonia and Ithaca. It is best to always check current timetables.
Beaches: Conditions vary considerably. Along the open west coast, wind and waves can be stronger than on the more sheltered east side.
Mountains: When driving into the interior, allow a little more time than the distance alone might suggest.
Discover more around Lefkada and the Ionian coast
If you would like to discover more of Lefkada and the Ionian coast, these posts are a good place to continue:
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