Lefkas (Lefkada)

Lefkas is a beautiful island in the Ionian Sea, known for its impressive beaches such as Porto Katsiki and Egremni. It offers a mix of picturesque villages, turquoise waters and ideal conditions for water sports such as kitesurfing and sailing.

With an area of ​​395 km² and a population of around 25,000, Lefkas is one of the large Ionian islands. In fact, Lefkas is no longer an island; it is now connected to the mainland by a floating swing bridge. Lefkas has a healthy tourism industry. Mass tourism has been deliberately avoided, but there are several beautiful tourist resorts on Lefkas that have largely retained their former charm. There are some excellent campsites on the island. Lefkas is also very popular with sailors, hikers and surfers. Many of Lefkas’ beaches are beautiful.

The island is also called Lefkada. This name is often used, especially in Greek. In German and English, the Ionian island is usually called “Lefkas”, but the capital is called “Lefkada”. However, you will just as often hear the term “Lefkas Town” or “Lefkas City” as the name for the main town on the island.

Tip: Various day tours and other activities on Lefkas (Lefkada) can be booked online at Getyourguide: More information and booking

Information about Lefkas

There are many reasons to go on holiday on Lefkas. The long sandy beaches in the west of the islands are ideal for sun-hungry holidaymakers. The sea in the east of Lefkas is well protected by the island on one side and the nearby mainland on the other. In many places there are almost never waves. There are many small islands between the mainland and Lefkas. Some are inhabited, others uninhabited. The calm sea makes Lefkas an ideal holiday area for boat owners. Beginners with sailing ships and other yachts in particular often find conditions here not too difficult. Anyone travelling with their own boat will find the many small islands very exciting. Overall, there are hardly any places in Greece where you can find such great conditions for a sailing holiday as around Lefkas. In summer there are usually hundreds of yachts in the port of Lefkas town. It is the number 1 sailing region in this part of Greece.

The fact that you don’t need a ferry to get to Lefkas, but can travel across a bridge in a rental car or bus, somewhat spoils the romance of the island for many tourists. The bridge has many names, such as a swing bridge, floating bridge or rotating bridge. If a ship wants to pass through the narrow passage between Lefkas and the mainland, the bridge is turned to the side. The road connection is briefly interrupted and the ship can pass.

Just a few kilometers after the bridge you reach Lefkas Town, the island’s capital. The town is the most important place on the island. However, each region of the island has a focus in tourism. In the north of the island it is the capital. In the east, the holiday resort of Nidri is the busiest. The main town in the west is Agios Nikitas, in the south of Lefkada Vasiliki. The former capital Karia (also Karya) is the most visited place in the interior of Lefkas. Most tourists can be found on the east coast, i.e. on the side opposite the mainland of Greece. On the west coast facing the open sea you will find very beautiful, partly little visited beaches.

Towns and villages on Lefkas

Lefkas Town

If you cross the bridge from the mainland, you are almost immediately in Lefkada, the island’s capital, which is also called Lefkas Town. The town has a beautiful location. The sea surrounds Lefkada on several sides, similar to a peninsula. What is striking is the architecture in Lefkada, which is unusual for Greece. You can see many half-timbered houses, some of which are made of wood, which are considered relatively safe in earthquakes. In a major earthquake in 1953, many buildings in the town were destroyed. Most of the half-timbered houses were damaged at the time, but most of them could be renovated.

Other old buildings, such as some churches, were destroyed in the earthquake over 70 years ago. Some have been rebuilt, however. There is a small tourist information office at the harbor. Hundreds of yachts and smaller sailing boats are moored at the harbor every evening. It is a popular starting point for sailing trips around the Ionian Islands. Many taverns and cafes are in the alleys of the old town of the island’s main town. The town has a pedestrian zone, a few hotels and guest houses. For an island capital by the sea in Greece with so many yachts in the harbor, however, Lefkas Town seems surprisingly untouristy.

Tip: Various day tours and other activities on Lefkas (Lefkada) can be booked online at Getyourguide: More information and booking

Sights that are famous beyond the island are hard to find in the town of Lefkada.

The best museum in Lefkas is the Archaeological Museum with objects from many eras from the Bronze Age to late antiquity. You can see urns, agricultural machines for producing wine and olive oil, paintings, musical instruments and much more. The entrance fee to the Archaeological Museum of Lefkas is only 3 euros in 2024. The opening times are daily from about 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the exhibition is closed on Mondays and some public holidays (admission and opening times as of summer 2024). The Archaeological Museum of Lefkada is almost directly on the sea not far from the city center and is easy to find.

The small folklore museum is also worth a visit; you could also call it the local museum or folklore museum of Lefkada. Exhibits here include old clothes, handicrafts and tools from former craftsmen. Another museum in the center is the Lefkas Gramophone Museum. The small “Phonograph Museum” also exhibits old musical instruments and other things.

A little further out towards the bridge to the mainland you can visit the large castle of Agia Mavra. Unfortunately, the fortress is not exactly in a renovated state.

Nidri and the east

As I said, the east of the island is well protected from the open sea. In many places, high waves are very rare. The swimming opportunities are therefore good, even if the better beaches (sandy beaches) are on the other side of the island. The main town of the east is Nidri. In summer, there is even a bigger and longer nightlife here than in the island’s capital. The majority of holidaymakers are yacht owners and package tourists from Great Britain and Scandinavia.

From Nidri you can take great boat trips to surrounding islands. Small, uninhabited islands such as Sparti or Skorpios are interesting. The island of Meganisi, on the other hand, is inhabited and has four small villages. Some residents of Meganisi offer rooms. Some of the beaches on Meganisi are also beautiful. You can also take a day trip to Ithaca. Several of these destinations are often offered in Nydri as part of a day tour.

The island of Kalamos, which is a little further away than Meganisi, is also inhabited and definitely worth a trip. Apart from the main town, which bears the island name Kalamos, there is only one other settlement on the island. It is the tiny village of Kastos.

A natural attraction near Nidri is the Rachni waterfall. You can drive almost to the waterfall on a tarred road in a rental car. The last 15 minutes are on foot.

There are some great hikes around the east coast and Nidri. The hiking trails in the mountains around Perigiali are very popular with tourists.

Nidri was the adopted home and place of death (1940) of the well-known German archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld (born 1853 in Wuppertal). Dörpfeld held the scientific opinion that the home island in Homer’s Odyssey is Lefkas. However, this has since been ruled out by many other archaeologists. His grave near the port of Nidri is best found by asking locals. The inhabitants of the island of Lefkada are proud of their former famous resident Wilhelm Dörpfeld.

The south and west

There is less tourism here. The most important place in the south of Lefkas is Vasiliki (long beach). Ferries to the islands of Kefalonia and Ithaki also leave from the port of Vasiliki.

The largest place in the west is Agios Nikitas. Beautiful bay with a good beach, coniferous forests in the background.

The very light sand at Kathisma Beach in the north-west is well known. There are good opportunities for water sports here. According to a letter from a reader, friends of nudism on Lefkas meet in Megali Petra.

The village of Karia in the mountains

The former capital of Lefkas, Karia (also often written Karya), is particularly suitable for a trip into the interior of the island. The village seems almost deserted today. Many visitors to Karia on Lefkas have the famous feeling of “Greece as it was 30 years ago”. There is at least one good hotel and several providers of private rooms in Karia.

Image: lettas – Fotolia.com

Map of the island of Lefkas (Greece)

The island of Lelkas is connected to the mainland in the north-east by a bridge. There are several islands between Lefkas and the mainland (Tilevoides island group). The largest by far are Kalamnos and Meganisi. Meganisi has around 1000 inhabitants and is ideal for a day trip. There are also settlements on Kalamnos (500 inhabitants) and Kastos (100 inhabitants).