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Lefkas Holidays

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Holidays to Lefkas bring you footprint-free beaches and towns that look the same as they did 100 years ago.

The word-of-mouth island

Lefkas is the sort of place you hear about on the grapevine rather than in the Sunday travel supplements. It’s one of Greece’s below-the-radar islands, and you’ll find it off the coast of the Preveza region, on the west coast of the Greek mainland.

Nidri and Nikiana

The island’s main resorts line up along Lefkas’ east coast. Nidri is the biggest. It’s a former fishing village, which is bursting out of its traditional seams to great effect. Sailboats have joined the fishing boats at their anchorages off the sandy shore, and the authentic fish tavernas are now accompanied by a collection of family-friendly cafes, restaurants and bars. Roughly 7 miles north, Nikiana paints a similar picture, on a smaller scale.

Agios Ioannis

Lefkas’s west coast is a bit of a clean slate as far as tourism is concerned. Agios Ioannis on the island’s northwest tip is as built up as it gets. There are more olive trees than buildings on the land that lines the resort’s 2-mile beach.

Hiking and island-hopping

Walking is one of the main ways visitors occupy their time on Lefkas. Hikers exploring the island’s interior are rewarded with waterfalls, pine forests and 1,000-metre mountain peaks. Island-hopping is another day-filler. Lefkas has 10 satellite islands, which can be visited by boat from the quay in Nidri or Vassiliki.

Highly-regarded beaches

The names of Lefkas’ beaches are bandied about as some of the best in the Mediterranean. But, although every stretch of sand comes highly rated, the beaches on the east coast of the island are significantly different to those on the west. The former tend to be attached to resorts, so you get a helping of tavernas and cafes on the side of the sand. The latter are pretty much the way nature intended – nothing but sand and sea.
The big beach

Nidri is the most-visited beach on Lefkas. The view from the sunloungers on this smile of golden sand is one of anchored sailboats and the islands of Heloni, Scorpio and Sparti in the distance. The beach is also backed by a collection of tavernas, cafes and family-friendly bars.
The secret beach

Word has travelled fast about Porto Katsiki, and Lefkas’ former secret beach can’t really be called secret anymore. But it’s not the easiest stretch of sand to reach. In fact, its name means ‘port of the goat’ because there was a time when only nimble mountain goats could access the sand. Today, most visitors arrive by boat. And when they do, they’re greeted by a brace of bright white cliffs, golden sand, and waters so blue they’ll make you blink.

Bargain Buys

The best things to buy in Lefkas tend to have sell-by-dates. Delimari salami is the island’s official salami brand and you’ll find their flagship shop on 8th Merarchias Street in Lefkada Town. Wine is another good bet. Vertzami is the most commonly used grape on the island and you can pick up a bottle or two at the wine shops on Main Street in Nidri.
Mid-Range Buys

Lefkas isn’t exactly inundated with shops, and you’ll need to go to the mainland in search of high street stores. The closest you’ll get to a spree will be in Lefkada Town. There are a few boutique jewellery shops and some clothing stores on Ioannou Mela and Goulielmou Dorpfel near the harbour.
Designer Buys

In the windsurfing world, Rip Curl and O’Neil are just as coveted as Gucci or Dior. And you’ll find the proof in Vassilikki, 25 minutes’ drive from Nidri. You don’t need to look further than the waterfront to find surf shops selling the latest clothing and accessories.

Laid-back evenings

It’s chefs rather than DJs that create the evening entertainment in most of Lefkas’ resorts. In Nikiana the restaurants cluster around the harbour front and menus give the limelight to fresh fish and traditional Greek dishes. In Periyiali, meanwhile, the tavernas are split between the main square and the port. Agios Ioannis is on the sunset side of the island, and you can watch night fall in the dinky tavernas at the southern end of the beach.
Lively evenings

In Lefkas, the nightlife buck stops at Nidri and Vassiliki. There are a few bars on Main Street in Nidri. Some show live sport, others put on live music. For after-hours action, head to the north end of the beach, where the nightclub puts on theme parties. In Vassiliki, the bars cling to the waterfront in the centre of town. Dancing on the bar is a rite of passage in certain beach bars.

Lentil soup

Heinz and Campbell’s don’t get a look in, in Lefkas. Out here, lentil is always the soup of the day. The lentils are grown in the mountain village of Englouvi and they’re cooked with garlic and oregano to make the island’s signature soup.
Sour fish

The name of this dish has been lost in translation. Literally, the recipe’s name means sour fish, but it won’t make your eyes water. The sauce is made with vinegar, rosemary, garlic and raisins, and it’s poured over fried red mullet and served cold as part of a mezze platter.
Sofigado

Beef stews come in many guises in the Greek Islands, and sofigado is Lefkas’ take on the dish. The recipe is a hand-me-down from the island’s Venetian rulers, and it’s made by slow-cooking beef with wine vinegar, rosemary, onions, garlic and a grape molasses known as petimezi.
Ladopita

This is Lefkas’ answer to afternoon tea. The recipe has been handed down the generations like hot potatoes. It’s made by mixing olive oil, caster sugar, flour and cinnamon. Then the mixture gets baked to form a spongy mattress of a cake.
Vertzami wine

This full bodied red grape is grown in vineyards less than 10 kilometres from Nidri. Taste-wise, it has hints of bay leaf, cinnamon and red berries, and its food pairings tend to be rich meaty dishes, like beef stews. The best quality bottles of this wine are keepers, too. They’ll come of age in your wine cellar.

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Nidri

Nidri is a lively little town on the east coast of Lefkas island. Its 2 roads run parallel with each other – there’s the bustling main street and the long harbour road. Along the water you’ll find authentic Greek tavernas and international cuisine, while the main street is heaving with cheery bars and late-night clubs. Just north of Nidri there’s a road bridge to the Greek mainland, plus there’s a little cluster of islands just off the coast to explore.

Nikiana

Nikiana is a relaxed fishing village nestled at the foothills of Mount Skaros on the east coast of Lefkas. It’s a tranquil little spot with authentic Greek tavernas on the waterside and friendly bars in the village centre, not to mention a secluded little beach along the coast. The nearby town of Nidri helps out with the nightlife, while the capital, Lefkas Town, is a good daytrip option.

Porto Galini Seaside Resort And Spa

Vasiliki

The fishing village of Vasiliki has a seaside perch in the south of Lefkas. In the summer months it doubles as a haven for windsurfers, thanks to its yawning bay and spot-on weather conditions. The lively village centre sits in the eastern corner of the bay, kicking off a series of pebble, shingle and sand beaches backed by tavernas. Ferries pootle in and out of the harbour, too, headed for Kefalonia.

Hotel Enodia

Lazarata

The pace of life at this hillside village in Lefkas[F1] , just off the Greek mainland, is blissfully slow. Around the square, overlooked by the impressive Church of Aghios Spiridonas, there are just a few cafés and tavernas where locals gather for gossip over a glass of ouzo. Olive groves provide the mountain backdrop, while the capital, Lefkas Town, lies patiently in wait just up the road.

[F1]AKA Lefkada

Nikiana

AT A GLANCE

Sip vertzami wine in view of Nidri harbour
Walk along the sand highway in Agios Ioannis
Master a windsurf board in Vassiliki

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Weather

TEMPERATURE (°C)RAINFALL (mm)

WHEN TO GO

Summers are long in Lefkas. The island starts to warm up in May, when temperatures regularly reach 18˚C. Between June and late August the thermometer creeps up to 25˚C and shoots to the low 30s during heat waves. The south of the island can get pretty windy, which suits windsurfers down to the ground.

Latest Deals

Price per person

Costas and Sophies, Nidri 05 May 2019, 7 nights London Gatwick

£ 277
Self Catering
Yiannis Hotel, Nidri 01 May 2019, 4 nights London Gatwick

£ 285
Self Catering

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Things To Do View all

Folklore Festival

This knees-up has been taking place in Lefkada Town for more than 4 decades. The town’s main square is the event nucleus.…
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Relax on Nidri Beach

Nidri Beach gets the most footfall of all Lefkas’ beaches. But it still doesn’t too get crowded. There’s a single row ofsunloungers…
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Enjoy the view from Agios Nikitas Beach

This sandy beach is cupped inside the curve of a bay, 12 kilometres west of Lefkada Town. It’s easy to feel at home here–…
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Ride the waves on Vassiliki Beach

Windsurfing is the mortar the holds the resort of Vassiliki together. In fact, Vassiliki Beach is known as the best place…
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Unwind on Mikros Gialos

The title of Lefkas’ best beach is a fiercely contested one, but Mikros puts on its boxing gloves and steps into the ring.…
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Tuck into seafood on Ligia Beach

Ligia Beach is the catch-of-the-day capital of Lefkas. The island and his wife come here in the early morning to make the…
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Set off on a hike

Lefkas is criss-crossed with walking trails. As a walker, you’ll get to leave your boot prints behind in cotton fields, olive…
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Battle the elements on a windsurf

Vassiliki, 25 minutes south of Nidri, is hailed as the best windsurfing spot in Europe. You can almost set your watch bythe…
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Top 5 resorts in Lefkas

1

Lazarata
2

Nidri
3

Nikiana
4

Vasiliki
5

Ligia

Top 5 hotels in Lefkas

1

Porto Galini Seaside Resort And Spa

From £408
2

George Hotel

From £329
3

Cosmopol Hotel

From £307
4

Costas and Sophies

From £277
5

Christina Studios

From £306

Top 5 villas in Lefkas

1

Villa Yialos

From £560
2

Villa Akroyiali

From £553
3

Villa Viglia

From £735
4

Prestige Villa

From £654
5

Villa Avra

From £589

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Lefkas Holidays

The word-of-mouth island

Nidri and Nikiana

Agios Ioannis

Hiking and island-hopping

Things to See and Do in Lefkas

Highly-regarded beaches

The big beach

The secret beach

Bargain Buys

Mid-Range Buys

Designer Buys

Laid-back evenings

Lively evenings

Lentil soup

Sour fish

Sofigado

Ladopita

Vertzami wine

Places To Stay In Lefkas View all places to stay »

Nidri

Nikiana

Vasiliki

Lazarata

Nikiana

AT A GLANCE

Weather

WHEN TO GO

Latest Deals

Things To Do View all »

Top 5 resorts in Lefkas

Top 5 hotels in Lefkas

Top 5 villas in Lefkas

Where we go in Lefkas Show on a map » Hotels / Apartments Villas

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