Villas
Lefkada Villas: The Cliff Side or the Channel Side
One island, two entirely different holidays, separated by a mountain ridge and about forty minutes of driving.
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One island, two coasts#
A ridge runs down the middle of Lefkada and the two sides of it have almost nothing in common.
The west is the famous one: chalk-white cliffs dropping into violently blue water, Porto Katsiki and Egremni reached by long flights of steps, and almost nowhere to put a harbour. Beautiful, exposed, and in places genuinely hard to get down to.
The east faces the mainland across a narrow channel scattered with wooded private islands. It is flat, green, sheltered and full of boats. This is where the villa stock is, where the tavernas sit on the water, and where you can swim at seven in the evening without the sea moving.
Most people picture the west and then stay on the east. That is usually the right decision - but it helps to know you are making it.
Six places to look#
Where to rent, by area
Nydri and Perigiali
East coast, the channel
The centre of gravity. A sheltered waterfront, boats leaving all day for Meganisi and the islets, and the deepest villa stock on the island on the green slopes behind. Busy in August and not remotely exclusive, which is part of why it works for families.
Sivota
South-east, a deep enclosed bay
The prettiest harbour on the island - a narrow fjord-like inlet with tavernas on the quay and yachts stern-to against them. Villas sit on the steep slopes above. Quieter and more grown-up than Nydri, with less to do if the group needs entertaining.
Agios Nikitas
West coast, the only real village
The one proper settlement on the dramatic side. A single street running down to a small beach, with the big west-coast beaches a short drive south. The compromise position for anyone who wants cliffs but not isolation.
Vasiliki
South coast
One of Europe's most reliable windsurfing bays, with an afternoon thermal that arrives like clockwork. Also the ferry point for Kefalonia and Ithaca. If nobody in the group sails, the same wind makes a pool terrace less pleasant after two o'clock.
Lefkada Town and the lagoon
North, by the causeway
Not a resort - a working town with a market, a marina and Venetian-era churches, beside a shallow lagoon full of birds. Closest to the airport, furthest from the beaches people come for, and the best option out of season.
Tsoukalades
North-west, above the first cliffs
The high ground where the west coast begins, with long views down the cliff line and sunsets straight into the Ionian. Ten minutes to town, fifteen to the first big beaches. Exposed to weather off the sea, which is the trade for the view.
Rate bandMid
Groups who want the west-coast view with the town still in reach.
See Tsoukalades villasGetting the decision right#
Choose your coast first
Decide whether wind is a feature
Check the descent to the beach
Work out how you are arriving
Book a boat day early
Frequently asked questions
East coast or west coast?
East for swimming, boats and family logistics. West for scenery and sunsets. If it is a first visit with children, the east coast is the easier week by a distance.
Do I need to fly to Preveza?
Not necessarily - a great many people drive from Athens or Thessaloniki, which is the point of Lefkada. Preveza is forty minutes away if you prefer to fly.
Is Nydri too busy?
The waterfront is, in August. The villas on the slopes above it are quiet, and you are a two-minute drive from the boats.
Can I visit Kefalonia or Ithaca from here?
Yes - ferries run from Vasiliki and Nydri in season. Ithaca in particular is an easy day.
When is Lefkada at its best?
June and September. The island is green well into summer because of the mountains, and the water on the east coast is warm from June onward.
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