Lefkada Island, Greece: Complete Travel Guide

Lefkada or Lefkas is a gorgeous Ionian Island in Greece connected to the mainland by a causeway.

I was fortunate enough to spend a week exploring Lefkada Town and Vasiliki. 

Lefkada was the starting point for my 3-day boat party trip, where I was part of the crew and worked on board as a DJ.

This gave me a great insider knowledge of local hotspots, drinking holes, viewpoints, beaches and more.

Lefkada would have never even popped up on my Greece itinerary if it weren’t for this DJing gig. As I was eyeing the more popular counterparts of Mykonos, Crete & Corfu.

However, as a traveler who loves exploring offbeat spots, Lefkada was a gem hiding in plain sight.

Lefkada consists of various vibrant towns and marinas. Top picks are Lefkada Town, Vasiliki, Nydri and Agios Nikitas.

During my trip to Lefkada, I spent a few days on the boat, few in Lefkada town, and then in Vasiliki, before I got on the ferry to Kefalonia (Lassi).

So this blog post is purely based on my personal experiences; however, I have mentioned other hot spots if you so deem to visit.

Spend a few days in Lefkada Town

Lefkada town is the capital of Lefkada island, connected to the mainland by a unique floating bridge.

Dotted with boutique outlets, taverns, and countless souvenir stores, walking around town is a delight in itself.

Things to do in Lefkada Town

There are plenty of fun things to do in Lefkada town but generally a long weekend of 3-4 days are sufficient to explore the town.

Explore Lefkada Town – Bars, Shops & More

Walking around Lefkada town turned out to be our favorite evening activity whilst there. It is bustling with tourists and is a fun place to bar hop, buy Greek souvenirs, check out cafes, and shop in cute boutique outlets.

Try the Traditional Greek Gyro

You can try Gyro anywhere in Greece, to be honest, but I  tried it for the first time in Lefkada town at the GyroBlox. This concoction of meat in pita with veggies of choice is a popular street food in Greece, and I totally enjoyed it.

Walk the Wooden Bridge, aka Bridge of Lovers

The wooden bridge over the Lefkada lagoon, adjoining upscale bars and restaurants, is a popular Instagram spot in Lefkada town.

Especially during sunset, you will find hordes of tourists flocked around the bridge taking selfies at every angle. Ofcourse, I joined the party and took some photos myself.

Shake a leg at Karma Bar

Karma bar was my favorite hangout in Lefkada town, hands down. On party nights (like Wednesdays) they have guest DJs spinning pumping house beats and barternders kind enough to offer free shots.

It’s quite a vibe with it’s outdoor seating area adjoining the Lefkada lagoon and wooden bridge.

Enjoy a drink at Baccara (Yacht Club)

Bang in the middle of Lefkada town is the age old Baccara club. You can enjoy some Greek music here and meet locals. It is a popular hangout for locals so if that’s your vibe (it sure was for us), head to Baccara.

Check out the Lefkada Windmills on Agios Ioannis Beach

Paralia Agios Ioannis is a good one-hour walk from Lefkada town. My friend and I love long walks, so we embarked on this trip and really enjoyed our half-day out exploring this other side of town.

Five remnants of the old Lefkada windmills dot the beach, making it a popular Instagram spot. These windmills are a symbol of the history of Lefkada island. These windmills were used back in the day to grind grains imported from Russia.

Grab a Bite at Varko Summer Bar Resto

A good 10-15 min walk from the windmills and Agios Ioannis beach, you can find an amazing resto bar serving delicious Greek cuisine.

Pro Tip – Remember, when in Greece, you would probably want to share portions (if you are traveling with a friend) as most portions are massive and enough for two.

Meet the Cats of Greece

You will find stray cats everywhere in Greece, and I loved this about the country. I could not get enough of the cuties and took tons of photos of adorable felines.

Take Photos with Unique Plants & Flowers

We found such colorful flowers and unique cacti and other vegetation all around the island. Could not help but take some photos.

Watch Magical Sunsets by the Lefkada Lagoon

Sunsets by the lagoon, after you cross the wooden bridge are breathtaking. There are benches spread all around the walkaway and you can sit and enjoy the sunset in peace.

Stay at Downtown Suite

For half of my time in Lefkada I was traveling solo but my friend joined me after my boat trip and few days in town.

So, I needed to book a 2bhk apartment and everything was either sold out or over priced since it was summer already (we traveled in June).

Luckily, I came across this listing of Downtown suite. With some apprehension, I booked this extremely affordable, fully equipped 2BHK right in the middle of Lefkada town.

I was so surprised to see that the apartment surpassed my expectations. The rooms were spacious and clean with an attached kitchen, bath and a spacious verandah. It was just perfect for us and we even extended our stay by 2 more days.

The owner was kind and helpful – they even gave us a few hours extra extension at no additional cost and were checking in on us constantly.

If you are in Lefkada, don’t hesitate to book Downtown Suite. 

Visit Vasiliki

Vasiliki (aka Vassiliki) is a gorgeous coastal town in Lefkada. We took an hour long bus to Vasiliki from Lefkada town, only to make our way to Kefalonia.

We loved it so much that we decided to spend a couple of days in Vasiliki itself. It is truely a gem hiding in plain sight which no one talks about.

Our stay in Vasiliki consisted mostly of eating good food and beach days.

Things to do in Vasiliki

We found that Vasiliki had even more things to do than Lefkada town. Especially for us beach bums, it was a mecca of sun, sand, sea, music, food, sunsets – the works.

Walk around the Coastal Town

As soon as we got off our bus from Lefkada town, we were amazed by the beauty of the narrow cobblestone streets opening up to the coast. Blue-green waters all around and restaurants dotted on either side of the paths. How cute was this view? It was so much fun walking around with the sea on one side.

Take a Windsurfing/ Kitesurfing lesson

We had no idea about how popular Vasiliki was for newbie and advanced kite/ wind surfers. We were not “mentally prepared” to take a lesson, though we saw tons of surfers on the waters. It ended up being a fun activity to watch and we promised to be better prepared (mentally and physically) for it next time.

Enjoy a day at Vasiliki Beach

Vasiliki beach is right in the middle of the main town and you can walk to it easily if you stay in the town. It is a pebbled beach mostly popular for kitesurfers. We spent a day doing yoga and enjoying scrumptious meals at adjoining beach restaurants.

Eat Homelike Traditional Meals at To Kyma

This was my only well-researched spot. I usually just walk around and let a new town surprise me but I was really in the mood for good authentic Greek food and a quick Google search brought me to a Vasiliki blog which mentioned ‘To Kyma‘.

It happened to be just around a kilometer walk from our hotel, so my friend and I decided to check it out.

We were greeted by the servers politely and in typical Greek hospitality, which we loved (and kind of expected by now). The owner also seemed to be sitting there – an old, cute-looking granny – and the whole place spelled upscale and homely. Just our vibe.

The food was outstanding, very traditional and served with love. I was contemplating having all my meals here (but later got lured by other cool spots).

This should be part of every Vasiliki itinerary, hands down.

Shake a leg at Club Vass

Club Vass was a popular beach bar with tons of tourists and expats flocking it. We had a great time sipping sundowners here and found out they even had a Harry Potter themed BBQ DJ party that very evening.

It turned out to be a lot of fun and I would recommend grabbing a drink here, especially on event nights.

Walk to Agiofili Beach

Agiofili beach is a winding uphill hour long walk from Vasiliki. It was quite a hike in the sweltering sun but as soon as I looked down on the beach, I knew it was totally worth the effort.

I  could see inviting blue green waters and multi colored umbrellas dotting the little cove. It was like love at first sight and eventually this turned out to be one of my favorite beaches in Greece.

Amenities are minimal – just a small makeshift beach bar which closes before sunset. You do have a bigger kiosk on the top of the stairs that lead to Agiofili, if you so choose to walk up and down.

Grab Brunch at Old Fisherman’s Tavern

No Greek itinerary is complete without a visit to a Greek tavern. So we decided to grab a bite at this cool seaside restaurant and we weren’t disappointed.

Stay at Orfeas Rooms

Orfeas rooms is ideally located right above the supermarket Vasiliki, and both places are owned by the same person.

The owner was very kind and helpful and we always had good interactions with him and his staff.

The convenience of having a supermarket right below you was also a massive perk. Rooms were a little small but clean and centrally located, making it easy for us to walk around since we didn’t have wheels.

Sunsets and Curries at Serani restaurant

Serani restaurant was an excellent choice for delicious local curries whilst gawking at the Vasiliki sunsets.

Try the Best Burger in Greece at Fatboys

At Fatboys ‘Burger and Beer bar’, you can be assured of the juiciest and most delightful burgers in entire Greece. It is renowned for drool-worthy bites and makes for an excellent midnight snack parlor (since its open till 1 am).

Experience Nightlife in Lefkada

I know Nydri has a fair bit of clubs and bars, like The Street Bar, which seem popular. However, we skipped Nydri altogether.

In Lefkada town, Karma bar had a good vibe, especially on party nights, and Baccara seems to be a favorite among locals.

In Vasiliki, we really enjoyed party nights at Club Vass, but other bars on the strip like Zeus and Tunnel Rock Bar are crowd favorites. I must admit I loved the decor and vibe at Tunnel Rock Bar, though it was a tad “small” for my taste.

Embark on a Boat Trip on Ionian Waters

My first 4 days in Lefkada were spent on a boat. The first night we were just docked in the Lygia marina, and I enjoyed meals at the nearby Sto Limani.

The next 3 days, I was on a boat party called Seaquence, where I was a DJ and had fun exploring various islands and beaches like the famous Pig Beach of Atokos and the popular island of Ithaca.

So this was our list of things to do on Lefkada Island as per personal experience, but here are some hot spots that we missed.

Other Things to do in Lefkada (Not based on my experience)

There is SOOO much more to do in Lefkada, but my friend and I can be considered as slow travelers, so we did not jam pack much into our short trip, nor did we have a car, so we could only cover places on foot.

If you are more adventurous or have more time (And wheels), here are other top places to visit on Lefkada island – Egremni Beach, Kathisma Beach, Porto Katsiki, Gialos Beach, Mylos Beach, Folklore Museum of Karya, Agia Mavra Fortress, Faneromeni Monastery, Ammoussa Beach, and so much more.

Where to Stay in Lefkada

Our personal selections were Downtown suite in Lefkada town and the Orfeas rooms in Vasiliki.

Both are centrally located, and the owners are hospitable and always ready to help.

However, if you wish to check out more options, click here for the best hotels in Lefkada at the lowest rates. 

How to reach Lefkada

To reach Lefkada island you can either take a flight into the nearest airport – Preveza or a KTEL bus from Athens (the route I took).

So, have you been to Lefkada island in Greece or are you planning to? Let us know in the comments what you think about this gorgeous Ionian island.