Stays & holidays

Where to stay in Lefkada: Nidri, Nikiana or the west coast?

The east is calm with everything on foot, the west has the beaches from the photos. An honest guide to Lefkada's areas, and my advice for a first visit.

25 July 20263 min read

"Which area should we stay in?" is the first question I get, even before the one about beaches. Rightly so: Lefkada has a calm, convenient east coast, a spectacular, wild west coast and mountain villages in between. The area you pick defines your holiday.

Here is each area laid out plainly, and who it suits, exactly the way I tell my guests on the phone.

Accommodation in the centre of Nidri, Lefkada

Nidri: everything on foot

Nidri is the island's liveliest resort: a waterfront lined with tavernas, a harbour with daily cruises to Meganisi and Skorpios, shops and life until late. The beaches are narrow, with calm water and children swimming until dusk.

It is the perfect choice for a first visit and for families: everything is on foot, and in the morning you set off easily to any corner of the island. Most of my stays are here or nearby, because this is where guests ask to be.

See the stays in and around Nidri →

Twin villas with private pools in Nikiana, Lefkada

Nikiana: the quiet, authentic east

Ten minutes north of Nidri, Nikiana is the village I think of when I want quiet. Fishermen's tavernas, small beaches with white pebbles and clear water, plenty of green. In the evening you hear the sea, not the music.

I recommend it to couples and families who want calm but not isolation: you are 10 minutes from Nidri's buzz and 20 from town.

Lefkada Town: for those who want a town

The island's capital is a charming little town of colourful houses, a pedestrian street full of cafes and a marina of swaying masts. Close to town you have the wide beaches of Gyra and Agios Ioannis.

Choose the town if you love long evenings, strolls and cafes. For the island's great beaches you will drive 30-50 minutes a day.

Mylos beach in Lefkada, a wild cove on the west coast

The west coast and Agios Nikitas: the beaches from the photos

Kathisma, Pefkoulia, Mylos, and further south Egremni and Porto Katsiki: the west is the reason Lefkada makes Europe's best-beach lists. Agios Nikitas, the only coastal village on this side, runs down on foot to a small, welcoming beach.

Stay here if the beach is your top criterion and winding roads don't scare you. Bonus: the island's most beautiful sunsets.

Vasiliki and the south: wind, sport and a gentle bay

Vasiliki lives around its bay: mirror-flat water in the morning, a steady breeze and dozens of colourful sails in the afternoon. From here you take the taxi boat to Agiofili, one of the island's most beautiful small beaches, and the ferry to Kefalonia.

It is the right area for younger travellers, for sporty types and for anyone after a relaxed, slightly bohemian air.

My advice for a first visit

If it is your first time in Lefkada, stay on the east side, in Nidri or Nikiana, and make the west your day-trip destination: leave for the beaches in the morning and come back to tavernas and the waterfront at night. On a second visit, try a week in Agios Nikitas for the sunsets.

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Frequently asked questions

Which is the best area for families with children?

Nidri and Nikiana: calm water, beaches with a gentle entry, restaurants and pharmacies close by.

Where should I stay for the most beautiful beaches?

On the west coast, around Agios Nikitas / Kathisma. In exchange you accept windier roads and fewer services.

Do I need a car?

In Nidri you can manage without one; for the rest of the island a car is practically necessary. West-coast beach car parks fill early in high season.

Planning your Lefkada holiday?

Tell Ema what you're looking for. She lives on the island and only recommends stays she has seen with her own eyes, so you get a personal answer, not an automated one.

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