Also known as “Lefkas”, Lefkada is distinct in that it requires no ferry or boat journey to access it—instead, you simply drive over a causeway a short distance from Prevaza airport on the mainland. Part of the Ionian Islands, mountainous Lefkada is densely forested (providing welcome shade when it’s hot) and has some beautiful beaches that are virtually empty during the shoulder seasons. Compared to better-known Greek islands, Lefkada remains crowd-free and uncommercialized (there are no international hotel brands here yet), so keep the secret to yourself. It’s also a good jumping-off point for celebrity magnet Meganisi, where you can visit Fish Taverna Errikos for lunch.
Where to stay on Lefkada
Built by owners Peter and Olga as their “dream home”, Madreterra Villa is part of The Thinking Traveller collection of sophisticated villas across Greece, Italy, and France. Available to rent between early April and the end of October, Madreterra is situated on the remote western side of the island down a long windy road through olive groves (rent a small car for those hair-pin bends). Probably the most enviable place to stay on the island, the stone villa has six bedrooms (two with sea views) and seven bathrooms, meaning it can comfortably host up to 12 people. Highlights include the infinity pool (with three different depths—ideal for kids), outdoor dining area and barbecue kitchen, as well as a verdant fruit garden with lemon and apricot trees. What’s more, the beaches of Theotoko and Avali are just a ten-minute walk down the hill. The airport is a 45-minute drive away. Our villa host Giovanna was always available on WhatsApp and helped with everything from supplying travel sickness pills and transporting a baby hedgehog we found to a local vet to booking restaurants, organising boat trips and arranging a chef to cook for us—we were served a sunset feast of homemade pitta bread, tzatziki, courgette balls, stuffed vine leaves, fava bean dip, spinach pie and crème caramel. Menus cost from €25 to €35 per person plus a €200 chef fee. A cleaner also comes daily (except Fridays) to lay freshly folded towels on the loungers, wash up and make the beds.
A modern four-star resort on Mikros Gialos Bay, just beneath the village of Poros, San Nicolas Resort has its own small rock beach and two pools (one for laps and one for children). A set of steps takes you to an outcrop where you can jump directly into the sea. The interior design of the hotel is a little on the bland side, but the likelihood is that for a summer vacation, guests will be in the fresh air most of the time. Dining options include a beach bar and a more formal restaurant with a cantilevered deck.
Ideal for a short couple’s or solo stay in the old town, the Bohemian Boutique Hotel embodies rustic-minimalist design with exposed stone walls, rattan and timber. Small and simple, rooms range from 160 to 250 square feet, and each comes with a Nespresso coffee machine, fridge, kettle, and air conditioning. There is no pool or additional facilities, and breakfast is not available, but there are plenty of cafés nearby.
Named after the ancient Greek poet Sappho, this eight-room contemporary hideout is a few minutes from Agiofili Beach. Well set up for families, there are two types of suites available: one accommodating two adults and one child; the other a 650-square-foot space for four adults (there is an additional double sofa bed on the second floor). The former comes with private plunge pools, while the latter has terraces with dining tables facing the sea. All have kitchens for self-catering. There is also a glass-sided outdoor pool with loungers in the shallows.
Located in the south of Lefkada, just across the water from Meganisi, the ultra-modern villa Oikos Nostros has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a stunning 66-foot-long infinity pool carved into the side of the hill. The single-level property has floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Ionian Sea, elegant sunbathing and shaded aperitivo areas, and a kitchen with a central island bar. There is even a gym on a lower floor, as well as yoga mats for sunrise sun salutations, bluetooth speakers and daily maid service. A good choice for a group of friends.
Where to eat and drink on Lefkada
Positioned on a peaceful promenade by the sea, not far from San Nicolas Resort, Molos is a friendly taverna serving freshly caught fish (red mullet, cod, sea bream, dusky grouper, octopus, cuttlefish); flavorful pasta with aubergine and artichoke; and creamy feta cheese with honey. Open for both lunch and dinner, one of my companions described the ceviche as the “best he’d ever had”. The staff are attentive and good tempered. Sit back with a cold beer and relax.
Without a doubt, the most cinematic outpost to eat at on the island, Rachi is a buzzing hilltop hotspot with 180-degree views of the island and sea. On one side is a bar where you can start your evening with a sundowner (arrive in good time for sunset), and on the other is the restaurant, which also has a lively outdoor terrace. Food is refined Greek and more pricey than more everyday tavernas, but eating here is worth every euro. On the menu are the likes of stifado goat, shrimp saganaki risotto, rump steak and moussaka. The desserts are superb too. Rachi is also the place to come for paragliding (see below)—and if you’re feeling nervous, you can have a negroni before take-off.
Just a short walk from Madreterra Villa, Avali Cantine is one of those restaurants you could happily eat at morning, noon, and night. In fact, it is a firm favorite among local paraglider instructors who all congregate here after their final beach landings of the day. Seating is on a covered wooden deck jutting out over the cliff edge, and there is a secret path to the beach (and outdoor showers) that guests can use. A team of kind, carefree women put together Buddha bowls, toasties, lentil salad with salami, chicken souvlaki and mojitos. Kids can help themselves to lollies and ice creams from a large chest freezer under the shade of a green parasol. You’ll need cash, though, or you’ll have to walk up the hill to do a bank transfer from your phone when it comes to paying.
Positioned inland, Pardalo Katsiki is found in the rural village of Karya, a place known for its needlework handicrafts and crops of lathyria beans. On the menu of this quintessential Greek taverna, clad in vines, you’ll find innovative dishes ranging from homemade sausage with peanut butter hummus to Manouri cheese with tomato gel, alongside classics such as Dakos salad with carob rusk, and slow-cooked rooster linguine. They also do triple cooked chips it truffle mayo, if that’s your vibe. Come for lunch or dinner.
Open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, Monato da Gusto leans more towards fine dining, this time headed up by Millennial chef Theodore Tzavaras, who specialises in elevated Mediterranean food. Located on Kathisma beach (white sand), which is famous for its sunsets, the restaurant’s artfully presented dishes encompass fillet of freshly caught grouper with black-eyed peas and celery root purée, and pancetta fricassee with spinach, leek puree and eggnog sauce. There’s also a sweeping cocktail bar.
What to do on Lefkada
One of the most thrilling experiences to try on the island is paragliding, thanks to Lefkada’s 3,200-feet-plus elevations. The spot we’d recommend is 2200 feet high at Rachi restaurant, which has a westerly-facing turf ramp for taking a running jump. The tandem experience costs about €100, and instructors will film the whole flight for you with a selfie stick. The flight takes about ten minutes and landings are on Kathisma beach. (You can reward yourself with dinner at Monato da Gusto after.)
Trident has been organizing boat trips off the coast of Lefkada since the 1980s, so you’re in good hands. Departures are from the town of Nidra, and the company’s fleet of ribs accommodates seven to 12 people, with an awning for shade and a cool box of drinks. Highlights include swimming to the shores of Skorpios island, which is owned by a Russian billionaire, as well as into a giant sea cave. Other stops can include Meganisi, Kalamos, Kastos and Atokos, which has swimming black pigs. Just speak to your captain about where you would like to go.
Headed up by Antonio and Christiana, Lefkada Adventures offers both guided and self-guided e-bike tours of the island for between €50 and €70 per person. Excursions generally start and finish in Karya village, meaning you can finish with a well-earned meal at Pardalo Katsiki. Rides typically take four to six hours with a selection of easy, medium and difficult routes through the mountains.
The inaccessibility of Theotokos Beach means it attracts relatively few tourists, and the coastline feels pristine and wild (you can drive, but it’s a long, windy road down.) There are small white pebbles here rather than sand, but the sea is crystal clear, and there is a path that allows you to walk about 40 minutes to the busier beach of Kathisma. If you are looking for a snack or a cold drink, Nektar Paradise is a tented beach bar that only takes cash. Nevertheless, they mix a very good Aperol spritz.
Head to Lefkada Micro Farm to learn how to make Greece’s famous phyllo pastry pies, baked in a wood-fired oven. The experience begins with coffee and a walk around the farm to learn about the produce that is grown there. Once in the kitchen, participants stretch, stuff and roll the dough, filling the long tubes of phyllo pastry with wild greens and goat cheese, pumpkin or feta. Classes last four hours and cost €80 per person.
How to get there from the United States
As there are no direct flights to Lefkada's Preveza-Aktion Airport (PVK) from the United States, the easiest way for Americans to reach the island is via a connecting flight through London, whether that be Heathrow or Gatwick. From there, British Airways, Ryanair, Swiss, and more run flights that clock in at just over three hours in duration.
A version of this story originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller.
