Best 10 things to do in Lefkada

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In Lefkada, there are a bunch of amazing places to see and a lot of activities to choose from. Whether you choose an active holiday or a more relaxing one, you will encounter options for both cases. Today I want to share with you 10 of the best things to do and to experience while visiting Lefkada.

If you want to make the best from your trip and explore every beach and village on this list, then I strongly recommend you rent a car.

I find that having a car at your disposal makes the travel experience itself more fulfilling and awesome. You can take breaks, stop along the road if you see a beautiful viewpoint or change your plans on the go.

You can check out the link below.

Are you planning a trip to Lefkada?

Be sure to book accommodation and tours in Lefkada ahead of time to ensure availability!

Top tours in Lefkada:

Top picks for places to stay in Lefkada (luxurious or on a budget):

Drakatos Villas (luxurious experience with private villa and pool and a luxurious experience)
The Dynasty Villas (private pool with sea view, luxurious)
Ionian Sea Villas (outdoor pool and sea view, luxurious)
Melikiron Luxury Apartments (sea view, pool, luxurious)
Katerina Lefkada (budget friendly, garden or bay view)
Smile Inn (budget friendly, beach front)
- Rouda Village (budget friendly, outdoor pool)

Looking for the best way to get around and explore most of Lefkada’s beauty? Then, check out rental rates for Lefkada now!

Don’t forget for travel insurance, check it out here!

1. Discover sightseeings and beaches

Lefkada has a multitude of unique and gorgeous beaches and probably you will find it difficult to include them all in your itinerary. Check out my blog post with “Top beaches to see in Lefkada” for a more detailed guide and you can have a starting point in your planning. Even if you aren’t a beach lover, believe me, you will not regret choosing to visit them. If the photos won’t convince you, here are some additional reasons (remember that this comes from a mountain lover):

a). Every beach in Lefkada is unique – though you might think they all look the same. Every single one of them has something special, be it the road that leads you there or an extraordinary landscape that greets you when you arrive. For example, to get to Egremni, you will go down 300 steps that will surprise you at each step with a different view. To get to Mylos on foot, you will do a quick hike through a beautiful forest and when you reach the top (just before you need to go down the path to the beach) the view that will unfold before your eyes is breathtaking.

There are a lot of islands near Lefkada with gorgeous and secluded beaches. Also, as I already mentioned, Lefkada is rich in glorious and memorable beaches. If you don’t like planning or organizing all the details in your trip, then I suggest you book a guided tour.

Depending on your travel goals or preferences, you can book the tour that meets your expectations and your budget. For example, if you want to see the most important and famous beaches in Lefkada, then you can book a tour that is targeting this goal.

Below I find a couple of cool and interesting tours that you can look into. For each trip you can read feedback from other tourists, compare and analyze the rates, see photos with what you will see on the trip and of course see the detailed itinerary.

b). Secluded beaches – ask your host or the locals about beaches that aren’t known to the general public. We discovered two amazing secluded beaches, one near Ammouso Beach (click to find out the location and see photos) and the other while we were sailing around the island (Lakka Beach). Who wouldn’t want to have a beach for themselves without paying a dime?!

If you are passionate about exploring forgotten and secluded beaches, then I suggest you look up for tours that are offering this kind of experience. If you are interested in booking this kind of tour, then you should check out the one below. It has amazing reviews and also, it will take you to faumos beaches and stop for swins and more fun.

What I like about it (which is very important to me and always chose a tour based on it, or any booking for that matter) is that you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance and get a full refund.

c). The combination of endless sea views, luxurious vegetation and mountains – every beach is surrounded by a stunning landscape. Even if you are like me and prefer to hide from the sun, you will still enjoy the beach vibes by sitting and admiring the view. Pack your camera or phone, when you go to the beach. While your friends “cook” themselves in the sun, you can take the opportunity to walk around and find the best photo spots. Think of it, while they get sunburns, you get amazing pictures for your photo album or Instagram page (Just kidding!)

2. Explore colorful villages

Besides the beaches, there are also colorful and picturesque villages that wait for you to explore them. I always loved Greek villages, because all the flowers, decorations, exotic trees and beautifully decorated taverns make them look so friendly and welcoming.

If you want to take a break from visiting beaches, wear your most comfortable shoes and go explore. The narrow and cobblestone streets are outlined by charming flower arrangements. Take this time to do your souvenirs shopping or try some homemade traditional greek recipes. I would recommend exploring: Sivota, Nidri and Vasiliki villages.

3. Eat and drink amazing food and beverages

Now, this is a topic I will explain in more detail in a separate article. Because let’s be real, Greek food is one of the best European cuisines and it deserves a proper food guide, don’t you think?

For me, eating like the locals and trying all their traditional recipes is one of the highlights of every trip. I can’t be the only one doing this, right?! True story: when my husband and I planned this trip (or every trip), our main concern was to make sure we were going to have enough time to try all the dishes 😂. I think we were more excited about the food and not the beaches.

The food is part of the greek culture and travel experience, so you can’t leave Lefkada without trying their famous gyros, moussaka, tzatziki, fried zucchini or fresh greek salad (and many others). There are a lot of local taverns that offer all of these delicious dishes, but you need to do a little research on the go to make sure to choose the best ones.

Resources to use to find the best taverns:

Google Maps – I highly recommend you use this app to see reviews, stars or food pictures posted by real customers. I think this app is the most transparent and trustworthy, especially when you are trying to choose between a lot of places.

Pinterest – I always find amazing food recommendations of local and more traditional places. For example, on Pinterest, I search for family businesses that in my opinion have better food choices, than the fancy and more luxurious ones.

Bonus tip: don’t use a lot of apps, you will be overwhelmed by their number and eventually, your phone will be full of unused apps (been there, done that). Instead, find 1-2 apps or resources that are trustworthy and stick with them.

4. Sailing around: rent a boat

This is an experience that I highly recommend. Rent a boat and sail around Lefkada’s wild and hidden beaches and small islands.

When you rent a boat, you can choose either to have a driver with you or they can teach you how you can do it yourself. I’m such a bad driver in general, but driving the boat was easy even for me. They will provide you with a map of the sailing perimeter, so you will know what dangerous areas to avoid. After you receive the keys and have all the information, you can sail along in seeking the perfect secluded beach.

We rented a speed boat from Scorpio Boats, but other companies offer this service, depending on the villages that you are closer to.

5. Experience a beautiful sunset at Lighthouse Cape Lefkada

If you are a sunset chaser, like me, put Lighthouse Cape Lefkada on your travel list and plan to arrive there just half an hour before the sunset. This is one of those travel spots where you are going to need to rent a car if you aren’t traveling by one already. You can bring drinks and snacks with you, so you can spend a perfect evening there. More details about this place are in my article “Chasing sunsets in Lefkada”.

6. Paragliding, scuba diving, windsurfing and other watersports

If you are a fan of watersports, Lefkada will deliver the most amazing experiences. For example, Vasiliki is famous for paragliding and windsurfing. Our accommodation was located uphill and every day we saw a lot of windsurfers enthusiasts hitting the waves near Vasiliki beach. Depending on your stay and preferences, book the activity of your liking, online.

There are many tours to choose from and I suggest you look up to the ones with great reviews and with the option of full refund if you cancel up to 24 in advance. We all know plans can change very quickly during traveling, so I always recommend you book accommodations, tours or tickets that have a good cancel policy.

Below you have several great tours that I found that are offering all kinds of watersports activities in Lefkada. Check them out and choose the one that is perfect for you!

7. Spend a day at your accommodation

If you already spent a lot of days working on your tan, exploring beaches and villages and feeling a little tired, plan a leisure day at your accommodation. In Lefkada, I recommend you do both: active and leisure travel.

If you find something that fits your budget, I highly recommend you book a place uphill with a wonderful view and a private pool (if possible). You can plan your leisure time by eating fruits, drinking cocktails and reading near the pool or swimming. This is what we did. In the middle of our trip, we went to a local market and bought fruits, snacks and food and spent the whole day relaxing and enjoying the view, by the pool. If you are a book lover, don’t forget to pack your favorite one.

Here are some details about our accommodation:

Drakatos Villas was perfect for us and here is why:

It was located uphill in Vasiliki and very close to the village;
the villa was ideal for 2 couples having 2 bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, a terrace, a private pool (the bathrooms were a little too small, but we managed);
the view from our rooms and the pool was gorgeous (I could stay there for hours with my coffee and thoughts);
the kitchen had a coffee machine and was furnished with everything we needed;
we had separate clean towels for the pool in each room.

Of course you can search for many more accommodations similar to this one, or something that can fit your budget and preferences on Booking.com.

8.Hiking: to see Nidri Waterfall and Mylos Beach

If you are a nature and hiking lover, as I am, put Nidri Waterfall on your list while visiting Lefkada. The hike is very short (approx 15 minutes) and easy to do, but the view is simply beautiful and picturesque. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes, because when you reach the waterfall, you can bathe near it, if you want. I was surprised by the beauty of that trail, I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much. Also, if you choose to reach Mylos Beach (another must-see) on foot, you are going to hike through a forest path.

9.Experience the most magical sunsets and sunrises

Being a sunset lover, finding the best spots is part of my travel list. I planned at least 3 nights just to enjoy the sunsets in amazing locations. I wrote all about it in a separate article “Chasing sunsets in Lefkada”.

10. Book a ticket for a ferry-boat to get to Kefalonia Island

Kefalonia is also a must-see, the island will surprise you with colorful villages, good food and beautiful beaches. If you can, spend two days in Kefalonia. The trip with the ferryboat takes approx 2h and you will need a car in Kefalonia to visit all the best places. Book your ticket online, and be sure to arrive on time to pick them up. There is a lot of traffic there, and you shouldn’t risk being left behind. I recommend you book a place in Kefalonia for at least 2 nights, to have all the time to explore its beauty. When we visited this summer, due to the pandemic situation the island was kind of abandoned, but it felt like it was ready to get back to life.

I wrote a detailed travel guide, where you will find a list with the best things to see, where to eat amazing food and the cutest accommodation. You can check it out, here.

I hope you find this article useful. If you would like to organise all these recommendations in a more detailed itinerary and need help with your travel planning, please feel free to reach out, I would love to help you 😄.

Happy traveling 🎒!

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