8 days in Lefkada - Best travel itinerary
Are you planning a trip to Lefkada for the upcoming summer and you don’t know where to start with your planning?
No worries, I got you! In this article, I will be sharing my Lefkada 8 days travel itinerary including accommodations, things to do for each day and food recommendations. You can use it as it is, or you can take it as a starting point to design your unique itinerary.
Every time I start planning for a new trip, one of the most important things I do (before I leave, of course) is to make a travel itinerary. I know that traveling isn’t something you can plan in detail and even if you do, for sure unexpected events will happen and the initial plan will need some adjusting. That being said, I find that travel itineraries are important to do, even if you are not going to maintain an uptight schedule. For me, itineraries are an initial canvas on which we can play and re-design on the go.
If you plan for a long holiday and want to see everything a place has to offer, it can be overwhelming to build your ideal itinerary. And I know this because I spend days doing research, planning, calculating and trying to put the pieces together for my trips. And on the internet, I rarely find suggestions for itineraries that match my needs.
If you don’t have enough time to do your research, or you just don’t like to plan ahead and make a schedule, then this article is meant for you, by doing your “task” easier. Not everyone is passionate about travel planning and research and that’s perfectly fine.
On this Lefkada trip my husband and I went with another couple, so please keep in mind that the accommodations which I will be recommending were booked for 4 people.
Our holiday began when we arrived in Lefkada at our accommodation at night (2 am or something like that). We drove from Romania in our friend’s car on a road that should have taken us approx 13 hours, but it lasted more than 20. Guess what, after a year of restrictions everyone was going to Greece that day (it was in June 2020). So yeah, we arrived pretty exhausted, and annoyed that we got to bed straight away.
Just to let you know… This post (probably) contains affiliate links, including Amazon Associates links, and I may receive a small commission when you click on the links. This is at no extra cost to you and allows me to keep running this website. How cool is that?! I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own.
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:
- Nydri: Ionian Islands Full-Day Boat Cruise with Swim Stops
- Lefkas: Hidden Blue Cave Half-Day Kayak Trip w/ Lunch
- Lefkada: Sea Kayak Tour to Blue Caves with Picnic
- Island Hopping from Lefkada
- Bread, Briam, Greek salad & Tzatziki cooking class
- Lefkada Island Tour
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!
Day 1 - All about the food
Considering the tiring day we had previously, we decided to start our holiday slowly.
Firstly, we woke up to this view…
Secondly, we enjoyed our coffee at the pool (already missing this). Afterwards, we met with our host, who came prepared with a map, suggestions and tips which helped us to finish our travel itinerary. Plus, he offered business cards for discounts at some of the taverns that he recommended (pretty cool, right?!)
Now, time for lunch! We enjoyed a delicious meal at Ammoussa Beach Restaurant which was close to us. This is the best way to start a trip, not with stunning views (pfff, that’s for boring people 😂), but with delightful food (maybe the foodie in me is talking, but you get it).
Ammoussa Beach wasn’t that impressive (there were a lot of cars parked near the seashore), but we found a hidden and small beach near it (recommended by our host).
How to find it?
Facing Ammoussa Beach, on the left, there is a road that is going uphill. If you take the car, you will reach a curve in approx. 5 min and from there you can see the beach from the road. Don’t forget to have umbrellas, towels and something to sit on.
For dinner, we went to Sivota Village and ate at Stavros where the food was amaziiiiing! I mean, look at these photos, I’m sure you can almost feel the textures and flavors. We finished our day by walking the streets of Sivota and feeling all those relaxing holiday sensations.
Things to know about the accommodation (if you are interested – with link):
The problem we found in searching for the perfect place was that most accommodations that provide a stunning view were very far from the closest village or town and we wanted fast access to taverns and shops. 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.
Summary of the day:
Accommodation: Drakatos Villas, Vasiliki
Lunch: Ammousa Beach Restaurant
Beach of the day: a secluded small beach near Ammousa Beach
Dinner: Stavros Restaurant in Sivota Village
Evening: walking around in Sivota
Day 2 - Adventure time: A day of sailing
This day was awesome! At the suggestion of our host, we rented a boat and spent most of the day exploring Lefkada seashores and the islands close to it.
This is an experience that I highly recommend. When you rent a boat, you can choose to have a driver or they can teach you how you can do it yourself. I’m such a bad driver, but driving the boat was easy even for me. We rented a boat from Scorpios Boats, but other companies offer this service, depending on the villages that you are closer to. For us, Scorpios Boats was the best choice, because our host obtained a discount for us.
One of the highlights of the day was when we found a secluded beach in the middle of nowhere that we could enjoy all by ourselves. The boys struggled a little (ok, not just a little) to “park” the boat because neither of us had any experience and “parking” boats is harder than it looks. After we had our laughs and giggles (well, me and my friend, because the boys were kinda frustrated), we spent approx. one hour taking photos, swimming and having fun. The name of the beach is Lakka Beach and you can find the location on the map below.
We ended the day by eating delicious gyros in Vasiliki Village and exploring the streets.
Summary of the day:
Renting boat: in Nidri, from Scorpios Boats
Lunch: on Meganisi Island
Secluded beach: Lakka Beach
Dinner: Yannis taverna in Vasiliki – the best Gyros
Evening: exploring Vasiliki Village
Day 3 - Time for gorgeous beaches and a beautiful sunset
This day was dedicated to exploring beaches, eating great food and experiencing one of the most memorable sunsets.
As you already know, I’m not a big fan of tanning. To be honest, extreme heat for me is very uncomfortable. My husband is the same and luckily our travel companions had a similar opinion. Therefore, we decided to visit some of the most interesting beaches and enjoy the views, instead of spending the whole day at only one of them. We planned for this day to visit: Egremni, Gialos and Porto Katsiki. We spent approx 1-2 hours at every beach and it was enough time to swim, relax and take photos. If you want to know more about every beach, I wrote an article with “Top beaches to visit in Lefkada”. There you will find a guide for every beach and more photos, of course.
We had lunch at Lefkatas taverna in Athani Village, a place I highly recommend because the food was exquisite and we enjoyed it with a lovely view.
Regarding the sunset, I wrote an entire article about “Chasing sunsets in Lefkada” where you will find all the details. Shortly, we packed some beers (Corona Beer – ironic, right?!), snacks and we went to Cape Lefkada Lighthouse, where we arrived approximately one hour before sunset. We had a lot of time to savor the view and “organize” some serious photoshoots😂. Our guys were given the task to take the best photos of us . They didn’t complain (too much).
Summary of the day:
Beaches of the day: Egremni Beach, Gialos Beach and Porto Katsiki
Lunch: Lefkatas tavern in Athani
Sunset: Cape Lefkada Lighthouse
Evening and dinner: Gyros (yes, it was that good) in Vasiliki
Day 4 - Relaxing day at the pool
We started our day with a small hike to see Mylos Beach. We didn’t go to the beach but we admired the amazing landscape from uphill after we crossed a forest. After seeing yet another beach (Megali Petra) we went to Lefkada Town. There we took our time, explored the streets and the souvenir shops (as we usually do) and ate a late brunch.
The day had a lot of highlights. Seeing Mylos Beach, which in my opinion is one of the most stunning views in Lefkada, was the first. Followed by spending most of the day at the pool back at our accommodation. We bought food, snacks and fruits and relaxed at the pool. This is an activity I recommend you include on your itinerary if you visit Lefkada. Check out my blog post about “Best 10 things to do in Lefkada” where I included this experience and many more.
The day ended with one of the best sunsets experiences I ever had. Our host recommended a restaurant which is located uphill and has that infinity sunset view which we decided to try out. The name of the place is Amente Restaurant and Cocktail Bar.
Not gonna lie, the prices were higher in comparison with other taverns and depending on how much you “promise” to spend you will get a table with a better view. That night we got a basic table that didn’t come with conditions, but the view was perfect. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter which table you sit at because you can walk around the places dedicated for photos where the view is phenomenal. In conclusion, you don’t need to spend crazy money (it depends on what you prefer). You can find all about this place in my article “Chasing sunsets in Lefkada”.
Summary of the day:
Beach of the day: Mylos Beach
Lunch: Lefkada Town – exploring the streets and the shops
The favorite activity of the day: spend the rest of the day at our accommodation: snacking, reading, relaxing at the pool
Dinner and magical sunset: Amente Restaurant and Cocktail bar
Day 5 - Jazz and a glorious sunset
How I missed being in nature! This is why we decided to put Nidri Waterfall on our travel itinerary. If you want to know more about this place, please check out my article “Nidri Waterfalls – the travel guide you need”.
This whole day was very relaxing and we had only a few things to check from our list.
Hint:
If you have a long holiday and tons of places to see on your itinerary, try to plan some relaxing and more leisure days in between. Being always on the go, checking things off your list can take away from the beauty of living and enjoying every moment.
Because we loved the previous night at Amente, so much, we decided to go back yet for another dinner. We were lucky because they also had a live jazz-themed evening. Let me tell you: jazz, a glorious sunset and the most delicious dessert made this night memorable. I had a transcendent experience that night with a lot of revelations (a happy tummy and a magical atmosphere can do that for a girl). Find more about that night in this article.
Summary of the day:
The activity of the day: visiting Nidri Waterfall
Lunch: La minute Restaurant in Nidri
Dinner, jazz and sunset: Amente Restaurant and Cocktail bar
Day 6 - Time for Kefalonia
We booked our tickets online and made sure we arrived at the port an hour earlier, to have enough time to get them. I have to mention that we paid for 4 tickets plus the car. After we embarked, we found free sets and enjoyed the drive to Kefalonia for approx 2 hours.
After we arrived on the island, in Fiskardo Port and ate a proper meal, we headed to our next accommodation (which was sooo far away, like in the other corner of the island). Anyway, even if the ride was long, we found unique panoramic scenic overlooks along the road to keep us entertained.
To be honest, the accommodation wasn’t as we expected it to be, and considering the long distance from the areas that we had on the itinerary, we decided to search for another place and move the following day. Luckily, our host was very understanding and charged us only for a night (if we canceled via Booking, we were charged extra). If you are interested in this place, I will put some pictures below. It’s not a bad place, but it didn’t apply to our needs. Also, maybe the pictures on their website raised too many expectations.
For the rest of the day, we went and visited the famous red sand beach (it’s not that red, more of a brownish color), Xi Beach (approx 10 min drive). Later that evening we bought drinks and spent the time watching the sunset at the pool (which was close to the sea).
Summary of the day:
Brunch: Apagio Restaurant in Fiskardo Port, Kefalonia
Panoramic view: along the road
Accommodation: Kymata Bohemian Beach Resort
Beach of the day: Xi Beach
Lunch: Costa Rossa, Lixouri
Evening: sunset and drinks at Kymata Bohemian Beach Resort
Day 7 - Colorful Asos and great burgers
Our day started with yet another drive. After we admired Mirtos Beach from a viewpoint located on the road, we arrived in Asos Village, where our new accommodation was located. To better describe this place, imagine colorful houses sprinkled along the hill surrounding the seashore. Narrow and picturesque streets with vibrant flower decorations that made us want to spend the day walking about.
The highlight of the day was the dinner that we had at a food truck that we discovered on Google maps via reviews, called 3 Wise Monkeys.
This place was run by the sweetest and most welcoming couple that prepared burgers, French fries, fried eggs and waffles (Oh, and great cocktails). I can’t recommend them enough! If you ever visit Kefalonia, give this place a try, you aren’t going to regret it. Just look at these photos…even if the food seems basic and simple, it tastes incredible. After a week of Greek food, we were excited to find a great burger place.
I think that their key to success (besides the quality of the food, of course), was the energy they channeled around them. They welcomed every customer with big and honest smiles that made it hard to resist them. At some point, later that evening, a big group of girls arrived and even if there weren’t any more tables available, they sat on the sidewalk and still had a great time. This is how you can recognize places with good energy, when people choose the welcoming atmosphere, instead of comfort. Also, I believe that good food and good vibes will always bring people together.
Regarding the accommodation we booked in Asos, it was lovely, even if it didn’t have the luxurious vibe of the first one. If you visit Kefalonia, I highly recommend it. The view from this place captured all the colorful vibes of the village. And even if the room itself was small, everything was decorated tastefully with great attention to detail. I started to smile the moment the host opened the door for us. By the way, our host was a lovely old man who actually built the house on his own ❤.
Summary of the day:
Beach of the day: Mirtos Beach
Activity: Asos Village – visiting, exploring the colorful streets
Accommodation: Romanza Studios
Dinner: 3 Wise Monkeys
Day 8 - Time to say goodbye
This was the last day of our vacation, sadly. After we drank our coffee and took some photos with a cute mug and the view (as all respected travel bloggers do 😂, right?!) we were again on the road.
Because we loved the food truck guys so much the evening before, we decided to eat again there, before we left Kefalonia. The breakfast was perfect! With our tummies filled with fried eggs, french fries and delicious waffles, we started our long (veryyy long) drive home, back to Bucharest, Romania.
Summary of the day:
Morning: enjoying a “coffee with a view” classic scenery
Breakfast: 3 Wise Monkeys (French fries with eggs and waffles)
I hope this itinerary is helpful for you when you plan your trip. You can use this exact plan and make adjustments if you feel like it, or you can use it as inspiration in building your amazing itinerary.
If you want to see a detailed travel guide of Lefkada, check out this article I wrote about “Best 10 things to do in Lefkada”.
Happy traveling 😄!
PS: Because I love making itineraries and doing all the necessary research I’m starting, a new project and I hope you will want to be part of it.
If you plan a new trip and have trouble making your itinerary, drop me an email, or write to me on instagram. I would be more than happy to help you out.