The south-east coast of Lefkada.

Most visitors to Lefkada see the north of the island and the famous beaches of the west coast. This page is about the other corner: the stretch of coast that runs south from Nidri and the bay of Vlicho, past Poros, Mikros Gialos and Sivota, towards Vasiliki. It faces the small islands of the strait and the mountains of the mainland, and several of the villas we look after stand on its hills.

We like it as a base for a calm holiday by the sea. It is not right for everyone, though, so we start with the honest version.

What this coast is like, honestly

Quiet, not lively

There is no resort strip here. Poros is a village on a hill, Mikros Gialos is a bay with a few tavernas, and Sivota is a small harbour. At ten at night the loudest thing at Mikros Gialos is the sea. If you want bars and a busy waterfront in the evening, Nidri is the place, about 20 minutes north by car. The one time this coast gets busy is lunchtime in Sivota in high summer, when the sailing flotillas come in.

Sunrise, not sunset

Most of this coast faces east and south-east. The sun comes up out of the mainland mountains and lays a line of light across the strait, and in the evening it goes down behind the island at your back. You will not watch the sun sink into the sea from a terrace here. The evening light on the water and the mountains opposite lasts a long time, and many guests come to prefer it, but if a sea sunset matters to you, plan one evening on the west coast, about an hour's drive over the mountain via Athani.

Calm water when the west is windy

The summer wind on Lefkada is mostly the maistros, from the north-west. The west coast takes it head-on, and on a windy afternoon the waves there make swimming unpleasant. The mountains in the middle of the island cut it off before it reaches the south-east, so a bay like Mikros Gialos is often glassy in the morning and still good for swimming in the evening. The exception is a strong southerly, the one direction that bay is open to. Vasiliki, a little further on, is the other way round: a thermal wind usually fills its bay from around midday, which is why windsurfers go there.

The places along the coast

Poros

A small village about 3 km up the hill from the bay, lived in all year, with kafeneia on the square and an ancient stone tower above the houses. From the village itself you cannot see the sea; climb past it onto the ridge and the whole strait opens up, from Meganisi to Ithaca. Our guide to Poros has more.

Mikros Gialos

The bay below Poros goes by several names: Mikros Gialos, Rouda, Rouda Bay or "Poros beach", and they are all the same water. It is a sheltered pebble bay with clear water, small coves round the shore and a sea cave you can swim or paddle to. There is a lifeguard. Our guide to Mikros Gialos covers the coves, the tavernas and the road down.

Sivota

A long, deep inlet between wooded hills, with a small harbour where fishing boats and yachts moor in front of a line of fish tavernas. It is a harbour, not a beach: you come for lunch, for a swim off the rocks near the mouth of the bay, and for the small boats you can hire on the quay. Our guide to Sivota explains how to time your visit.

Towards Vasiliki and Syvros

Beyond Sivota the road continues to Vasiliki, about 10 km further on, a bigger village on a wide bay known for windsurfing. In summer, ferries leave Vasiliki for Kefalonia and Ithaca; check the timetable for the season. Inland, in the hills, the village of Syvros sits among olive groves and plane trees, with springs, walking paths and the ruins of old watermills. The Karoucha cave is nearby; ask in the village about access before you go.

Meganisi across the water

The small island opposite is the reason this coast looks the way it does. You can reach it by the car ferry from Nidri to Spilia, a crossing of about 25 minutes, or by hiring a small boat in Sivota and going at your own pace. Ferry times change with the season, so check the timetable before you set off. Head for the Papanikolis sea cave, a quiet cove for a swim off the boat, and lunch in Vathy or Spartochori. Our seven-day plan builds a whole day around it.

When to come

June and September are our favourite months here: the sea is warm, the afternoons are long and the coves are quiet. July and August are busier, though nothing like the west coast, and lunch in Sivota needs planning. May and October are quieter still; the sea is cooler.

Plan the rest of your stay

• Beaches near Mikros Gialos and Poros, and when the west coast is worth the drive
• Getting to Lefkada: Preveza (Aktion) airport, the drive from Athens and getting to the villas
• Things to do in the south of Lefkada
• Lefkada with children: calm beaches, distances and questions about the pool
• Where to eat in south Lefkada: Sivota, Mikros Gialos, Poros and Vasiliki
• Renting a boat without a licence from the southern harbours
• Villa or hotel on Lefkada?