Lefkada with kids: a family guide to the island
Lefkada works well with children if you choose the right side of the island. This is what we tell families: where the sea is calm, what to pack, how the drives work, and what to ask about any villa pool.
Choose the calm side of the island
Lefkada's famous beaches are on the west coast: Porto Katsiki, Egremni, Kathisma. They are worth seeing, but with small children they are hard work. That coast faces the open Ionian and takes the maistros, the north-westerly wind, head-on, so on many summer afternoons the waves make swimming unpleasant. Natural shade is scarce, and Porto Katsiki is reached by a long flight of steps.
The east coast is the other way round. The mountains in the middle of the island cut off the maistros before it gets there, so the bays from Nidri down to Poros and Mikros Gialos are often glassy in the morning and calm even in the afternoon. The exception is a strong southerly wind, the one direction Mikros Gialos is open to. For a holiday with young children, that shelter matters more than anything else on this page.
Calm beaches for children
Mikros Gialos
We know the bay below Poros well: several of the villas we look after are on the hills above it. It is a pebble beach of small, smooth stones that carry on under the water, and the bottom shelves gently at first and then drops away, so watch where small children stand. The beach has a lifeguard. There are tavernas on the beach for lunch, and part of the beach has sunbeds while part is free. There is little natural shade, so bring an umbrella or plan to be at a taverna in the middle of the day. In summer, older children can usually hire a kayak or paddleboard and go round to the small coves. Our guide to Mikros Gialos has more.
Desimi
North towards Nidri, Desimi is a curved bay of fine shingle backed by olive groves; in summer there are sunbeds and watersports. The olive trees at the back give real shade, which is rare on Lefkada.
Vasiliki
Further south, Vasiliki is a long beach on a wide bay. Pondi beach there has lifeguards. A thermal wind usually fills the bay from around midday, so mornings are calm and afternoons belong to the windsurfers. The schools on the bay teach complete beginners; ask them directly about lessons for children.
Sivota
Sivota is a harbour, not a beach, but children usually like a lunch there: the yachts come and go a few metres from the tables. Arrive by 12.30, before the sailing flotillas fill the waterfront. Our guide to Sivota.
The west coast
If you go west, Kathisma is the easiest with children: a long sandy beach with sunbeds, tavernas and parking. Kathisma and Porto Katsiki both have lifeguards. Go in the morning, when the sea is calmest, take water and shade, and head back to the sheltered side for the afternoon swim. From the south-east coast it is about an hour's drive each way; if you stay on the west coast, around Agios Nikitas, Kathisma is close by.
Days out that children enjoy
- The waterfalls above Nidri. A walk up a shaded gorge to a waterfall and a cool pool, good on a hot afternoon and popular with children.
- A boat day to Meganisi. A small boat from Sivota, a swim off the back of it in a quiet cove, and the Papanikolis sea cave. Go in the morning, when the channel is calm.
- The sea cave at Mikros Gialos. For confident older swimmers or on a paddleboard, in the morning when the water is clearest.
- A windsurfing lesson at Vasiliki, in the calm of the morning.
- Lunch on the quay at Sivota, watching the boats.
More in things to do in the south of Lefkada.
Family villas across Lefkada
We look after villas all over Lefkada, from Agios Nikitas on the west coast to Sivota in the south, from houses for a family of four to homes for two families together. Families who like a lively waterfront in the evening often choose Nidri or Lefkada Town; families who want quiet water choose the south-east.
See all the villas we look after, area by area.
When to come with children
June and September are our favourite months for families: the sea is warm, the beaches are quiet in the morning and afternoon, and a table by the water needs no planning. July and August are busier and hotter, so plan beach time for the morning and late afternoon, and keep the middle of the day for the shade and the pool. For the quiet south of the island, see our guide to the south-east coast.
