The sunset
The sun sets straight into the sea — the island's best known.
Alf van Beem — CC0 · Alf van Beem — CC0 · spheeris — CC BY 3.0 · spheeris — CC BY 3.0
**The west coast's most accessible beach: sand and fine shingle beneath a cliff, full facilities, and no steps** — about 15 km from Lefkada town. Where **Porto Katsiki** and **Egremni** demand a steep descent or a boat, **Kathisma is a beach you drive to and step out onto** — which in practice makes it the first choice for most visitors. ✅ It is long (about a kilometre), of **sand and very fine shingle**, with turquoise water of the same quality — **the colour belongs to the whole west coast**, produced by the white limestone bed. ✅ It has **umbrellas, loungers, tavernas and beach bars on the sand**, along with showers and parking. ⚠ **The trade-off: it is crowded** and developed — there is no solitude here. ⚠ **And the water deepens fast**, with strong waves on windy days.
The sun sets straight into the sea — the island's best known.
Tavernas and bars directly on the sand with umbrellas and loungers.
A free, unserviced section, quieter than the middle.
Agios Nikitas, 31080 Lefkada, Greece
**The rule: west for the spectacle, east for calm swimming, south for wind.** ✅ **The west (Porto Katsiki, Egremni, Kathisma, Milos)**: **white cliffs and turquoise water** — these are the images of Lefkada you have seen. ⚠ **The trade-off**: **exposed to wind and swell**, the water **deepens fast**, **and access is hard** at some (a long stairway or a boat). ✅ **The best in practice: Kathisma** — the same colour and setting **with no steps and full facilities**. ✅ **The east (Nidri, Desimi, Mikros Gialos)**: **completely sheltered** by the facing islands — **still, shallow water with no swell**, **which is the choice for families and small children** without hesitation. ⚠ **But visually less striking** and the beaches smaller. ✅ **The south (Vasiliki, Agios Ioannis)**: **strong, reliable wind** — **a world centre for windsurfing and kitesurfing**; ✅ excellent if that is what you want, ⚠ **poor if you want a calm swim**. ✅ **The golden rule**: **decide in the morning by the wind** — if the westerly is blowing, go east, and vice versa.
