The spacius bay belong to the best local beaches, which are recommended for visit. It can be reached by cars from every corner or Lefkada Island, and by daily boat excursions from Nidri and Vasiliki, making its access easier for travellers.

Panoramic view

Where is Porto Katsiki beach in Lefkada Island, and how to access

Porto Katsiki beach is located on the southwestern side of Lefkada Island, and lies further away from most of the popular seaside tourist resorts. The capital of this Greek island, Lefkada town is situated approx. 44 kilometers away from the beach, while Nidri (36 km), Agios Nikitas (30 km) and Vasiliki (14 km) are also slightly away from here. The nearest settlement to Porto Katsiki is the small mountain village of Athani, which lies approx. 11 kilometers away from the famous bay.

Road signs near the beach

How to access Porto Katsiki beach by car

The primary access of Porto Katsiki beach in Lefkada Island is driving a car. This amazing travel destination can be accessed from every village of Lefkada via asphalt roads, which lead mostly on the west coastline, through mountanious areas. The route is scenic, because this part of Lefkada is covered by with millions of pine trees, and the nature is almost untouched here.

The road is quite narrow at some places, but its quality is much better than the route which leads down to Kavalikefta, Megali Petra and Avali beaches. After arriving travellers can use the parking lots of Porto Katsiki beach, where spacious parking lots were built for dozens of cars and motorbikes. Important to know that these areas are paid parking lots, with prices are up to 20 Euros / day / car, depending on actual month.

Travellers have to pay the parking tickets directly at the local staff, when they drive into the parking lot. During high season months, especially from the middle of July until the end of August the paid parking lots fill up quickly in the morning hours, and after that the only options for parking with cars are at the edges of the narrow road.

How to access by daily boat trips and excursions

Another great option to visit Porto Katsiki beach in Lefkada Island is by daily boat trips. The local boat excursions are recommended solutions if you don’t want to drive on mountanious roads, or you don’t have a car. Very important to know that local boat trips and daily excursions to Porto Katsiki beach sail only from two local ports of Lefkada, which are the port of Nidri and the port of Vasiliki.

Excursion boats depart in the morning hours, and usually visit not just this beautiful gem on the west coast, but also other amazing beaches, such as Egremni beach. Some of the boats don’t dock ashore during high season months due safety reasons, in these times passengers can admire Porto Katsiki beach from the sea, and have a chance to swim in blue waters of the wide bay.

During daily boat trips to Porto Katsiki passengers can see the breathtaking southern cliffs of the island, where the picturesque Lighthouse of Lefkada (Cape Doukato) was built a few decades ago, and mentioned by local myths as well. Tickets to daily boat trips passengers can buy in most of the local tourist offices in Nidri and in Vasiliki, or in the ports directly from the staff in the evenings.

What you should know about Porto Katsiki beach

Near the parking lots there are some small cantinas, which offer cold drinks and snacks for guests. This is where the best lookouts of Porto Katsiki beach are located, from shaded terraces magnificient panoramic views can be seen. It’s strongly recommended to look around and take some pictures or a video.

From the top of the cliffs stairs lead down to the beach, with more than 80 steps. Walking down to the sand of Porto Katsiki beach is much easier, and less exhausting than the famous stairs of Egremni beach, but the these stairs are also not suitable for disabled people.

The seabed of Porto Katsiki beach is characterized primarily by white coarse sand and pebbles, the sea deepens quite quickly. These natural conditions are similar to other beaches, which are located on the west coast of Lefkada Island, especially on the southern coastline.

Behind the narrow shore huge steep cliffs rise into the sky, which are the trademarks of Lefkada and Porto Katsiki beach both. It’s very important to know that in recent years the coast was not organized by sunbeds and parasols, so before a visit don’t forget about your umbrella.

Due to the western location of the bay it belongs to the local beaches, which are highly exposed to sea currents and waves. The bigger waves of the Ionian Sea transform the sea colours of Porto Katsiki beach into incredible blue, with millions shades of blue colours.

When significant waves rise high in the bay at few times in a month, swimming is recommended only for experienced persons. Always respect the strength of the waves and keep your distance from the sea. Most of the time swimming is safe here, because the sea surface is often calm without significant waves, but the colours of the sea are slightly less blue.

Sea temperatures of Porto Katsiki beach mainly depend on actual weather conditions and sea the currents, but the average sea temperatures rise up to 23 – 27 Celsius here during summer months. The warmest waters are in July and in August, only a few currents bring some cooler waters for a few days.

For snorkeling and diving Porto Katsiki beach is not the best place in Lefkada Island in our opinion, the east coastline is much more recommended for this activity. For those who want snorkel, the best parts are at the sea caves, near the stairs.

On the north side of Porto Katsiki there is a small peninsula, which offered the best panoramic views to the entire bay several years ago. Unfortunately this peninsula lost its access, because the narrow staircase was destroyed by an earthquake in 2015, and the path became dangerous.

Down on the shore there are no restaurants or bars, the nearest kiosks are waiting guests at top of the stairs. During high season usually there are takeaway services from the nearest restaurants, such as Bilvi.

Where to stay near Porto Katsiki beach

The nearest apartments to Porto Katsiki beach are located in Athani, which is a small traditional village in the mountains. This tiny settlement of Lefkada Island is situated approx. 10 kilometers away from this bay. The area of Athani offer some apartments and villas as well, but this region is one of the calmest places, making the area ideal for a relaxing holiday.

The apartments and villas of Athani village you can find and book here!

Other recommended option for a stay near this beach, where apartments and studios can be rented is Vasiliki, approx. 14 kilometers away from here. Vasiliki is a tiny, but picturesque fishing village of Greece with nice seaside promenade and port, where great restaurants and coffee bars, and also a few supermarkets await guests.

Vasiliki studios and apartments

These villages are also great for a stay if you would like to visit Egremni beach, Porto Katsiki or Gialos. Porto Katsiki beach can be accessed by cars literally from every villages of Lefkada Island, while boat excursions depart only from Nidri and from Vasiliki.

Photos and infos

• Known as: Paralia Porto Katsiki, Παραλία Πόρτο Κατσίκι
• Sea water color: blue, turquoise
• Sand type: pebbles, rocks, coarse sand
• Depth: deepens quickly
• Sea surface: moderate, waves can be
• Crowds: in summer months usually crowded
• Facilities: beach bars, paid parking lot, toilet
• Other Information: staying on this beach is only your own risk, due to the danger of falling stones
• Accessibility: by car and by daily boat trips, not recommended for disabled people

Why we like

Possible disadvantages

If you are looking for the best beaches of Greece, a visit to the amazing Porto Katsiki beach is a must – this travel destination is one of the biggest natural wonders in Lefkada Island!