We spend quite some time at the island of Lefkas, because there is so much to see! After exploring the islands of Paxos and Antipaxos, we sailed into the direction of Lefkas (in Greec: Lefkada) and in this blog we will describe the 10 highlights of visiting this area!
1. Preveza
We arrived in the town of Preveza and realised that we had not been in a harbour since our arrival in Greece, the crossing to Corfu! This was our new record, 21 days of being self-sufficient on our floating holiday island with electricity via the solar panels and water via the water maker.
In the autumn there are more clouds and the sun shines less long and powerfully, so we wanted to go to a harbour again to refuel. And it is also nice that you can just step off your boat onto the shore, instead of having to activate the small boat (dinghy) with bike and scooter.
Preveza is a pleasant town, where the harbour is actually 1 long quay, where all the boats park backwards and where the locals and tourists stroll along, especially on Sunday evenings, and where there are many nice taverns to eat and drink something.
We also realised that we had not refuelled since Montenegro in July. We were able to sail a lot, but also on the engine, because of the stable weather and therefore little wind. We read on the Navily app that you had a favorable rate for refueling here and that a small tanker can come by in the morning on request. Before we could call this person to ask if it was possible for us to be refueled, the tanker stopped at our place! Quick and friendly help.
We also often use the time in the harbour for 3 other things: stocking up on the supermarket, washing the boat and doing minor maintenance/upgrades/repairs.
In this case, 2 old fenders had given up, our boat has been active for 5 years now and the fenders have had to endure regularly, for example being pressed against the quay in strong winds. Some quays have sharp points, due to unevenness in the coarse concrete or cobblestones, and apparently these 2 fenders could not have survived any longer. At the end of the long quay, there was a nice sailing shop and we bought 2 long fenders that matched our own fenders. But how do you take them with you? Just in your backpack and on the front of your scooter. Gilles got many friendly smiles on the way from people who saw him driving with his load.
When we ‘joined’ the line of strollers along the quay on Sunday evening, we passed the nice eateries and 1 ice cream shop caught our attention. Because we saw the word ‘rolled ice cream’ again. We had seen that in Albania and we didn’t really know what it was. So we ordered one.
Rolled ice cream, also known as “Thai rolled ice cream” or “stir-fried ice cream,” is a special way to make and serve ice cream. It is also a visual spectacle, because it is prepared before your eyes. The popularity of rolled ice cream has increased enormously worldwide in recent years. The ice-cold plate: The process starts with a very cold metal plate, which has been cooled to about -20°C. A liquid ice cream base is poured onto the plate, we chose vanilla ice cream. Then we could choose fruit, cookies, chocolate. These are mixed directly into the ice cream base, using spatulas, with which the ingredients are chopped finely and evenly distributed through the ice cream base. Spreading thinly: Once the mix is well mixed, it is spread thinly over the cold plate, which causes it to freeze quickly.
When the ice cream is frozen, it is scraped into small rolls with a spatula. These rolls are then placed upright in a cup. The ice cream tasted great because it is freshly made, it has a slightly firmer texture than traditional scoop ice cream, but it remains creamy and melts in your mouth.
2. Menidi
We were thinking about what would be a nice way to continue getting to know Lefkas and our eyes fell on an inland lake above Preveza. When it was also mentioned that nearby were Roman ruins that commemorated the battle of Actium where Cleopatra and Mark Antony were defeated by Octavian in 31 BC, we decided to sail there.
After the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, Rome was divided between the supporters of Octavian (the later Emperor Augustus) and Mark Antony, who had formed a political and romantic alliance with Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt.
This alliance caused tensions in Rome, where many people accused Mark Antony of treason and of favoring Egypt over the Roman Empire.
Octavian used propaganda to portray Mark Antony and Cleopatra as a threat to Rome. He claimed that Cleopatra wanted to rule Rome and that Antony had given up his loyalty to Rome by his relationship with her.
The battle took place in the waters of Actium, a strategic location at the entrance to the Ambracian Gulf in present-day Greece. During the battle, Antony and Cleopatra’s fleet fell into chaos. Cleopatra decided to retreat to Egypt and Antony followed her, demoralizing his army, which surrendered shortly after. Antony and Cleopatra both committed suicide in 30 BC, Antony falling on his sword, and Cleopatra, according to tradition, being bitten by a poisonous snake (an asp). Octavian became the undisputed ruler of the Roman Empire. In 27 BC, he was given the title of Augustus, making him the first emperor of Rome. The Battle of Actium marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.
I always find it interesting and good to know the history of an area. Now sailing over the quiet inland lake, you obviously don’t notice anything of the Roman rule of 2000 years ago. We now enjoyed the beautiful mountains that surrounded the Gulf and saw nice villages, the shores are lush with pine and olive trees.
At the town of Menidi, all the way on the east side of the Gulf, we were lucky that we had set the anchor alarm, because we noticed that the wind was picking up and that dark clouds were approaching. The boat was being tossed back and forth quite a bit at the anchor.
And quite a few flashes of light passed by. Now it is never so nice to be (the only!) ship with a 22-meter mast in the middle of a heavy thunderstorm. But it went well and the sky certainly looked spectacular.
The next day, as if nothing had happened, fine sunshine and we sailed on again.
3. Ambracische Golf
In the harbour of Preveza, where we stayed for 3 days, were our neighbours Natalie and Maarten. We had bought an Apreamare in the South of France and their dream was to sail in Greece and that is what they were doing when we met them! They also went out on the Gulf and we kept in touch and had a nice meal together.
They had been given a canoe with the boat, but they actually found it in the way and they never used it. We got it as a gift, we were very happy with that!
There is also a lot of biodiversity here, when we as two boats anchored close to the south border of the bay. We saw dolphins, turtles and mantas, for example, it was impressive how they moved in the water! They are also called “devil rays”. This name is derived from their wing-like fins and the “horns” near their heads (the cephalic fins), which can give them a devilish appearance. In English they are often called “devil rays”. Despite this name, mantas are absolutely harmless and completely peaceful. They are plankton eaters and use their wide mouth and cephalic fins to lead water with plankton in. The almost dancing movements of mantas make it seem as if they are floating or flying through the water, which gives them a special place in the underwater world. Did you know that mantas are also very intelligent and are one of the few marine animals that can probably recognize themselves in a mirror?
When we wanted to leave the next day, we found a nice note from Maarten and Natalie, we were not on board for a while and they continued sailing. A nice satay sauce and a big cigar were a nice souvenir and we hope to stay in touch with them here in Greece.
4. Lefkada
We slowly descended to the main island of Lefkas, where the ‘entrance’ is in the north via the capital of the island, called Lefkada. The trip goes through the Lefkas channel and requires some planning. The start of the channel is a floating bridge, it is not a traditional bridge, but a floating construction that turns horizontally to the side to let boats through. This mechanism is unique and makes the bridge an interesting sight.
The bridge opens several times a day according to a strict schedule. We count on waiting 1 to 2 hours in front of the bridge, at anchor or at the quay there. We did not expect to be close to the opening, 10 minutes away, so we put on an engine and were just able to join the last boats!
After the bridge you sail into the Lefkas channel, a narrow but well-marked route of about 4.5 kilometers long. The channel is deep enough for most sailing boats, but it is important to stay within the marked channel, as there are shallows at the edges. On both sides of the channel you could see saltwater lagoons, reed beds and sometimes small fishing boats. This area is an important nature reserve and often attracts birds such as herons and pelicans. We found the interior surprisingly green.
5. Nidri
We got the tip from sailors Rob and Brigitte, who helped us sail from Les Sables d’Olonne to Stavoren in June 2019, that we absolutely had to visit the Nidri bay once we had passed through the Lefkas Channel. They had been here with their boat for 2 years and knew all of Lefkas well!
And they had not exaggerated, because Nidri turned out to be a perfect natural bay with an almost 360 degree enclosed area. It is a popular sailing destination and also has a wide range of taverns and shops.
In the evening you could see the stars very well above the bay. It was busy with boats, so when we went out for dinner in a tavern, it was nice to be able to quickly find our boat again via the LED lights that we installed on the outside of the boat 😉
In the town of Nidri we saw a sign with ‘Nidri waterfalls’. That sounds good, I must say. We cycled there, it was 5 km cycling and we cycled next to a dried up stream that got better and better, but remained dry. ‘I have a feeling’, says Gilles, ‘that because of the dry summer there is no waterfall to be seen, because there is not enough water’. And that was true, the families who parked their cars at the foot of the waterfall and had picnic baskets, blankets and swimming suits with them, dripped off again. No waterfall. But a beautiful rock formation to climb over.
We had tipped Maarten and Natalie about the beautiful Nidribaai and they came here too. We had a nice meal together in the restaurant where the owner Spiros was crazy about music (his restaurant is called Mamma Mia), had a small orchestra and walked through the restaurant and played music himself.
He asked the audience to dance along, we certainly wanted to do that, we tried an attempt at sirtaki dancing. Especially when the ‘Oppa’ sounded and a plate was thrown on the floor, the party started! And yes, well, the pieces have to be swept up again 😉.
I found out that ‘Oppa’ has a more specific origin and meaning than just a celebratory act. Traditionally, throwing plates is an expression of joy and letting go of negative energy. It symbolizes new beginnings, happiness, and celebrating the moment. In the past, it was often done during weddings and other important celebrations, as a way to ward off evil and bring good luck. The use of breakable items, such as ceramic plates, had a practical side: they were cheap and easy to get. By breaking them, people symbolically showed that they were not attached to material things and that celebrating life was more important. Nowadays, throwing plates has been replaced in many cases by throwing flowers, because throwing plates can be dangerous. It was even partially banned in nightclubs and restaurants in the 1960s and 70s due to safety and hygiene issues.
We liked the plate throwing however 😉. And after a great night out, we went back to our ships again.
6. Skorpios
As we sailed out of Nidri Bay, we saw the small island of Skorpios (in English: Scorpio). This is one of the most famous private islands in the world, because it was bought by Onassis in 1963, who transformed it from a virtually deserted place into a luxurious retreat.
He built villas, swimming pools and a private quay. The island also had a private chapel and several gardens, making it an exclusive location for Onassis’ guests, who included celebrities, politicians and artists. Skorpios became a place for lavish parties and exclusive gatherings.
The island is also famous for the fact that Onassis married Jackie Kennedy there in 1968, who also liked to stay there. Onassis first met Jackie in the 1950s, but their bond only strengthened after the tragic death of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. Onassis offered her and her children a haven on his yacht, the Christina O, where she could find peace and privacy from the public pressure in the US.
Jackie was a frequent visitor to Skorpios. Onassis died in 1975, just seven years after their marriage. Jackie inherited part of his fortune, but never returned to Skorpios.
The island remained in the Onassis family until it was leased to a Russian billionaire family in 2013.
We went to the southern part where the most visible and well-known building is located: a beach house that Onassis had built for Jackie, who loved to swim. The house is clearly visible and the new Russian owners also allow swimming.
7. Meganisi
An island below Skorpios is Meganisi. This is a completely different island: with high rocks and the island is known for its sea caves.
First we went to the north side, where we noticed that the deep bays had excellent quiet anchorages.
Gilles went to try whether the fish would bite here too. But that didn’t happen.
Another bay was also very sheltered and quiet.
As we sailed further to the southern point, the landscape became increasingly rough and we came across the famous sea caves. Like the impressive Papanikolis cave here, where according to the stories a submarine was sheltered during the Second World War.
Around the corner was a nice bay where the high rocks offered protection. It was a fairly narrow bay, so to ensure that we were stable, we used the dinghy to stretch a line to the rock face. In this way the catamaran remained stable at the anchor in front and the line behind.
In the evening it became pitch black, so we turned on our LED lights (next to the anchor light) to be visible in case a fishing boat entered this bay.
8. Sivota
The Sivota bay on the south side of Lefkas is one of our favorite bays! It is enclosed, surrounded by greenery (pine trees and olive trees) and the waterfront is dotted with cozy restaurants and boutiques.
We also met Jose and Swen from Amsterdam here. In June 2024 they came to Croatia to sail with us for a week. They also want to buy a catamaran and see if they like this lifestyle and sailing. We have always kept in touch and we had indicated that a good next step would be to rent a catamaran ourselves. They were so enthusiastic that they rented a Lagoon42 this (late) year to experience it themselves. And that turned out to be in Greece or Lefkas, so we could make a good appointment.
Now they had brought their 2 sons Jari and Michon and Jari’s girlfriend, Danique. The start was really funny, because they had found our mooring in Sivota bay via Marine Traffic and sent their drone there, so Jose called me: look up.
They picked up their Lagoon42 from the charter company. It was a fun week in which we went out together to discover the south side of Lefkas.
We visited nice restaurants (favorite was Pita Gyros!).
And we were lucky with the sunny weather and also good sailing weather.
9. Vasiliki
We headed to the southwestern tip of Lefkas, Vasiliki, which is a well-known hotspot for windsurfers thanks to the constant wind in the bay. Jose and Swen’s 2 sons are sporty and had brought their kitesurfing boards with them.
We found it to be a surprisingly beautiful bay and certainly with the drone images when you see the 2 catamarans together and the surroundings with the green hills around them, a picturesque picture.
One of the favorite moments when you have dropped anchor is a joint anchor beer and chat about the sailing day.
In the evening we also often cooked and ate on 1 of the 2 boats, we always like to have a BBQ on board!
For sailors, the village offers a lively atmosphere, with a mix of water sports enthusiasts and tourists. The beaches in the area are beautiful and ideal for swimming. In the village itself you will find traditional taverns and small shops. The contrast between the quiet mornings and the energetic afternoons on the water makes Vasiliki unique.
10. Atokos
The highlight of our sailing trip together was to visit the southernmost islet, in the east of Lefkas, called Atokos. This is an uninhabited island, where on the east coast is the famous Wild Pig Beach.
We sailed there with our dinghy and looked at the pigs that walked on the beach here.
The pigs are wild or semi-wild pigs, probably descendants of animals that were once left on the island by humans. This happens more often on uninhabited islands, where pigs are introduced for food purposes or accidentally stranded by ship voyages. Atokos has been uninhabited for a long time, but in the past it was occasionally visited by shepherds or hunters. The pigs may have come from these.
They eat a wide range of plants, seeds, roots and nuts that occur in nature. On Atokos vegetation is sparse, but pigs can eat dried grass and branches. Marine life can also be a source of food; some pigs eat washed-up seaweed or small crustaceans.
Although pigs are technically wild, they often exhibit semi-tame behaviors when they come into contact with people. Their behavior depends on how much interaction they have had with visitors. They can tolerate human contact, but often remain wary. Some pigs are curious and dare to approach, especially if they smell food!
