The most promoted boat excursion in Lefkada is undoubtedly the 7 Islands/Beaches Tour. You'll find it advertised at every stand, with Nydri Star and Makedonia Palace being the main competitors. We opted for the Makedonia Palace tour, and here’s the cost, schedule, and itinerary:
- Cost: 35 euros per person without lunch or 45 euros per person with lunch included
- Departure: 9:15 AM, Return: 6:30 PM
- Stops: Egremni Beach, Porto Katsiki Beach (viewed from the sea), Fiskardo village on Kefalonia Island, a wild beach on Ithaca Island, the Papa Nikolis Cave, and Skorpios Island Beach. Here are some details about each stop.
Detailed Breakdown of the 7 Islands Tour
The boat stops directly at Egremni Beach for about an hour. You can rent an umbrella for 5 euros from the boat, as there’s no shade on the beach except early in the morning until around 10-10:30 AM.
It’s worth knowing that Egremni is the only beach where you might need an umbrella; at the other stops, there’s no use for one. So, if you plan to spend more time in the water than on the beach during that hour, it’s not worth renting one.
At Porto Katsiki Beach, the boat doesn’t dock as port authorities don’t allow it (this restriction may not apply to smaller boats). The stop is about 300 meters from the beach, and you can get off the boat for a 15-minute swim in the sea. However, children are advised not to swim due to the distance to the beach and the depth of the water.
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The next stop is in the village of Fiskardo on Kefalonia Island. Here, you’re free to do as you please—have lunch at a restaurant, visit the tiny beach near the port, or simply take a stroll. When we arrived at lunchtime, all the tavernas were extremely crowded, but since we’d already had lunch on the boat, we enjoyed a swim and a walk instead.
In Ithaca, the boat stops at a wild beach, about 30 meters from shore. You can swim right by the boat or make the short swim to the beach. The stop here lasts about 25-30 minutes.
Next up is the Papa Nikolis Cave, where the boat stops right at the entrance. Since the boat is quite large, it can’t enter the cave, but if you take a smaller boat tour, you can snap photos and even swim inside the cave. The guide shares a bit of history, especially about the cave’s role in camouflaging submarines during World War II.
The final stop is at Skorpios Island Beach, another wild spot. The water here was full of vegetation but still crystal clear, as you’d expect in Lefkada. The boat docks directly on the beach for about 20 minutes, but the beach quickly becomes overcrowded with tourists disembarking.
Lunch on the boat costs 10 euros (either included in the ticket price or paid directly on board) and consists of two pork souvlaki skewers, bread, a bit of tzatziki, and a salad. Very tasty but probably not enough for those with bigger appetites. You can also buy drinks, cocktails, sandwiches, chips, and other snacks from the bar on board.
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If I were to choose again, I’d opt for a tour with fewer stops and maybe a smaller boat. The actual time spent on the beaches was relatively short considering the number of stops, and personally, I’d prefer 3-4 beaches with 2-hour stops at each.
P.S.: I don’t know the cost of this tour with Nydri Star, but it feels like it might be a bit more expensive. For example, the evening party on the boat costs 20 euros with Nydri Star compared to 10 euros with Makedonia Palace, though the quality of services might also differ.
White Party Excursion in Lefkada
Those who purchased tickets for the 7 Islands Tour with Makedonia Palace also received free access to the evening party on the same boat. Otherwise, entry costs 10 euros per person. The party is held on Thursdays and Sundays.
Here are some details about the experience:
- Dress code: White
- Duration: About 4 hours (from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM)
- Beach Stop: Around 10:30-11:00 PM, there’s a 30-minute stop at a sandy beach, with a fireworks show, and you can swim if you like.
- Consumption: Optional—cocktails cost about 10 euros, and water is 2 euros.
- Music: A mix for all tastes—I really enjoyed the overall vibe of the trip.
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What was also nice was that people spread out across the three levels of the boat. The upper deck was lively with dancing and fun like a club, the middle deck had a mix of club and relaxation vibes, and the lower deck was for those who just wanted to enjoy a quiet sea cruise with soft background music. Everyone could find their perfect spot, which I thought was great.
P.S.: There were also lots of kids on the boat, and there was even a covered play area for them.
The Undiscovered Islands of Kalamos and Kastos – Lefkada’s Wild Beach Tours
The third excursion we took was with Nikolaos Boat, as it followed a different route we hadn’t explored yet, which seemed interesting and promising. One advantage over the 7 Islands Tour was that the boat was smaller, with fewer people, and getting on and off the boat was much quicker and less crowded.
- Cost: 30 euros per person without lunch included
- Schedule: Departure at 9:15 AM, return at 5:30 PM
The first stop was the Papa Nikolis Cave, which we’d seen from the entrance on the previous excursion. This time, with a smaller boat, we could enter the cave instead of just admiring it from the edge.
Next, we made a much-needed stop for a swim and snorkeling near a tiny island called Formekula. Those who wanted could jump off the boat, as we didn’t dock at a beach here. I have to admit, the water and scenery were stunning, so the 30 minutes flew by without me even realizing it.
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For lunch, we stopped in a remote and seemingly timeless fishing village called Kastos. There are three restaurants close to each other, where everyone from the boat dispersed for a hearty meal. There’s also a small bar near the village’s tiny beach, so if you just want to relax with your feet in the water and a cold drink in hand, this is the perfect spot.
We chose Bellos Restaurant, where we enjoyed some delicious octopus (around 15 euros) and a Greek salad (about 8 euros).
We spent our siesta after lunch on a wild beach near Kastos, where we relaxed and cooled off in the crystal-clear sea. It was peaceful and just what we needed at that time of day.
The final stop of the excursion was on the pine-covered beach of Kalamos Island, called Asprogiali. A wild beach with a spectacular landscape thanks to the beautiful water and the huge trees that leaned over the sand. We spent about an hour here, and it was sensational.
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On the way back to Nydri port, we passed by the islands of Skorpios, Scorpidi, Sparti, and Madouri, but didn’t stop at any of them.
For us, these boat trips were a great way to visit wild beaches and islands that are hard or impossible to reach by car, a cool opportunity to relax at sea and avoid the heat on land, and of course, a chance to escape the stress of driving for two days.
I recommend combining exploring the island on your own with some boat excursions in Lefkada, as there are plenty to choose from. I’d focus on visiting the most important and beautiful beaches of the island at a leisurely pace to enjoy them as much as possible. A good option for this is the Swimming in Deep Blue excursion, which focuses specifically on the most famous beaches: Egremni, Porto Katsiki, and Agiofili.
