Getting from Santorini to Lefkada

If you are heading to Lefkada from Santorini you are making the crossing from the Aegean to the Ionian and the island waiting for you is one of the most beautiful in Greece. Lefkada is connected to the mainland by a causeway and a floating bridge, which makes it unique among the Ionian islands, but once you are on it the connection to the mainland disappears completely. The west coast has some of the finest beaches in Europe, particularly Porto Katsiki and Egremni, sheer white limestone cliffs dropping to water of an almost impossible blue. The interior is mountainous and green. The town of Lefkada is a working island capital with an unusual style of architecture, the older buildings built partly from wood to withstand earthquakes. It is an island that rewards time.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry from Santorini to Lefkada. Lefkada has no main ferry port connecting it to the wider Greek ferry network. The island is accessible by road via its causeway from the mainland, or by ferry from Kefalonia, Ithaca and Meganisi in the high season. Getting there from Santorini means flying to Athens and then either driving the 5 hours northwest to Lefkada, or flying to Preveza and crossing to the island from there.

What about flying?

Lefkada has no airport. The nearest airport is Preveza, also known as Aktion Airport, around 20 kilometres from Lefkada Town. The journey from Santorini goes Santorini to Athens and then Athens to Preveza, with total travel time around 4 to 5 hours. Note that there are no domestic flights from Athens to Preveza, so the fastest option by air is to fly to Athens and drive, which takes around 5 hours, or to look for seasonal international connections directly to Preveza from abroad. Alternatively, fly to Athens and take the bus to Lefkada from the Kifissos terminal, which takes around 5 to 6 hours.

Your best option

Fly to Athens and rent a car for the drive northwest to Lefkada. The drive takes around 5 hours through Lamia and Agrinio and the final approach to the island across the causeway is a good one. If you do not want to drive, the KTEL bus from Athens to Lefkada is a comfortable and inexpensive alternative.