Lefkada has a good bus service that will help you discover the island and its beach resorts, and connect it to other destinations on the mainland.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting around Lefkada by bus.
The buses are coaches run by a regional umbrella company called KTEL Lefkada. It uses coaches to serve Lefkada and the surrounding area, including the nearby airport at Preveza-Aktion.
You can find timetables online at the KTEL Lefkada website.
During the summer season, schedules are updated frequently, often weekly. Timetables are usually uploaded to the website but you won’t find them in advance.
Local Routes
The main local routes are:
- Lefkada Town – Preveza-Aktion airport – Preveza
- Lefkada Town – Lygia – Nikiana – Nydri
- Lefkada Town – Vasiliki
- Lefkada Town – Agios Nikitas (sometimes on to Kathisma)
- Lefkada Town – Kastro – Gyra Beach
- Lefkada Town – Vlycho
- Lefkada Town – Karia
- Lefkada Town – Kalamitsi
- Lefkada Town – Eglouvi
- Lefkada Town – Poros – Katochori
- Lefkada Town – Syvota
- Lefkada Town – Fterno – Vournika – Syvros
As a tourist, the main routes you’ll likely use are those between Lefkada Town, Nydri, Vasiliki, and Agios Nikitas. The rest are small inland villages with sparse frequency and often very early in the morning.
You’ll often see and hear Lefkada Town referred to simply as ‘Lefkada’.
There are numerous bus stops along the routes which aren’t listed on the timetables but the driver will stop if you use the button or ask the conductor when you get on.
Long Distance Routes
There are direct buses from Lefkada Town to Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras.
If you’re thinking of travelling from Lefkada to Parga you can change at Preveza – for more information read: How to Get To Parga From Preveza Airport By Bus
From nearby Preveza, you can also travel to Ioannina and Igoumenitsa.
Read more: 10 Most Beautiful Beaches on Lefkada
Tickets
You can buy a ticket from the driver or a conductor on the bus, or at the kiosk or ticket office at larger stops. Change is given. You can pay by card at the ticket offices.
Most short routes are between €1.60-3.40 for a single trip. Lefkada Town – Preveza Airport is €3.
Bus Station
The main KTEL bus terminal in Lefkada Town is located on the outskirts of town(pictured above), a 10-15 minute walk from the nearest part of the harbour. It’s a large covered station with docks for around 10 coaches and facilities such as indoor seating, A/C, a cafe, toilets, and an ATM.
But there’s another main stop near the harbour that all buses in and out of Lefkada Town will stop at – the Lefkada Marina bus stop (pictured below). So there’s no reason to head all the way to the main terminal if it’s inconvenient for you.
The Marina bus stop has a small shelter and a ticket kiosk that will open shortly before each arrival is due. Timetables are pinned up to the shelter. It’s next to a big car park and taxi rank and there are numerous cafes and restaurants along the waterfront.
The bus stops in other locations are small unmanned shelters or signs with the exception of Nydri which does have a ticket kiosk and island-wide timetables. The relevant timetable will be pinned up but not timetables for other routes.
Visiting Lefkada’s Popular Beaches
The bus routes in Lefkada connect Lefkada Town with its smaller villages. They’re mostly designed for local use and are of limited use for tourists wanting to discover the blockbuster cliff beaches on the island’s west coast which are one of the island’s main attractions.
But there are a few you can visit in combination with boats. Here are the easiest of the big beaches to visit without a car:
- The Lefkada Town – Agias Nikitas bus sometimes continues on to Kathisma Beach (and sometimes in summer it starts at Nydri)
- From Agios Nikitas you can hike or take the water taxi to Milos Beach
- Nydri excursion boat to Porto Katsiki, Egremni, and Agiofili
- Nydri Seven Islands excursion which includes Porto Katsiki and Egremni
- From Vasiliki, there are excursion boats to Porto Katsiki and Egremni, as well as a water taxi to Agiofili
- From some of the smaller beach resorts you might be able to arrange a transfer to Nydri or Vasiliki for one of the excursion boats when booking through a local travel agency
Ferries
There are ferries from Nydri to the nearby island of Meganisi, several per day.
There are ferries from Vasiliki to Fiskardo on Kefalonia, several per day.
There are no ferries from Lefkada to Kalamos or Kastos, these routes are served by Mytikas on the mainland.
For more information see: The Ionians Islands – A Travel Guide
Preveza Airport
The main airport for getting to Lefkada is Preveza-Aktion International Airport which is not on the island but instead a short distance away (a 30-minute drive) on the mainland. Lefkada is connected to the mainland by a causeway so no ferry is required to travel between the two.
There is a bus that runs from the city of Preveza to Lefkada Town via the airport. Unfortunately, it’s not as frequent as you might imagine and doesn’t necessarily coincide with flight arrivals. The bus station is not signposted within the airport so is easily missed – for full details see: How to Get from Preveza Airport to Lefkada (and Vice Versa)
Read more about Lefkada:
Where to Stay on Lefkada: Ultimate Beach Resort Guide
10 Most Beautiful Beaches on Lefkada
Image credits: All images © The Mediterranean Traveller