Porto Katsiki and Egremni: By Boat or by Car?
Updated October 22, 2026 · 5 min read
You can reach both beaches without a boat, so the choice is about how you want to spend the day. By car you set your own hours and can stay as long as you like, but you pay for parking and walk down steps. By boat you skip the road and see the cliffs from the water, but your time on each beach is fixed. The group boat from Nydri that concentrates on these beaches, the Porto Katsiki, Egremni and Agiofilli cruise, costs from €44 but has only 3.4 stars from 29 reviews. Read on before you book it.
| Option | Time | Cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hire car | your own schedule | rental plus parking | early or late visits, several beaches in a day |
| Porto Katsiki and Egremni group boat | 7.5 hours | from €44 | no driving, a swim at both |
| Porto Katsiki, Kefalonia and Ithaka cruise | 9 hours | from €40 | the beaches plus Fiskardo and Ithaka |
| Private round-the-island cruise | 8.5 hours | from €1,140 per group | a group that wants its own boat and pace |
What the road gives you
According to the local tourist guide nikana.gr, both beaches are about 40 km from Lefkada Town. Porto Katsiki is 15 km from Vasiliki and Egremni 20 km. The guide does not give drive times, and the western road is narrow and winding, so plan generously rather than counting kilometres.
At Porto Katsiki there are several parking spaces next to the beach; the guide lists €10 for a day for a car. A flight of steps leads down to the sand (that guide says about 50, other sources say 80). Canteens, toilets and showers are up by the parking and the bars.
Egremni needs more effort. The 2015 earthquake destroyed the road to the clifftop and the long stairway down. The guide now reports the stairs back in operation after reconstruction, with a walk of about 1 km from the parking area to the top of them and about 400 steps down. It lists one café up the stairs with the only toilet, a limited number of umbrellas, no showers or cabins, and a €10 daily parking fee. It also warns of constant and sometimes very powerful waves, up to 3 m, and no lifeguards. These are that guide’s descriptions; conditions on the stairs can change, so ask locally before you set out with children or poor knees.
What the boat gives you
The group boat spends two hours at Egremni, one hour swimming at Porto Katsiki, then an afternoon swim at Agiofilli, according to the booking page. It leaves from Nydri, so there is no mountain road. Up to 100 people can be on board, and the page says the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.
One claim on that listing does not hold: it says the three beaches cannot be reached by car. Porto Katsiki and Egremni can, by that guide’s own account above. The boat’s real advantage is no driving and the view of the cliffs from below. Reviewers rate it lower for the guide (3.8) and value for money (3.8) than for transport (4.3), so expect a functional ride rather than a polished tour.
Check dates and the meeting point for the group boat
If you also want Fiskardo and Ithaka, the 9-hour cruise covers both beaches and rates 4.0 from 204 reviews; the comparison is in Nydri to Kefalonia, Ithaka and Porto Katsiki by boat.
When to choose the car, and when not to
Choose the car if you want to arrive early or late, swim for as long as you like, or visit several beaches on one day. Compare rental cars in Lefkada before you travel, and read the excess and deposit terms on the offer page rather than assuming them. Choose a boat if you do not want to drive a winding road, if the group includes someone who would struggle with the steps, or if you like being on the water more than on sand.
Rough sea is the one thing neither option controls. The guide describes constant, sometimes very powerful waves at Egremni, and it is worth looking at the sea state on the day before you commit to the stairs. For a boat, read the cancellation terms on the booking page.
Our recommendation
For one or two beach days and confident driving, take the car. For a day without driving, the 9-hour cruise is better rated than the dedicated beach boat and costs less. Book the beach-only group boat only if its 7.5-hour length and two-hour Egremni stop are exactly what you want. More boat options are listed under boat trips on Lefkada.
