Lefkas - General Info
Where is Lefkas?
The green and mountainous island of Lefkas is also known as Nisos Levkas and Levkada is off the west coast of Greece and is the fourth largest of the Ionian Islands.
The town of Lefkas is at the northern end of the island, from where a bridge connects the island to the mainland. It is a growing charter base with companies overflowing the available berthing capacity, so space here is restricted and unlikely to improve. It is a popular port in which to spend the winter months, either in our out of the water.
There are also a number of other beautiful ports and anchorages around the island, including Nikiana, Nidri, Vliho, Sivota and Vasiliki. See docking for details.
Entrance Notes and Cautions for Lefkas:
- The Lefkas Canal separates the island of Lefkas from the mainland and is situated next to Lefkas town in the north of the island. There is a floating swing bridge for road traffic that has specific opening times. The channel can get very congested prior to opening times and in the afternoon a strong westerly wind can pick up, so proceed with caution when approaching the bridge. See docking for details.
- At the northern entrance of the Canal there is approximately six meters/19.6 ft of depth.
- Take particular note of the buoys marking the channel as you are sure to go aground if you stray outside these limits.
- Take great care when anchoring off Lefkas town, as there are lots of very large chains and other rubbish on the bottom. Anchors regularly get caught.
- Vasiliki harbour is liable to silting, so take care with depths. There is always a strong katabatic wind in the afternoons in this port.
Position:
38°49.8’ N, 20°42.8’ E (Lefkas marina)
Links:
Information pack for sailors about sailing sustainably in the Ionian, in particular avoidance of anchoring damage to seagrass beds, by the Ionian Environment Foundation.
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Moving from opening on the hour to these set times is going to create for some interesting mishaps in the channel, especially in the afternoon when there tends to be strong westerly winds. As it was the boats tended to back up during peak season, now there is going to be three to four times more traffic with the reduction in opening slots.
Re anchoring in Lefkas port, be careful as there are lots of very large chains and other rubbish on the bottom. We have caught a large chain and seen many boats get caught on stuff.
The water and electricity operates in cards, not coins, that you buy from the kiosk (same lady who will charge you for the night). Unfortunately all regions have their own cards so the one you buy for Lefkas won’t work in Preveza or Corfu for example. They are between €10 and €12 for a card that gives access at the terminals to water and electricity.
As for getting a berth on the town quay in Lefkas, next to impossible with all the charter boats taking over. They really should be moved to the private marina.
The Regional Authority of Lefkas have changed the opening hours of the Lefkas swing bridge. The new opening hours (as of 1/8/2024) are:
1st of June to 15th of September, 2024
0800-1000-1400-1700-1900-2100-2200
16th of September 2024 to 31st of May 2025
0800-1000-1200-1400-1600-1800-2000
Our thanks to Lefkas Marina for sharing this update.
In Sivota, Lefkas, there are concrete blocks in the water that as yet do not have buoys attached to them. Situated directly opposite the Family Cafe on the quay side. Yacht take care.
Lefkas Town Quary – 24 June 2021
The East part of the quay is public quay, with some water & electric towers.
The West part of the quay is now taken up by 4 new private potoons owned by charter companies. Berthing on the pontoons is permitted Monday – Friday (leave by 9am Friday) but not weekends, if there is space available and fleet boats are not expected back in. Stern to with lazy lines.
There is no water or electric available to visitors on the new pontoons except by running very long cables/ hoses to the old towers on the quayside.
Lefkas Port Fund collects berthing fees, including on the new pontoons, and can sell prepaid cards for the towers on the quary. Wait for a visit in the evening or go to the information kiosk on the green near the boat cafe.
Lefkas Marina refused a short stay for taking on water, even with offer of payment.
Vasiliki
The unmanaged/unfinished marina can be used by visiting boats.
The Northern quay pedestals work (electricity & water cards available from Yacht Bar opposite the root of the quay). Usually anchor berth with stern to the quay (no mooring lines).
The pedestals on the quay next to Miramare restaurant does not work. Here it is advised to moor alongside, as it was reportedto me that a mooring chain is already laid parellel to the quay, waiting to snag anchors.
Be careful of a guy, most probably an employee of the a.m. Yacht Bar, that haunts these quays, and tries to collect mooring fees from visiting vessels,claimimg to represent the municipality, and if pressed, changing story and saying that the payment is for his help taking shore lines (our June 2021 experience).
Thanks Mark for all the useful updates.
Commendation for Ionian Boat Assistance (IBA) in Nydri, Lefkas.
I used this company in July/August 2019 to overhaul a Yanmar engine which had been badly neglected, in order that I could sail my recently-purchased 70-year old wooden classic back from Greece to her new home in Majorca. IBA’s service via Jaki Daniels, Maintenance Administrator, was excellent, the work meant the engine (used heavily during the trip) worked perfectly, communication with me back in the UK was prompt and regular, and the company went out of it’s way to respond to the challenge of getting the engine and systems ready for the trip. Highly recommended.
Hi,
It seems that this comment might be in the wrong place.. it is tagged just below the Vliho Yacht Club which is nothing like this!
svroundabout are talking about Lefkas Marina – they just waited until a few paragraphs down to mention who they were posting about.
Zero stars, if it was an option. Extremely poor customer service. The staff is rude and kept this attitude towards the many customers I observed.
They damaged 34 boats in this past month (damaged keels among other issues), including our boat, and three others next to us. 34 damaged boats, as stated by one of the boatyard repair staff yesterday! The yard manager was not going to fix any damage until we requested him to.
The haulout charge is 475 euros to lift, 175 to prop the boat, and 475 to relaunch. Go to one of the 3 boat yards nearby in Preveza, much less expensive and better service!
It is very expensive to stay in a berth here, 100 per night for a 14m catamaran. You can anchor for free outside the marina or is is a few euros to tie up to the town quay.
Other boats who were quoted to winter here found much better prices in Preveza and in Argostoli there is a FREE marina!
Stay far away from Lefkas marina. Also, do not send packages/mail here. They will refuse any deliveries if you are not paying to stay there. No free WiFi, or restrooms/showers.
You have to pay and any money not used up is not refunded. Do not support these awful business practices and instead patronize another business that has better service. This staff clearly would benefit from customer service training.
Lefkas Marina very expensive, compared with any other Greek marina, even private. Also, the internal supermarket reports prices almost double of street prices elsewhere, maybe aligned with marina price level?
We spent a week here in mid-May, Monday to Saturday for repairs. Lefkas is a growing Charter base with companies overflowing the available berthing capacity, so space here is restricted and unlikely to improve.
The marina is still expensive, as noted elsewhere, and we took no interest in it. Our Pilot Book (Greek Waters Pilot – Heikell R&L) mentions being able to anchor between the southern part of the town quay and the northern marina berths.
This can be done but when crowded there is little room to swing and the holding is uncertain on regularly ploughed mud. It doesn’t mention the area between the northern end of the Town Quay and the fairway and we saw a couple of yachts anchor here overnight without being challenged.
The Town Quay east of the wooden Café boat is for Charter Boats only and they can legitimately ask you to move. West of that is public and the Harbour Master will charge for use. Usual Greek harbour fees.
Unfortunately, this quay has become crowded with Charter Boats and this early in the season many are not chartered so reducing available space, perhaps things improve in the season. There are a few water points on the Quay, some coin-operated, although even the HM doesn’t know if they work.
There are taps on the quay edge, just follow the hoses from the charter boats! No electricity. Fuel is available by mini tanker. WiFi can be picked up from local tavernas. A note of caution about the area the pilot Book refers to the ‘west side of the canal just above the road bridge’.
Effectively the causeway from town to the swing bridge. This is also public property although the Harbour Master doesn’t walk that far to collect dues. However; a local charter company has appropriated this space and drilled its own eye bolt and mooring rings into the edge of the causeway.
Midweek, when you’d like to think the Charter Boats would be out it, is possible to tie back here, but come Thursday the Charter Company concerned starts making it very clear indeed that you are not welcome.
Their position, robustly stated, is that the causeway is Public but the mooring rings are not. It was even suggested that they would remove their rings if we didn’t go. An interesting legal and practical proposition.
Happily, on Thursday some space became free on the real Town Quay and we didn’t have to see how that would pan out. On a final note of good news, I was expecting to pay to renew our DEPKA but the Port Police did it for free and there was not even a mention of a Cruising Tax.
The marina in Lefkas is much more expensive (for a 42 Feet – about 60 EU per day) then the municipal marina. I have been in the municipal marina for a month and it was great.
No showers or any other facilities, but it cost only 2 EU per day. you can take a really nice hotel in 50 EU
Hi, fair points, of course 150% is 50% extra. As you say, many places in the med do charge extra for catamarans regardless of their beam or area. As to the 25% winter discount, I was told this doesn’t apply to catamarans (probably since you don’t charge extra, to begin with).
You are right the showers are cheap, but it’s not something I’ve never come across before throughout Spain or Italy, it is something cruisers will be keen to know. It avoids a surprise on arrival, just as they would the berth prices (which are listed online), and water, electricity, and wifi prices.
Very interesting point about Greek Law and marinas being open to the public. Definitely did not know that. The side gate is now closed so anyone coming and going does have to pass the security booth which is good.
When I asked in the office, I was told there were no laundry facilities in town. It turns out there (as you say), just not self-service. There is a good one very close by that I like.
All the best.
Response from the Manager of Marina Lefkas:
Marina Lefkas since 2011 does not charge any extra amount on mooring fees for catamarans. We are the only marina since then in Greece (and most likely one of the few in the Med) that is cat-friendly (no surcharge at all). All catamarans regardless of width are counted and charged as a monohull.
The company decided that as of 01/01/2018 transit catamarans will be charged an extra 50% and not 150%. This change DOES NOT concern catamarans with annual contracts which continue to enjoy the cat-friendly character of the marina.
There are many laundry facilities nearby the marina, except the one on site. Customers must drop their laundry and pick it up. Nowhere in the city of Lefkada, there is a coin-operated launderette.
Showers are charged with an extremely low fee only to transit boats since 2007. For the yearly contracted customers, they are free of charge. I assume that there are many marinas doing the same all over Europe.
All marinas in Greece, although operated by private companies, are considered according to Greek Law as public areas, open to visitors. The marina is manned with security 24 hours all year around and surveillance by a modern CCTV system.
Up to date since 2001, that we started the operation, we never had broken in incident or serious theft. The marina is overwhelmed with demand for berthing and we are fully booked even over the winter period.
Our policy does not separate our clients to charter or private. It’s true chartered boats have been increased in the area attracted by the unique sea environment of the Ionian sea.
And last our drydocking area is small for the demand for dry docking yachts and it is normal to keep a priority on the submitted requests. At the same time, we try hard to help as many boats as we can providing space on the hard even for a limited time.
Please also consider that Lefkas marina during the winter period provides a 25% discount on the mooring fees (which are almost half of the summer season) increasing thus the traffic and consequently the demand for stay on the hard.
Spiros Dallos
Manager
Lefkas Marina will start charging 150% for catamarans from next year regardless of their beam. There aa few catalacs and other narrow beam catamarans here, so I can’t seem them sticking around.
There is a laundrette on site in the marina but it is €10 per wash (and there isn’t one in town). Showers are also charged for (first time I’ve ever seen that), and there is no security i.e.
The marina is open for the public to walk around so don’t forget to lock your boat up. Staff in the office are very helpful, and there is a good liveaboard community, but the marina being over-run with charter boats.
Lacks any real atmosphere or sense of community. If you need time on the hard be sure to book well in advance. I arrived in October was told there is no space on the hard for the next 6 months.
Diesel is cheaper at the two stations on the way to Lidl, but of course you only get there by walking or car, so not much good for filling your boat. The guy at the fuel dock is very good though and friendly, but yes if you are going to be filling up 300l it does cost a bit more.
Diesel at Lefkas Marina is currently 1.49 euro/litre. This is the highest seen all summer in the Ionian.
Lefkas Town Quay
There is now a harbour master in charge, collecting fees every day. Boats have to pay the standard Greek harbour dues.
For our 14 meters, it was 8.16 Euros a day.
Drinking water is available at the quay after payment in a machine. There is NO electricity.
While Paleros YS may be good for help with work while you are there, we would not recommend signing up for their “maintenance programme”. They will “check your mooring and stern lines”, but do absolutely nothing to fix an issue.
Our lines were seriously chafed when we got back to the boat after an emergency 6-week trip back to the US. They also did not adjust our lines to prevent the boat next to us from rubbing up against our hull.
They also do not provide local 24-hour support – it is strictly 9-5. After hours the phone is answered by a woman who was incredibly rude to us. When we got back to the boat earlier than expected.
The same woman shouted down the phone at me for 5 minutes about how there was no one within 6 hours of the boats who could return the boat keys. Based on how we were treated by this one woman, I would not recommend Paleros Yacht Service.
Recently arrived Lefkas and had the first 500-hour service carried out on my two Yanmar 3JH5E (39hp) engines, had also reported clutch problem with STB SD60 unit.
Sail drive seals were replaced and 400 S2 returned to water. The next day the clutch was dis-assembled, however, too much movement was found in vertical shaft.
I had to wait for approval from Yanmar for the warranty work to be done, and through Lagoon, Yanmar confirmed that they would pay the haul out charges as a gesture of goodwill.
The Catamaran was hauled out a second time and all the work was completed expediently. Contract Yacht Services were very helpful in these matters.
They were very flexible and their charges were reasonable for non-warranty work. I would recommend them, their service charge was considerably less than the 250-hour service carried out in Spain in 2015.
Lefkas Floating Swing Bridge
Latest Situation 26 July, 2016
For the period from 01/08/2016 to 30/09/2016 the swing bridge WILL NOT OPEN for yachts at 13.00 and 15.00 hrs.
The remaining schedule remains as is it (on the hour, every hour).
Spiros Dallos
Manager Marina Lefkas
Posted on behalf of Tony Olin:
Our yacht, SY DeDanann had masts stepped, repainted and new standing rigging in Lefkas. This work was very satisfactorily carried out by Waypoint, Lefkas, good service, good price.
We also had mechanical works carried out by CY Services, Lefkas – very satisfactory also.
The Lefkas Canal has had great improvements finished to the North entrance.
Much more depth now at the entrance and a new docking facility for yachts whilst awaiting the swing bridge to open, on the hour 08 to 21 hrs.
My advise… Ask for Costas the priest is a very good mechanics…in Nidri, there are a lot of internet cafe in the waterfront and the food is also good… The best season is soring… After is too busy…for repairs more complicated you must to go to Levkas
When we arrived at Nidri we had a problem with the auxiliary boat and we found a prior who came to try to help us but at the marina nobody help us. Levkas is bigger than Nidri and you can find good añmechanic assistance