Lixouri Holidays

Lixouri is the "other" main town on Kefalonia – its the second biggest town, sitting on the Paliki Peninsula with tree-lined streets and that laid-back vibe that comes from being a small town on a hot Greek island.

Lixouri Holiday Highlights

• Rich cultural heritage including Greece's second-oldest philharmonic orchestra

• Gateway to stunning beaches like Petani (Blue Flag) and unique red-sand Xi Beach

• Beautiful traditional architecture that survived the 1953 earthquake

• Close to excellent wineries and the famous local Robola wine region

• Easy ferry connections to Argostoli - feels like an adventure but takes 30 minutes

💡 Good to Know

☀️ Weather: Lixouri follows Kefalonia's reliably beautiful Ionian pattern: hot and sunny from June to September with highs of 28 to 32°C, clear skies and a sea that reaches 24 to 26°C at peak summer. The Paliki Peninsula catches the evening sun particularly well, making the west-coast beaches genuinely spectacular at sunset.

💶 Money: Lixouri is excellent value, noticeably quieter and more local than the main resort areas on the island. A harbourside taverna dinner for two runs around £20 to £35, a cold beer on the waterfront is £2 to £3. Most beaches are free and the ferry to Argostoli costs just a couple of euros each way.

🎉 Fun fact: Xi Beach's distinctive red-brown sand isn't just unusual to look at. The clay cliffs surrounding the beach are believed to have therapeutic skin properties, and visitors have been applying the clay as a natural face mask and body treatment for centuries. It's essentially a free open-air spa. Bring a towel you don't mind getting orange.

Where to stay on your Lixouri holidays

Lixouri is a town rather than a resort, which means the accommodation is spread naturally through the centre and along the coast rather than concentrated in a strip.

For couples: The town centre around the main square and waterfront is the most atmospheric base, with tavernas, bars and easy ferry access to Argostoli on your doorstep. The west coast near Petani is wilder and more remote, for couples who want to feel genuinely away from it all.

For families: The south side of town near Lepeda Beach puts you close to the most accessible and family-friendly stretch of coast. Xi Beach is around 10 minutes by car and is ideal for young children thanks to its shallow, calm water.

For groups: The town centre gives you the best evening options, with the main square and harbour front forming a compact but lively social hub. The ferry to Argostoli is the easy answer when the group wants more nightlife than Lixouri offers on its own.

Lixouri Hotels

Lixouri's accommodation is refreshingly uncommercial – think family-run hotels, boutique retreats and apartments rather than mega-resorts.

• Petani Bay is a stunning adults-only retreat in western Kefalonia, overlooking the Ionian Sea. The infinity pool stretches toward the horizon, the suites are gorgeous, and the restaurant serves up brilliant food. About 2km from beautiful Petani Beach and properly off the beaten track – perfect for couples wanting peace and spectacular views.

• Zest @ Xi Beach sits just 400m from the famous red sands of Xi Beach. One and two-bedroom apartments with modern amenities, a gorgeous pool area, and breakfast served with organic produce from the hotel's own garden. Only 6km from Lixouri town – ideal for families and couples who want beach access with space to spread out.

• The Summery Hotel has been family-run for over 30 years, set in beautiful gardens with palm trees and bougainvillea. There's a pool and children's playground, and it's an easy stroll to Lixouri's town centre for tavernas and shops. Proper Greek hospitality with Ionian Sea views.

• La Cite Hotel is a small, friendly hotel surrounded by private gardens, just a short walk from Lixouri's main square. Simple but comfortable rooms with balconies or terraces – great value for those who want to be close to the town's restaurants and bars.

Best beaches for your Lixouri holidays

The Paliki Peninsula has a coastline unlike anywhere else on Kefalonia, with some of the island's most distinctive and beautiful beaches spread across both coasts. A hire car is essential for making the most of them.

• Xi Beach – the most famous beach on the Paliki Peninsula, 7km south of Lixouri town. Copper-red sand, shallow calm water and dramatic grey clay cliffs that visitors have been using as a natural skin treatment for centuries. Well organised with beach bars, sunbeds and watersports, but the clay experience is the real reason to come. Utterly unlike any other beach in Greece.

• Petani Beach – on the west coast, approached via a steep winding cliff road that reveals the beach in all its glory as you descend. A perfect arc of white pebbles and the most vivid turquoise water on the peninsula, with tavernas right on the beach for sunset dinners. Consistently compared to Myrtos. Arrive for the afternoon and stay for the sunset.

• Mega Lakos Beach – the quieter, more spacious sibling of Xi, sharing the same beautiful red sand and calm shallow water but with significantly fewer people. Long enough that you can always find a quiet spot. The Fishbones beach bar here is a local favourite.

• Lepeda Beach – a Blue Flag sandy cove just 3km south of Lixouri town, facing east with calm shallow water and a relaxed atmosphere. One of the most convenient beaches from the town itself, and a reliable choice for a low-effort beach day.

• Vatsa Beach – a small, largely unspoiled sandy bay 9km from Lixouri with shallow water and a small river that merges into the sea. A pontoon bridge crosses the river, which younger children find enormously entertaining. Quiet, natural and well away from the crowds.

• Atheras Beach – on the northern coast of the peninsula, a quiet bay with a traditional fishing village atmosphere, calm waters and a small taverna on the beach serving whitebait and fried courgettes that guests routinely describe as among the best food they eat on the island.

• Fteri Beach – a wild, completely unspoiled pebble beach accessible only by water taxi from the nearby port of Zola (around 10 minutes). Sheer white cliffs, brilliant turquoise water and zero facilities. Ranked among the most beautiful beaches in Greece and barely visited as a result. Pack everything you need and treat it as a proper adventure.

Lixouri Travel Guide 2026 / 2027

Things to do for families

Lixouri rewards family holidays with genuinely unique experiences you won't find elsewhere on the island, calm beaches, natural curiosities and easy day-trip options across the water.

• Xi Beach clay experience – the therapeutic clay cliffs at Xi Beach are a genuine highlight for families. Slather it on, wait for it to dry in the sun and wash off in the sea. Kids absolutely love it, and it doubles as a brilliant free afternoon. Watersports including jet-skiing and paddleboarding are also available on the beach.

• Vatsa Beach pontoon bridge – the small river that meets the sea at Vatsa Beach is crossed by a little pontoon bridge that younger children find utterly compelling. A naturally playful, unpretentious beach with shallow safe water.

• Ferry to Argostoli – the 20-minute ferry crossing is an event in itself for younger children, and Argostoli on the other side offers the sea turtle spotting at the harbour, the De Bosset Bridge walk and Koutavos Lagoon for a brilliant full-day family excursion.

• Ionian Sea Aqua Park – located near Lixouri, a well-equipped water park that makes a brilliant half-day out when the group needs something organised and energetic. Popular with families staying in the area and bookable on the day.

• Kipoureon Monastery drive – the 20-minute drive from Lixouri to the cliff-hanging monastery on the west coast passes through some of the most dramatic landscape on the Paliki Peninsula and gives older children a genuine sense of Kefalonia's wild side. The monastery itself is free to visit and the views from the cliff edge are extraordinary.

Things to do for couples

Lixouri is, at its best, a romantic destination. The unhurried pace, the west-coast sunsets, the candlelit tavernas above the sea and the sense of having found a corner of Kefalonia that most visitors miss entirely.

• Sunset at Petani Beach – book a table at one of the tavernas at the back of the beach for late afternoon and wait for the sun to drop into the Ionian in front of you. The sky above the white cliffs turns extraordinary shades of orange and pink. Consistently described as one of the finest sunset experiences in Greece.

• Sunset at Kipoureon Monastery – if you want to go one better than Petani, drive to the cliff-hanging Kipoureon Monastery on the west coast as the sun drops. The monastery perches on the edge of the cliff over the sea, the views are vertigo-inducing and the light at sunset is genuinely remarkable. Free, open to visitors and unlike anywhere else on the island.

• Dinner on the Lixouri waterfront – the harbour-front tavernas in Lixouri serve fresh Kefalonian cooking to a soundtrack of fishing boats and the occasional ferry. Quieter and more personal than the Argostoli equivalents, with local specialities including pastitsio, fresh seafood and the island's excellent Robola wine.

• Day trip to Argostoli by ferry – take the 20-minute crossing to the capital for an afternoon of wandering Lithostroto Street, the morning market and the De Bosset Bridge, then a proper dinner before the evening ferry back. A perfect paired day from a Lixouri base.

• Iakovatios Library visit – one of the most overlooked things to do in Lixouri, this 19th-century mansion houses rare books dating to the 16th century alongside antique paintings, furniture and frescoes. A beautiful building and a completely different kind of afternoon for those who want to step away from the beach.

Things to do for groups

For groups after something genuinely memorable, the Paliki Peninsula delivers in ways that conventional resorts simply can't.

• Xi Beach group day – organise a full beach day at Xi with watersports, the clay experience, lunch at the beach bar and an afternoon in the water. It's a shared experience that everyone leaves talking about. The clay face mask phase tends to be particularly well documented.

• Boat trip to Fteri Beach – arrange a group water taxi from Zola to the wild and completely unspoiled Fteri Beach. No facilities, no crowds, just cliffs, turquoise water and the feeling of having found somewhere very few people know about. Pack a cool box and make a day of it.

• Paliki Peninsula road trip – rent cars, pick a direction and spend a day driving the peninsula's coastal roads, stopping at beaches, clifftop viewpoints and remote tavernas along the way. The roads are narrow and dramatic in places, the views are extraordinary and the discovery element makes it a natural group highlight.

• Evening in Argostoli – take the evening ferry to the capital, explore the main square and Lithostroto Street, have dinner at a proper taverna and get the last ferry back. A very easy and very enjoyable group evening out.

• Local wine tasting – the Paliki Peninsula has its own wineries producing Kefalonian varieties. An afternoon tasting session followed by a sunset at Petani is a very good group afternoon indeed.

Nearby Resorts

Fancy exploring beyond Lixouri? Kefalonia's other resorts are all accessible via the ferry or the scenic drive around the bay:

• Argostoli (30-min ferry or 1-hour drive) – Kefalonia's capital with a buzzing waterfront, the famous De Bosset bridge, Katavothres sinkholes and turtles feeding in the harbour. Great for an evening out.

• Lassi (via Argostoli) – The main beach resort near the capital with gorgeous golden sands at Makris and Platis Gialos, water sports and the iconic Saint Theodore Lighthouse for sunset walks.

• Skala (1 hour 15 mins drive) – Purpose-built family resort on the southeast coast with a stunning 3km sandy beach, Blue Flag waters and fascinating Roman villa mosaics.

• Lourdas (1 hour drive) – Dramatic setting beneath Mount Ainos with one of Kefalonia's longest sandy beaches and excellent traditional tavernas.