Greece · GR

Paralia Vasiliki

Vasiliki Beach (Paralia Vasiliki) is the long, sheltered bay that cradles the former fishing village of Vasiliki on the south coast of Lefkada, in Greece's Ionian Islands. Here a strip of fine pebble and coarse sand runs for over a kilometre beneath green mountains, opening onto bright turquoise water that stays shallow and calm close to shore. It is one of the most recognisable coastlines on the island: a wide south-facing bay framed by hills, with the peaks of Lefkada behind and the silhouettes of Kefalonia and Ithaca out on the horizon. What makes the place famous is the wind. Enclosed on three sides and fed by thermals that spill off the high mountains each afternoon, the bay earns a steady breeze locals and surfers call 'Eric'. That rhythm turns a quiet seaside village into one of Europe's top windsurfing spots by midday, while the gentle morning hours keep the water glassy and safe enough for a first swim or a beginner's lesson.