From the deck of the ship at anchor, Nydri looks like a Greek fjord: a string of wooded islets closes off the bay, olive-covered hills slope down to the water, and sailboats trace white furrows between the shores. You reach this village on the east coast of Lefkada, the Ionian island also known as Lefkas, by tender, and crossing the bay is already a first excursion, between white sails and reflections of olive groves. The place was long the refuge of a certain Aristotle Onassis; it remains one for sailors, vacationing Greek families and travellers in search of a green, maritime and unpretentious Greece.

A Waterfront Facing Skorpios

The landing opens directly onto the waterfront promenade, named Akti Aristoteli Onasi. The shipowner's statue gazes out at Skorpios, his private island, sitting offshore like a floating garden. Tavernas, cafés and excursion agencies line the water, in the relaxed atmosphere of an island resort where menus are written in chalk. Take time for a frappé on a patio: the sight of caiques, motorboats and islets, led by Madouri with its neoclassical villa, makes up one of the prettiest panoramas in the Ionian Sea, and it changes every hour of the day with the light.

The Dimosari Waterfalls

A short distance from the village, a cool valley cuts into the mountain: that of the Dimosari waterfalls, reached by a few minutes' drive and then an easy trail between plane trees and rock walls. The water tumbles into pools of translucent green, a welcome coolness in midsummer when temperatures climb on the coast. The bravest slip into the main pool; others are content to dip their feet while listening to the falls echo against the rock. The short, shaded approach walk suits the whole family and offers a striking contrast with the coastline: in a quarter of an hour, you go from sailboats to mountain gorges, from salt water to fresh.

The Legendary Beaches of the West Coast

The great classic of the port call remains the boat excursion to the west of the island. Boats leave the landing in the morning, sail along headlands covered in maquis, then round Lefkada to reveal its spectacular shores: Egremni, a vast ribbon of pale sand at the foot of sheer cliffs; Porto Katsiki, a cove that has become one of the most widely shared images of Greece; Agiofili, renowned for the exceptional clarity of its water. Swimming in these shades of turquoise alone justifies the trip, and photographers don't know where to point their lenses. Spots go quickly in high season: book early in the day, keeping an eye on the all-aboard time.

Olive Trees, Bikes and Villages

Travellers who prefer dry land find happiness around the village: walking paths through century-old olive groves, bike rentals to ride along the coast, neighbouring hamlets where island life follows its rhythm among vegetable gardens, beehives and white churches. In the evening, the tavernas serve grilled fish, baked feta and local wine facing the bay, while the lights come on one by one in the hills and the cats wait for their share under the tables.

Heading back to the tender, you cast one last look toward Skorpios and its cypresses. Nydri has no famous ruins or major museums; it has something better, perhaps: a rare balance between sea and mountain, between lazing around and adventure. The richest shipowner of his time could have chosen any shore in the world. He chose this one, with its sheltered waters and quiet evenings. As you leave, you understand why.