Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The island is small, green and low, shaped with long fingers of land that make deep sheltered inlets. Yachts use those inlets heavily; the land behind them is barely touched.
The three villages
- Vathy, the main harbour, a working port around a deep bay with tavernas along the water and the ferry berth.
- Katomeri, on the hill above it, the largest settlement and where most islanders actually live.
- Spartochori, on a cliff above the western bay of Spilia, the prettiest: flower-heavy lanes, a view across to Lefkada, and a steep drop to the water.
They are all within a short drive or a stiff walk of each other.
The coast
The reason yachts come. Spilia, Atherinos, Abelike and Fanari are deep, calm and clear, and several are easier by boat than by road.
Meganisi also has sea caves, of which Papanikolis is the famous one: a large cave on the west coast used, by local account, to hide a Greek submarine of that name during the Second World War. Boat trips run into it from Vathy and Spilia and from Nidri on Lefkada.
What it is like to stay
Quiet in a way that is close to total out of season. There are rooms and small hotels rather than resorts, a handful of tavernas, and a bus that runs a few times a day. Bringing a car or hiring a scooter makes the island far more usable.
The nearby islands are a large part of the appeal: boat trips run to Skorpios, Kalamos, Kastos and the Ionian coves around them.
Getting there and how long
Car ferry from Nidri on Lefkada in about twenty-five minutes. Lefkada is itself reached by road from the mainland over a causeway, with the nearest airport at Preveza.
Three nights, or a day trip from Lefkada if that is all there is.
Last checked August 2026. Ferry frequencies are seasonal - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
How do you get to Meganisi?
By car ferry from Nidri on Lefkada, in about twenty-five minutes. Lefkada connects to the mainland by causeway, with the nearest airport at Preveza.
What is the Papanikolis cave?
A large sea cave on the west coast of Meganisi, said locally to have hidden the Greek submarine of that name during the Second World War. Boat trips run into it.
What are the villages on Meganisi?
Vathy the port, Katomeri on the hill above it, and Spartochori on a cliff above Spilia bay.
Is Meganisi developed?
Very little. There are rooms and small hotels rather than resorts, and the deep coves are used mainly by yachts.
Do you need a car on Meganisi?
A car or scooter makes it far more usable. There is a bus but it runs only a few times a day.