Xi Beach, Kefalonia: Red Sand and Shallow Water

An at a glance card for Xi beach. Shore: Orange-red coarse sand. Entry: Shallow a long way out. Behind it: White clay cliffs. Organised: Loungers and tavernas. Reaching it: Ferry to Lixouri, then road. One row is marked out as the thing that decides the visit. The conclusion reads: Red sand, white cliffs, and a very long shallow. No prices appear. — Red sand, white cliffs, and a very long shallow.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

What it is like

Long, flat and organised: loungers and umbrellas along much of the front, tavernas and beach bars behind, and a car park. The sand is coarse and distinctly red, and the shallows are warm.

The white clay in the cliffs behind is the local curiosity. People plaster it on and let it dry in the sun, which is a beach tradition here rather than a treatment anyone is claiming works.

Who it suits

Good for: families, because the shallow water runs out for a long way; anyone who wants facilities; and anyone who has done the north-coast beaches and wants something different.

Less good for: swimmers who want depth close in, and anyone hoping for a cove. Xi is a wide open beach with a road behind it.

The peninsula

Paliki is the quiet western lobe of Kefalonia, reached across the bay from Argostoli or the long way round by road. Its main town is Lixouri, and the peninsula holds several other beaches with the same red sand, plus the wilder Petani on the north side, which has its own guide.

A seasonal ferry crosses the bay between Argostoli and Lixouri, which turns a long drive into a short hop and is the way most visitors do it.

Last checked August 2026. Ferry, facilities and seasonal opening change - see our editorial policy.

Common questions

Why is the sand red at Xi beach?

The local geology gives the sand its orange-red colour, and the cliffs behind the beach are white clay.

Is Xi beach good for children?

The water is shallow a long way out and the beach is organised with facilities, which is why families use it.

Where is Xi beach?

On the south coast of the Paliki peninsula in western Kefalonia, near Lixouri.

How do you get to Xi beach from Argostoli?

By the seasonal ferry across the bay to Lixouri and a short drive, or the long way round by road.

What is the white clay at Xi beach?

Clay from the cliffs behind the beach, which visitors traditionally apply and let dry in the sun. It is a beach custom, not a treatment we make any claim for.

Read best beaches in Kefalonia, Petani, or where to stay in Kefalonia.

Xi: red sand, white clay, and a very long shallow