Lefkada is the one Greek island you drive onto, over a causeway and a floating bridge from the western mainland. Which makes the hop south to Kefalonia the first boat most people on this coast actually take.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The crossing
From Vasiliki, at the southern end of Lefkada, which is also the island’s windsurf bay. Sailings run to Fiskardo at Kefalonia’s northern tip and, on some services, to Poros further down the east coast.
We print no durations or fares. They are set per season by each operator and they change. Confirm the day’s sailings before you drive down to Vasiliki, because this is not a route with a boat every hour.
Some services also call at Ithaca on the way, which is worth checking if you want to take in all three.
It takes cars, and you should use that
The reason this crossing matters. You arrived on Lefkada in a car, and Kefalonia is a large island where the caves, the beaches and the mountain in the middle are all drives.
Book the vehicle space rather than turning up, particularly in August. Car space on the smaller Ionian crossings is the thing that sells out first.
It is seasonal, and that catches people out
This is the single most important planning note. Sailings on this route thin out substantially outside high summer and in some periods do not run at all.
If you are travelling in spring or autumn, check before building an itinerary that depends on it. The alternative is real but long: drive back over the bridge to the mainland, south down the coast, and take the crossing from Kyllini on the Peloponnese to Poros instead.
That alternative is why Athens to Kefalonia is a road-and-boat route rather than a Piraeus one.
Where it lands, and what to do first
Fiskardo is the pastel harbour village at the northern tip, which is a pleasant place to arrive and a good first night. Poros on the east coast puts you closer to the south of the island and to the road towards Argostoli.
Which one your boat uses shapes your first day, so book the room after you know the sailing rather than before.
Where this leaves you
A short seasonal crossing from Vasiliki in the south of Lefkada to Fiskardo or Poros on Kefalonia, taking cars, with a possible call at Ithaca on the way. Book the vehicle space, check that the route is running at all if you are outside high summer, and know that the fallback is a long drive back over the bridge and down to Kyllini.
Quick answers
Is there a ferry from Lefkada to Kefalonia?
Yes, from Vasiliki at the southern end of Lefkada to Fiskardo or Poros on Kefalonia, with some services calling at Ithaca. It is seasonal and thins out considerably outside high summer.
Does the crossing take cars?
Yes, and you should use it, since you will have driven onto Lefkada over the bridge and Kefalonia is a large island that needs a car. Book the vehicle space ahead rather than turning up, especially in August.
What if the ferry is not running?
Drive back over the bridge to the mainland, south along the coast, and take the crossing from Kyllini on the Peloponnese to Poros on Kefalonia instead. It is long but it is a real alternative and it is the standard route from Athens.
Where does the boat land on Kefalonia?
At Fiskardo, the pastel harbour village at the northern tip, or at Poros on the east coast, depending on the service. Which one it is shapes your first day, so book accommodation once you know the sailing.