Greece | Renting a boat on Lefkas, our experience

Lefkas, also known as Lefkada, is an enchanting holiday destination in the Ionian Sea (Location here). The natural beauty of it Griekse island combined with clear blue waters offers beautiful views. The island is known for its breathtaking beaches and rugged coastlines. It is a paradise for beach lovers and water sports. In addition to the coastal beauty, Lefkas offers a picturesque interior with lots of greenery, picturesque villages and beautiful hilly areas. Since Lefkas is known for its beautiful waters, renting a boat should not be missing from your holiday. In these blogs I give you our tips and tricks!

1. Rent a boat from Travel Solution

We walked along the boulevard Don't when we found the rental company Travel Solution (Location here) saws. They have motorbikes, scooters, boats, buggies and quads. The woman who arranges the rental was friendly and very busy. I loved how she could multi-task with all the tourists at the same time.

We wanted to rent the smallest boat, because there are only the two of us. This was no longer available, but the woman offered us a larger boat. Since the smaller one was not available, we were allowed to rent it for the same price. We got a flashy 7-person sloop for 60 euros per day. This cost us 30 euros per person. We thought it was great!

There are of course many rental companies all over the island. We stayed in Nidri and were very satisfied with Travel Solution, so we didn't look any further.

No license required

You can actually rent boats everywhere on Lefkada, without needing a boating license. There are also many organized tours where you are taken around with a large group of people. We wanted to explore the island ourselves, and we also found it extra fun to (literally) be in the driver's seat.

Tip:: combine renting a boat with, for example, renting a scooter. We got a good deal (on our own initiative) and were able to rent a motorbike for two days for 10 euros per day.

2. Get out early in the morning

The rental companies are open until late at night to receive tourists. Rent the boat the night before (or even earlier) so that you can leave on time in the morning. We could pick up the boat from 08:30 am.

We visited the Greek island in a very hot month (36/37 degrees every day) and although it is a lot cooler on the water, you also burn a lot faster. It is better to take a few hours in the morning and return a little earlier than the other way around. We sailed from 08:30 AM to 18:00 PM and the hours that we did not experience in the bright sun were very nice! It is also nice to arrive on the beaches in the morning and early afternoon, because then there are a lot fewer tourists.

Also read: Lefkada, paradise beaches in Greece | Guest blog @camperfeels

3. Bring a snorkel set

I had never snorkeled before this holiday. And now I don't really understand why. It never really appealed to me, and maybe I thought it looked a bit lame? I can tell you that I have now found a new hobby.

We were constantly jumping off our boat to float underwater with our snorkeling set, and I loved being able to admire the underwater world. You see little fish swimming everywhere and I only now realize how many there actually are. The moment I dive under water with my goggles on, I feel an oasis of peace flowing through my body and that calm is indescribable! We felt like a fish in water.

Tip:: ask a boat rental employee for tips on where to snorkel. They can tell you the best hotspots!

4. Look for the 'hidden beaches'

Hidden beaches, private beaches, there are plenty. Lefkada has numerous hidden beaches that you cannot reach by car. It's extra fun to rent a boat and look for these beaches yourself.

We had received a map from the boat rental on which the beaches were circled for us. This way we knew which route was fun to sail. You can drop anchor and swim to shore once you find one. There are white sandy beaches and pebble beaches, with clear blue water. There are also places where the water magically flows together in different colors. Very cool to see!

5. Sail to Porto Spilia

You sail to Porto Spilia (Location here) to combine the day on the water with a delicious lunch, dinner, and/or a drink. This is a charming restaurant right on the water, where you can moor your boat for free. You can enjoy traditional Greek dishes, tasty sandwiches and cocktails!

We couldn't resist the temptation of a delicious cocktail, and this one tasted extra good on such a sunny day with lots of swimming. We ate Greek Moussaka and stuffed vegetables with cheese, rice and tomato sauce. It is also nice to be away from the boat for a while, to complete the day.

6. Spotting dolphins

I had read that it is an exception rather than a rule that you see dolphins while sailing on Lefkas. We really hoped to see a group of dolphins on this day, but alas. It seems that dolphins often swim along on the waves of the boats, and can come after you because they enjoy this. This seemed like a magical experience to us. Who knows, next time, and maybe you'll have better luck!?

Others Tips

• Take plenty of water with you. It sounds logical, but people generally drink far too little water on holiday. You don't want to get sunstroke and a day like that in the bright Greek sun can be quite intense! Make sure your body does not dehydrate.
• Take sunscreen factor 50 with you. We have done our best to apply as much sunscreen as possible. Every time we got out of the water and dried off (which really only took about two minutes), we applied another load of sunscreen. We still got burned! We brought factor 30. It really couldn't be the rubbing, so we bought factor 50 and this seemed to help us better for the rest of the holiday.
• Seek the shade: I'm really a zone fanatic myself. It can't be warm enough for me and I prefer to lie stretched out in the sun baking and roasting. However, you really have to be sensible on such a boat, because the wind you catch means you don't always realize how quickly you can burn. I have a skin type that does not burn easily, but believe me, at 37 degrees anyone can burn. Also look for the shade of the boat every now and then, so that you can have a nice holiday week after this day!

Conclusion

Renting a boat on the Greek island of Lefkas is simply a unique experience. We loved going on an adventure together and exploring the island. We dived into the water when we wanted and could take a look at the underwater world through our snorkel sets.

The private/hidden beaches are charming and beautiful to see, even though they cannot be compared to the large beaches of the island. We love freedom and chose to rent a boat instead of going on a tour.

Are you a fan of everything being well organized for you? Don't worry, boats from different organizations take to the water every day to take you around equally beautiful places.