Vasiliki

Vasiliki sits at the head of a deep bay on the southern end of Lefkada, and the local geography produces a wind pattern that windsurfers travel for: mornings are usually calm, and from early afternoon a thermal called Eric builds reliably from the northwest, funnelled down off the mountains, giving hours of consistent force four to six through the summer. That predictability turned a fishing village into a centre with several schools, rental fleets and a summer population of instructors and returning students. Beginners use the sheltered inner bay in the calm mornings; stronger sailors go out to the windline. The village keeps a working harbour, a pebble beach and boats to Porto Katsiki and the west-coast beaches.

What you actually see

• The afternoon thermal - a reliable wind building daily through summer.
• The schools and rental fleets - a concentration of windsurf operations.
• The harbour - fishing boats, ferries and excursion departures.
• The pebble beach - a long shore running west from the village.

When to go

May to September for the wind season, with July and August the most reliable; the thermal is weaker in spring and autumn. Mornings are for beginners, afternoons for experienced sailors.

Honest expectations

The wind that makes Vasiliki also makes the beach uncomfortable for sunbathing and swimming from midday, with chop and spray. The village is small and dominated by the watersports business. Accommodation books out through the season.

Nearby

Porto Katsiki and Egremni are on the west coast; Nydri and the Ionian islets lie north.