The beautiful Greek resort of Nidri is the perfect place for all travellers. There are loads of things to do, whether it be shopping, sunbathing or participating in a host of water sports. It’s around an hour from Preveza airport to Nidri. The flight lands on mainland Greece and you transfer over to the island via a narrow causeway. Lefkas is one of the few islands that you can reach by road. Nydri to Meganisi is one of my favourite day trips that we did on our visit to Lefkas.
There is a lot to see on the island and the beauty is that it is close to many other smaller Ionian islands for you to explore. We visited Meganisi island from Nydri twice during our 11-day stay. On our first visit, we weren’t sure what was going to be there or if we’d be able to do much without a car. A friend of mine had said she’d visited while staying in Nydri but they had hired a car and seen a lot of the island. We were pleasantly surprised by what we were greeted with.
Porto Spilia
The ferry arrives at Spilia port on Meganisi. A small port mostly with sailing boats and a few speedboats but every few hours (depending on what time of the season it is) the ferry from Nydri to Meganisi arrives and departs.
Immediately to the left of the ferry as you disembark you arrive at Spilia port beach and restaurant. The sunbeds on the small pebble beach here are free for customers of the restaurant. On both occasions, we stopped at the restaurants for refreshments. There’s a whole buffet with lots of traditional dishes to choose from. If you are feeling like a substantial lunch the mousaka looked amazing!
We weren’t feeling so hungry though and both times had a table full of delicious snacks. The kids opted to share some chips followed by ice creams. We had the most delicious stuffed vine leaves (dolmades) I have ever tasted. These were accompanied by a HUGE plate of Tzatziki and bread. Paired with a pint of mythos in an icy glass, these were some of my favourite meals of the trip!
Agrios Beach Bar
If you are on foot like us and don’t want to stay in the same place all day, a short walk to Agrios Beach bar is a great option. From Porto Spilia head East up a small path along the coastline. The coast should still be on your left the whole way along. It’s worth taking a moment to stop and take in the stunning scenery from the Spartachori outlook. The turquoise sea and green trees are stunning. As you start to go back down the hill you see the Agrios beach bar with its sunbeds all along this small cove.
It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon in the Greek sunshine. Chilled music is the soundtrack to your day here while the waiters come along offering drinks regularly. If you do wish to hire a sunbed here they are €10 for 2 beds and a parasol for the day. They are lovely thick padded beds and fixed parasols. The drinks aren’t overpriced here either and there’s a toilet too. If you are feeling energetic there’s even a volleyball net!
We opted for a beach afternoon with the boys all heading out snorkelling in the clear water. There are a couple of net hammocks partially submerged in the water just out from the shore. The perfect Instagram shot!!
How to get from Nydri to Meganisi
The ferry is by far the most cost-effective way to get there. During the high season, the ferry makes the 25-minute journey each way one every hour and a half or so from Nydri. It’s a big car ferry so if you have hired a car and want to explore more of the island it’s €12.90 for the crossing. Foot passengers are more than welcome. There’s no need to pre-book, just turn up at the port in time for boarding and pay as you board. This summer we paid €1.90 each way for over 10’s and €0.90 for our youngest. The Ferry times and more costs can be found here.
We had friends in the resort who also visited Meganisi a couple of times as a part of their trips in a hired boat. In Nydri, there are many boat hire companies offering a boat for 6 hours for around €100 plus fuel bringing it to around €150+. This is a great option for those who want to explore even more of this beautiful island and its neighbours have to offer. Not for those on a budget though and wanting a short trip.
On Board the Nydri to Meganisi Ferry
Once on board the ferry there are many choices for seats. It’s generally a smooth and quick crossing with this clean and efficient boat usually being fairly full. There are both indoor and outdoor seating available. I opted to sit outside and soak up the Greek sunshine… but beware of those hot plastic chairs, they can burn your bum! There’s a drinks machine inside too with drinks at €1 a can so not expensive at all.
I’d highly recommend a trip over to Meganisi, car or not. It’s a beautiful island and some of the houses built into the hill overlooking the port and beaches had me daydreaming. I’d love to visit again at a cooler time of year and explore the island a little more. It was 37 celsius most days during our stay which was just far too hot for the kids (and me) to be hiking up hills. I’ve seen a tiny portion of it, and if this is just a taster or the island I’d love to see more of it.
I hope this convinces you to visit Mgenanisi when you go to Nydri. Even if you can only spare a few hours it’s worth it just for Dolmades I promise you!
Enjoy yourself and let me know how your holiday is. If you’ve got a chance to spend some time in Nydri, make sure you check out the best restaurants, there are some beauties!
Becky x
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