Lefkada Trail day 6 Ag. Petros to Cape Doukato

This walk runs from the mountain village of Ag Petros down to the cape and lighthouse on the south tip of Lefkada. It follows a set of tracks running through the pine forests on the long tail of Lefkada. The trail is mostly monopati and unsurfaced tracks for the the first half of the route – there are fairly quiet (depending on season) surfaced roads as you get near the cape. It gets pretty remote down at the cape.

An alternate start is from Vasiliki. Walk across the bay and climb the steep zigzag path straight up to the the pass. Keep over to the right near the top and join the track described below just after the mobile phone masts.

19km
570m ascent
Moderate (but long).

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Tavernas and limited accommodation in Ag. Petros. Almost nothing at the cape.

You really need to use a taxi or have a friend/partner that drives – especially from the cape.

Day 6 of the 80km Lefkada Trail.
Day [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

The trail is the sixth and final part of the Lefkada Trail taking you down to the southern tip. It is a relatively easy walking (but long) and gives a fine range of views as you head down to the cape.

Start off from Agios Petros heading up on the road towards Chortata. Keep going out of the village through the large pines. Be careful of cars as it is a busy road. After 500m there is a concrete ramp up left leading to an unsurfaced track heading back south.

Turn left on the track 500m north of Agios Petros

The track runs across the slope and gently climbs. You get great views out over the Vasiliki valley and beyond to the south coast of Lefkada. Vasiliki has a long-held world reputation for windsurfing and you will likely see surfers in action in the bay. The hill you are on generates regular afternoon breezes which, combined with the sheltered flat-waters, makes perfect windsurfing conditions.

The view down to Vasiliki

After 3km you pass mobile phone masts to the left then right – ignore the forks left then right to those mast – keep straight between them. You then curve right up to the pass between Kouforpodi and Mega Vouno. After you go over the pass (just before a concrete rain-collection tank) you get to a very muddled crossroads with paths going everywhere. You want a clear track going left along the ridge south.

The track heading south just after turning left at the muddled crossroads

The track now follows below the ridge line as you head south. You get great views down the steep fir covered steep slopes to the west coast of Lefkada. After 4.5km you descend to a tarmac road. Turn left along the road. Almost immediately there is a summer-only kiosk selling drinks and snacks. Past this after 400m there is track heading right down the slope. There is a “40km” sign right beside the turning (but not 40km for this trail).

Turn right down the track at the 40km sign

The trail descends down the hill. Keep straight on at all turnings keep heading south and down along the coast. After about 1.5km you reach a track turning sharp right just above a new cluster of small villas. Take that track down past the villas to a road.

Turn sharp left to the track descending down and past some new small villas.

You meet a tarmac road where you turn left. This road runs to the famous Porto Katsiki beach which attracts quite a few visitors in summer. Fortunately you only go 200m.

Turn left onto the track just before the concrete water tank.

The road goes round a corner to the left where a track goes left just before a concrete water tank. Take the track that slowly climbs up across the hill round the top of the bay towards a phone mast near the top.

The cliffs, turquiose sea and beaches of the west coast of Lefkada

When you reach the phone mast take a look back for a great view of the west coast of Lefkada – with its white cliffs cascading down to turquoise seas and golden beaches. Turn back south along the track another 50m for the opposite view south. Now you see your destination with the lighthouse at Cape Doukato with Ithaca and Kefalonia beyond.

The last 5km ahead down to the cape and the end of the trail

Take the short track right to join the tarmac road going right. After 50m the road hairpins to the left and a path takes a shortcut right to join the road again and the next hairpin further down the slope. You now rejoin the road and almost immediately take a turning right towards the cape.

You now follow the road for 5km to the cape. The long tail of the island is very narrow (almost a knife edge in parts) and so only really room for the road. The views are stunning to compensate. Keep one eye watching for cars heading for the cape.

The knife edge road approaches the lighthouse on the cape

Just before you reach the lighthouse car park a track goes off to the left running below and parallel to the road. That track continues past the car park and continues the last few hundred metres over the rocks to the cape itself. If you miss the left turn take the track at the end of the car park and scramble left down to the track before it gets to the cape.

The end of the trail at Doukato Point

Sit down. Have a celebratory drink / chocolate bar / cheese pie – whatever you have. Take in the view across the sea and also consider what you have seen and achieved over the last six days. Well done, you join the roll call of the Lefkada Trail veterans.

Best plan is to arrange for a friend, partner or taxi to collect you from the lighthouse car park. Take a look at the lighthouse and the impressive cliffs to the west of the cape as you wait for the lift. If uber fit you could walk back to Vasiliki sticking to the road – or back to Porto Katsiki beach to pick up an infrequent bus. But I think you have earnt a taxi.

Do tell us about it on Instagram @lefkadatrails or Facebook. We will use your experience to help improve this website and guide future trail walkers. Not only that, but the early pioneer walkers of the whole trail that tell us online will get free T shirts.

Free T shirt for the early walkers of the whole trail

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