Hotels in Nikiana

athilia is a small aparthotel in Nikiana with sea or mountain views, eight minutes from Limni Beach. A lift helps with pushchairs and luggage, daily housekeeping keeps a family apartment in order on longer stays, and bicycle parking suits families who ride to the beach. Its 9.8 guest rating is one of the highest in the village. I would book a sea-view unit, since the balcony is where mornings are spent.

KN Ionian Suites is built around its infinity pool, which tends to become the centre of a family day, with a pool bar close by. Family rooms add a kitchenette and a terrace, handy for snacks and quiet evenings, while the buffet breakfast includes local specialities and fresh pastries. Limni Beach is five minutes away. Balconies face the garden or the pool rather than the sea, so I would not book it for a sea view.

The private beach area meant our kids could run straight from the room to the water without crossing a road or a busy public stretch, which we hadn't found anywhere else in Nikiana. The playground gave them somewhere to burn energy in the late afternoon when the beach itself felt too hot. The ground-floor unit made the whole stay easier with a stroller, no stairs to manage twice a day.

The panoramic view from the pool area turned out to be better than the photos suggested, wide enough that it felt like the sea started right at the pool's edge. Renting a scooter through the front desk on the first morning meant we were exploring the coast by lunchtime without hunting down a rental office ourselves. The extra-long bed was a small detail that made a real difference for my partner, who's used to feet hanging off the end elsewhere.

Crystal Waters in Nikiana pairs a free-form outdoor pool with suites that look over the pool, the garden or the Ionian Sea, which gives families more room than a standard hotel room. A modern restaurant and bar cover meals on site, so evenings with young children stay simple, and the 24-hour front desk helps with late arrivals. Lefkada Town is a twelve-kilometre drive for a change of pace. It is rated 9.3 from 442 reviews.

Eleana Boutique Hotel & Blue Infinity gives families aparthotel-style rooms with kitchenettes, five minutes from Limni Beach. The seasonal outdoor pool is a good break between beach sessions, and the coffee shop, bar and pool bar mean drinks and snacks are never far away. Staff are singled out by guests for attentive service, which counts for a lot with children in tow. Free parking helps if you are exploring Lefkada by car, which I would recommend from Nikiana.

La Casa Di Nonna Anna is two minutes from Nikiana Beach, with sea-view balconies and a kitchenette in every unit, a practical setup for families on the east coast of Lefkada. The seasonal outdoor pool gives children a second place to swim, and a bar and coffee shop cover drinks and light meals. Free on-site parking makes day trips around the island easier. It is rated 8.7 from 282 reviews.

Red Tower Hotel is in Nikiana village on the east coast of Lefkada, with a pool surrounded by a stone-paved sun terrace and balconies looking over the Ionian Sea. Rooms have satellite TV, a safe and a hairdryer, and there is a café on site. Free parking helps for trips by car, and Nydri, with its boats to the nearby islands, is a three-kilometre drive. It is rated 8.4 from 276 reviews.