With 6,000 islands and a mainland that’s about the size of the state of Alabama, Greece has more than its fair share of beaches. There’s only one, however, that received the recognition as the best beach in Greece from The World’s 50 Best Beaches.
Recently featured on the 2025 list of the Best Beaches in Europe, Fteri Beach took No. 2 overall, closely following Italy’s Cala Goloritzé. It beat out several other amazing beaches in Greece, including Voutoumi Beach, Porto Katsiki, and Elafonissi Beach, which came in at No. 3, No. 5, and No. 15, respectively. But what is it about Fteri Beach that makes it so special? Well, it starts with location.
You’ll find Fteri Beach on the Paliki Peninsula of Kefalonia, an island travel experts have described as “Greece’s best-kept secret.” To reach this pocket of paradise, you’ll either need to come by water or on foot. Most travelers note the hike down to the beach takes about 40 minutes, and there are signs to guide your way. Sneakers, instead of flipflops, are also highly recommended (and they come in quite useful for walking across the Fteri’s white pebble beach). If you’d rather reach Fteri by boat, you can hop on a vessel leaving from Zola Harbor. Fteri Water Taxi offers drop-offs and pickups and also brings guests on tours that stop at Fteri as well as nearby spots like Amidi Beach and Kamari Beach.
The effort to get to Fteri Beach, where turquoise waters and the aforementioned white pebbles await, is usually well worth it—but you will want to time your visit right. “We were lucky to arrive in the morning, which is absolutely the best time—the beach was nearly empty, and we had it almost all to ourselves,” shared one traveler. “Later in the day, it does get more crowded as taxi boats arrive every 30 minutes (or even more frequently), along with cruise boats that make short stops.” The same traveler noted the sea “felt like swimming in [a] blue lagoon” and said “the whole experience was like a dream.”
The editors at The World’s 50 Best Beaches also called out the “crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea,” as well as the “majestic” white cliffs that frame the beach. There are no amenities on Fteri Beach, so bring your own sunscreen, water, snacks, and towels—but make sure you hike or boat out with everything you brought with you.