Xi Beach, Red sand beach near Lixouri, Greece

Xi Beach is a bay with red sand located near Lixouri on the island of Kefalonia. The shoreline stretches for several kilometers and features white clay cliffs rising behind it, with clear Ionian Sea water in front.

The name comes from the lowercase Greek letter xi (ξ), whose shape resembles the beach. The asphalt road from Mantzavinata was built in 1990 and splits about 800 metres before the beach, leading to two of its sections. The clay beds behind the sand are late Pliocene to early Pleistocene, roughly 3.5 to 0.781 million years old.

The name comes from the Greek letter xi (ξ), whose lowercase shape resembles the curve of the bay. Visitors still spread the reddish clay on their skin, although the claim that this clay is good for the skin or has therapeutic properties has been repeatedly disproven.

The beach has sun bed rentals, restaurants and tavernas located right by the water, and parking nearby. Visitors should arrive early to secure good spots and avoid the hottest hours of the day.

The red color of the sand comes from a high content of clay minerals, a feature found in very few beaches around the world. This mineral richness makes the place one where geology is directly visible to visitors.