The Island of Lefkada

The island of the poets got its name from the most southern place of the island the Cape Lefkatas and the white colour of its shores.

Throughout the centuries from the Ancient to Minoan era, the Byzantine period, the Venetian rule, the French & British colonialism and the unification with the rest of Greece in 1864 it accumulated richness and hardship, knowledge and grace.

The landscape is diverse and changes constantly without losing its unique character, which makes the island to be like a small geographic sample of the whole of Greece. The plains covered with olive groves, the vineyards in the mountainous areas, the picturesque little villages, the shining white plateaus, the wild gorges and waterfalls in the East, the fjord-like bays in the South, the turquoise sea and the beaches in the West (Porto Katsiki, Engremni, Gialos, Mylos, Kathisma, Pefkoulia etc.) are unique creations of mother nature.

The Prinkiponisia (Princess Islands) – Mandouri, Sparti, Skorpio, Meganisi – and the spectacular colours of the sunset visible in the town of Lefkada at the water’s edge were and still are a source of inspiration and creativity for poets, musicians and painters of the island (such as Valaoritis, Hern, Sikelianos, Stamos, Baltsa, Sideris et al).

High up from the Monastery of Our Lady of Faneromeni the eye of the traveler rests peacefully on the views of the Ionian Sea, the capital of Lefkada with the saltwater lagoon and the windmills of Ai Yiannis Beach.

A stroll through the Medieval Venetian castle and a visit to the different museums in town, like the archaeological, the Byzantine & the folklore-phonograph museum bring to life the culture and the importance of the island and its people.

As part of the International Festival of the Words & Arts all summer long different exhibitions, concerts, symposia, theatre plays, the festival music and dance festival are organised and not only local musical associations and the philharmonic band but also famous Greek and foreign artists are participating every year. At the same time in many villages, old customs & traditions are brought back to life, like for example the "Karsanic Wedding" in Κarya, the Lentil Feast in Egglouvi, the Feast of the "Alonaria" (thrashing the grains from the straw)in Poros or the Sardine Feast in Lygia, the patron festival of "Ai Lia" and many more.
Top current movies are shown in the open-air cinema under the moonlight and surrounded by the scent of basil.

There is a big variety of activities and sports on offer on the island, like cycling, hiking, tennis, 5x5 football, basketball, horse-riding, paragliding, windsurfing, kite-surfing, diving, sailing (in the top-modern facilities of the Nautical Club in the Marina) – to name only a few.

Some of the “Must Do’s” are: a romantic stroll through the picturesque alleys and the main market road of the capital of Lefkada, to enjoy the local specialities (like Savoro etc.) while being accompanied by Eptanisian live music (at the Reganto or the Romantica restaurants), to have an ice cream from Stavrakas and/or local sweets from Dinos and of course to take home some typical local products, like Pasteli-Mandolato, Thyme Honey, Air-dried Salami, special Liqueurs (Rozoli, Triantafillo), Soumada (local non-alcoholic drink made from almonds) & Ladokouloura…

In the evening, after the essential stop in the central square, life continues on the seaside boulevard and the marina with dance and joy in the cosmopolitan bar-clubs for everyone is young or still feels young.

 

How could anyone resist the magical charm of the beautiful island of Lefkada?