LEFKAS
ISLAND (“LEFKADA”)
t
Why Lefkas?
Lefkas Island (Lefkada to Greek people)
is a beautiful and fertile, ever – green, mountainous island
on the west coast
of Greece much beloved by nature lovers and yachtsmen.
It is set in the Ionian
Sea like Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakinthos, but much less developed.
Lefkas is 32km long and 14km wide and
has the advantage that it is linked to the mainland by a swing bridge.
The
nearest airport is Preveza,
located on the mainland some 40 mins from our
portfolio of Villas.
It is well-serviced by charter flights in the summer.
Villas Sikia, Lemonia and Kerasia are
situated on the Krypsones Private Estate above the village of Vliho
to the south
of Nidri which is a busy harbour and holiday town
with plenty of facilities
including many trip boats leaving from the quayside daily to explore nearby
islands including
Meganisi, Scorpios, Ithaca and Kefalonia.
Villas Helonaki
and Helones are on the hillside at Periyiali, just north of Nidri.
Around the Island
In the north of the Island is the main
town – Lefkas Town – close to the bridge presided over by Santa Mavra Castle.
Following the east coast road south leads through a succession of small villages
with beaches
affording calm waters and views offshore to the smaller islands,
all the way down to Vassiliki in the south –
one of Europe’s best wind surfing
locations.
The west coast has a series of
spectacular beaches backed by white cliffs and pine forests
with a myriad of
turquoise and aquamarine iridescent water colours
and is sparsely developed.
Exploring the mountainous interior rewards with the discovery of hidden,
sleepy
villages and amazing panoramas at every turn.
The landscape is covered with
olives, cypress, citrus and pine trees and swathed in wild flowers in the
spring.
History
According to legend, the poetess Sappho
chose the southern point of the island
as the place for her love-torn leap from
cliff-top to her death.
The archaeologist Dorpfeld believed the
Ithaca of Homer’s Odyssey was Lefkas and Odysseus’s Palace was at Nidri.
First signs of settlement date back to
4000 B.C. then in the 7th Century B.C.
the island was colonised by
the Corinthians who started the main town and the canal.
Control changed hands
frequently in the following centuries – the island fell to the Macedonians, the
Romans (198 B.C.),
Franks, Sicilians (1296),
Turks, Venetians (1694) and even
the British (1810) and finally came within the Greek State in 1864.
Food and Drink
Good news for visitors is that a fertile
island such as Lefkada produces wonderful local produce
and the surrounding seas
provide their bounty, all at very reasonable prices.
Local delicacies include
spicy sausage and salami, citrus fruit, figs, thyme honey and the finest lentils
anywhere.
The island is well furnished with
vineyards (1700 hectares) which
produce very good quality wines such as Lefkaditiki Yi.
All over the island are traditional
tavernas for outdoor, informal dining serving typically Greek starter plates
such as tzatziki (garlic, yoghurt and cucumber dip)
and kolokithakia (fried
courgettes) followed by well known main dishes
such as Moussaka, Stifado (beef
stew with shallots), Calamari (deep fried squid) and grilled meats on the spit.
International cuisines are also readily available.
Yachting
The world’s finest yachts visit the
waters off the east coast in the summer.
At the other end of the scale, many
visitors hire small boats with outboard motors
to explore the coastline and find
their own “private” cove to picnic, swim and sunbathe.
The area attracts keen sailors who
appreciate that the inland Ionian Sea is a relatively safe place
to practice
their pursuit as the winds are predictable in the
afternoon and many
destinations are within easy reach.
In September up to 200 sailing boats
participate in the Southern Ionian Regatta – a spectacular sight!
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