Lefkada Routes and Escapes

  • Lefkada, welcomes the visitor, while he passes from the coasts of Akarnania in the island, from a narrow lane of land and from a floating bridge of 50 meters. The bridge allows the pass of small yachts through the canal of Lefkada. At the entrance of the island, the visitor can admire the castle of Aghia Mavra, Amoglossa, a fantastic beach, and if he wishes to go further, he can reach the town from Gyra with its windmills and the beach of Aghios Ioannis. Also at the island entrance, you will find the park of the poets. The Public Library with the collection of the Post-Byzantine Icons of Heptanisian Art, the Charamoglios Special Lefkaditian Library, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of phonograph, the great number of churches (Vassilikes single spaced), the Oil Grove, the traditional coffee shops, the magical nature, seduce the visitor in a dream trip to the island of poets and lyrics.
  • Following the road with a south direction, on the parallel to the east coast of the island, we are passing from the village of Kaligoni, 2 km south of the capital. In this area, ruins of the ancient town of Kirikos were found from the 2nd-millennium bc. There are ruins of cyclopean walls, tanks, water towers and of a theater of Pre-Roman period discovered from the German Archaeologist Dorpfeld. There were also found some ruins of Byzantine walls.
  • On the sound end, the village of Kariotes is located near Alikes of Alexandros and Ligia (6km from the town). It is the largest fishing center of the island. A coastal fish village built around a scenic small bay.
  • Then, we meet Nikiana (10 km from the town), a beautiful green fish village, built on the feet of Skaros, combines mountain and sea vacation. You should definitely visit, the Monastery of Holy Fathers on a hill of the Skaros Mountain, where a great festival takes place on the first Sunday after the Ascension of Christ.
  • Perigiali, 1 km before Nydri, has a beautiful beach, many tourist resorts and a spectacular view towards Prigiponissia. From Perigiali, a small road starts with a west direction for Platistoma, built on a hill with a divine view.
  • Nydri is for 25 years the most well-known tourist resort of the island (16km from the town). It offers a beautiful beach, clear crystal waters, many hotels, rooms to rent, taverns and night clubs. It’s a cosmopolitan place with interesting sights and natural beauty. You should swim to Skorpios, the magical sight of Onassis and visit the tomb of the German Archeologist Dorpfeld, the island of Valaoriti’s, Madouri, the waterfall of Dimosari and the church of Aghias Kiriakis. At the port of Nydri, are gathered many luxurious yachts. Nydri is connected by a ferry boat with Meganissi and Kefalonia.
  • Vlichos (20 km from town) between the mountain and the sea, nests in the homonym bay, with the verdant hill of Geni where the olives reach to the sea over the seaside of Desimi.
  • Poros (27 km from town), built on an amphitheatric green hill. It is a traditional Lefkaditian village with beautiful 2 storeyed houses, tile-roofed with magnificent gardens. The peace of nature and the rich vegetation offers to the visitor the crystal clear blue-green sea of Mikros Gialos and the Medieval Castle.
  • Sivota (33 km from town) is a scenic settlement stuck in the peaceful fiord with the verdant hill around and the perfectly shaped natural bay. There, on the edge of the beach, you will find unique traditional fish taverns.
  • Vassiliki, (38 km from town) a scenic large village, built in the bosom of lee homonym bay. It is surrounded by green hills, dentelated beaches, and crystal clear waters. It is an important resort and offers hotels, camping, shops, taverns, night clubs, and watersports. Vassiliki’s Bay is a well-known windsurfing center.
  • Agios Petros, is a traditional mountainous village with a magical view to the south of Vassiliki.
  • Athani, is a beautiful green traditional village, in a unique position controlling the paradise beaches of Porto Katsiki, Gialos, Egremni, ending to the south edge of the island in Lefkata’s Cape or Cape of Gira. There, you should visit the ruins of Apollon temple and the church of Aghios Nikolaos.
  • Draganos is a mountainous village well known for its honey production.
  • Exanthia, amphitheatrically built on a hillside, with traditional, colorful houses.
  • Drimonas, is one of the most traditional villages of the Prefecture.
  • Kalamitsi, (23km southwest of the town), is one of the oldest villages of Lefkada. Mountainous with traditional windmills and unique art of weaving offers to the visitor the magical Kathisma beach with crystal clear waters and magnificent sand.
  • Aghios Nikitas (12 km from town) is a traditional coastal fish village which has been transformed to one of the largest tourist resorts of the island. Natural beauty, crystal waters, and paradise beaches… Aghios Nikitas , Pefkoulia and Milos beaches unique, peaceful with a magical view.
  • The traditional village of Tsoukalades (6km from town)offers peace and joy, full of green colors and traditional farmhouses.
  • In the route to Lefkada’s town, you should visit the magnificent monastery of Faneromenis.

MOUNTAINOUS ROUTE

  • Going up from the town you will find the village of Lazarata (10km from town), the seat of Sfakiotes Muinicipality. Full of colors, peaceful with kind and hospitable inhabitants. An ideal place for holidays.
  • The traditional mountainous villages of Spanochori, Kavalos, Asprogerakas and Pinakochrori, decorated with green colors, amphitheatrically built over the mountain combined with the tradition and the modern lifestyle. You should visit the Melissa Gorge, Folklore Museum in Kavalos and the beautiful church towers of the area. You should also drink your coffee in Asprogerakata under the perennial plane trees. On the position of Fryas, between Kavalos and Asprogerakata, the “Turkish wells” are preserved since the period of 1478-1684. One of them had been supplying water to all municipality’s villages.
  • If you continue your route, you will meet Pigadisanous and then Karya (14km from town), a mountainous large village with springs and rich vegetation. It reaches out the hill, amphitheatric with houses built according to local architecture and many old mills. You should definitely visit the Folklore Museum of Karya and the old monastery of Aghios Ioannis in Livadi (17th century), buy some of the unique Karsanika needleworks. Drink your coffee or your ouzo in the beautiful square down from the perennial plane trees.
  • Do not forget to continue until you reach the village of Englouvi. There you can buy the fantastic “Lentils of Englouvis”, climb up to the farm monuments of Voltos, light a candle in the chapel of Aghios Donatos and enjoy the magical view of the highest place of the Prefecture, from the small church of Aghios Elias.
  • Return to the town by following the same route or by climbing down from Englouvi’s village: Or pass through the mountainous village of Platistoma and climb down to Perigiali, enjoying the view from Prigiponisia. Or pass through the mountainous village of Vafkeri and climb down to Nydri enjoying the view of the complex islands.

SEA ROUTES

  • Daily, by a ferry boat from Nydri at a distance of 4 nautical miles you can visit the small verdant island of Lefkada’s, Meganissi. It has 3 settlements: Vathi, Katomeri and Spartochori. And 3 scenic bays: Spilia, Atherinos and Vathi.
  • From the town of Lefkada and Nydri, many daily cruises with boats are organized to Prigiponisia (Skorpios of Onassis, Madouri of Ar.Valaoritis, Sparti, Skorpidi, Cheloni and Meganissi) From Vassiliki, daily cruises for the magical beaches of Porto Katsiki, Egremni and Agiofilli, are also organized.
  • You can hire a small boat, a speed boat or a sailing boat from the yacht rentals agencies, in order to enjoy the small magnificent bays of the peninsula of Geni, of Desimi (opposite Nydri) and Meganissi, reach down to the verdant islands of Kastos (with the beautiful Fokotripa) and Kalamos (with the pine tree forest that reaches the sea).