Lefkada - island of Greece with white cliffs and the azure sea

Lefkada resort in Greece is recognized as one of the most picturesque and beautiful in the country. Its name, which is translated from the local language as “white,” the island received thanks to the steep cliffs of white along the west coast.

The island is part of the Ionian archipelago. It is covered with dense vegetation, especially in the southern and eastern parts. Tourists are attracted by endless, golden beaches, a gradual, gentle descent into the water. In the eastern part of the sea there are small islands, the most popular are Madouri, Sparti, as well as the property of a descendant of Aristotle - the island of Skorpios.

General information

On this island of Greece with an area of ​​325 square meters. km A little less than 23 thousand people live.

The main feature of the resort is the dense vegetation that covers almost the entire island, and several small bays. For an ideal holiday, excellent infrastructure has been created covering the whole of Lefkada:

• comfortable hotels with different stars;
• equipped beaches;
• all water activities and beach sports are provided;
• historical monuments of architecture;
• Convenient walking routes where you can go around all the sights and climb the hill to enjoy the island and amazing sea views.

The capital of the island is the city of Lefkada or Lefkada, a small, but very picturesque and colorful settlement. The city looks like a mosaic - houses are painted in a wide variety of colors. From the city, a network of roads has been laid in all directions in which you can go around the entire island. In addition, a ferry runs from Lefkada to Kefalonia and the small island of Ithaca in Greece.

Historical excursion

The first mention of the island of Lefkada dates back to the Homeric period. For many centuries, the island was ruled by the Venetians, Turks, French, Russians, British. Undoubtedly, such a variety of cultures and religions was reflected in the lifestyle and architectural appearance of the resort.

According to one legend, the poetess Sappho died on the island. The woman fell in love with the ferryman Faon, but the young man did not share her feelings. Out of grief and despair, Phaon threw herself from a cliff into the waves of the Ionian Sea. This happened many centuries before our era, so it is impossible to verify the authenticity of the legend.

Beaches

The island of Lefkada in Greece is primarily famous for its magical beaches. Many say that the epithets in excellent shape are well deserved and not at all exaggerated. Many beaches of the resort are included in the ratings of the best beaches in the world.

This is one of the most visited beaches not only on the island and throughout Greece and, perhaps, throughout Europe. It is located on the southeast coast, about 40 km from the capital and near the small settlement of Afani.

It offers incredibly picturesque views - rocks, semicircular framing the coast, clean, soft sand and, of course, azure water. There is an amazing atmosphere of unity with nature.

In translation, the name of the beach does not sound very attractive - a goat beach. But there is an explanation for this, the fact is that earlier only goats could get here. Today, the descent to the beach is equipped with a staircase, which is cut into the rock.

As for infrastructure: here you can use the necessary attributes of a beach holiday - deck chairs, umbrellas. To have a tasty and satisfying meal, just go up the stairs and go to a cafe or tavern.

The only drawback of the beach is the noise and the large number of tourists, so it is unlikely to be able to fully enjoy a calm and quiet holiday.

You can get to the beach by car, there is a parking lot near the beach. Also from Nidri and Vasiliki regularly follows a water taxi.

The beaches of Lefkada are undoubtedly a landmark of the island and one of them is Egremni. You can find it in the southwestern part of the island. The beach has become popular since the end of the last century. In comparison with Porto Katsiki, Egremni is more comfortable, there are more sun loungers - they stretch along the entire coast. Another advantage of the beach is its remoteness from the hustle and bustle, the beach is in a fairly secluded place. By the way, on the photo of Lefkadychastno you can see the beach of Egremni.

It is important! In 2015, a serious earthquake occurred at Lefkada, after which many travel companies announced that the beaches of Porto Katsiki and Egremni were destroyed. However, this information is an exaggeration; there is an opportunity to get here, as before.

The length of the beach is approximately seven kilometers; soft, creamy sand and clear, turquoise water awaits vacationers. The beach is 14 km from the village of St. Nikita. Sea water here changes color depending on the weather, time of day and depth of the bottom. Such an amazing optical effect can only be seen on Catism.

The beach is well equipped, you can rent a deck chair and an umbrella. To eat, just go up the stairs and visit the cafe and tavern. The beach offers a variety of water sports, and near the shore there is a well-equipped parking lot.

This is not just a beach, but a beautiful town with a special atmosphere on the east coast. The settlement is located among olive groves, cypress and pine forests spread in the hills. Distances from the beach to the island's capital - 20 km.

Among all the beaches of Lefkada in Greece, Nydri is considered one of the best. Everything that a vacationer expects from a luxurious, fabulous vacation, there is soft, fine sand, clear water, and developed infrastructure. In addition, there are many comfortable hotels, restaurants and cafes. Throughout the holiday season, discos and nightclubs work. For residents there are grocery stores, ATMs, banking organizations and pharmacies.

Nydri has a small port; fishing boats and private yachts moor here. It is possible to rent a boat or boat for a boat trip. A ferry to the islands of Meganisi, Kefaloni and Ithaca regularly runs from the port. In early autumn, a regatta is held annually.

If you travel around the island by car and stay on the right side, you come to a long, beautiful beach. The coating here is mixed - white sand with small pebbles. The water is very unusual, turquoise.

Among the shortcomings can be noted the complete absence of shade and a fairly strong wind. The winds blow constantly here, which is why mills were built on the shore.

Fans of kiting usually gather on the beach, there are many places where you can rent equipment for sports. There are comfortable hotels near the coast.

There are no large and well-organized beaches along the east coast, there are small places for swimming, but you need to have everything you need with you.

Attractions and entertainment

There are many photos and descriptions of the sights of Lefkada on the Internet, but you can only experience the unique atmosphere of the island by visiting it.

In the northeast there is a bridge connecting Lefkada and Etolo Acapannia. Not far from the bridge you can stroll the ruins of the ancient fortress of St. Mavra, which was designed and built by representatives of the ancient Roman family Orsini. Twice the fortress was restored - during the reign of the Venetian and Ottoman empires.

Walking among the ancient churches and temples you can feel the incredible energy that hovers in rooms of amazing beauty and architecture. Be sure to visit the churches of St. Demetrius, St. Panktokrator and St. Minas. Fortunately, they were hardly affected by the strong earthquake in 1953. Not far from the church of St. Panktokrator, the oldest cemetery is located, where the poet Aristotelis Valaoritis is buried. The baroque style is traced in the exterior of the temples, while the interior walls are decorated with elaborate frescoes.

Near the city of Lefkada, there is a mountain on the top of which the Faneromeni Monastery is built. In addition to walking around the beautiful territory of the attraction, you can visit the museum of religious art with a collection of manuscripts, paintings, etc.

In addition, the mountain offers amazing views of the green hilly island of Lefkada and the azure waters of the Ionian Sea.

After visiting the temples, visit the museums:

• Ethnographic;
• Phonographs.

Art lovers are welcomed by the art gallery, the best works of masters of the post-Byzantine period are presented here. After such a busy program, you will probably want to relax and soak up the beach.

Another popular route among travelers is heading towards Nidri and on the way turn towards Caria. This is a beautiful village located in the mountains. The brightness and splendor of greenery literally dazzles, it seems that such juicy and amazing plants simply do not exist. Residents of the village today honor the ancient traditions that have survived to this day. Here you can admire the unique Lefkada embroidery and even purchase a piece of fabric. This will be a wonderful souvenir and gift to a loved one.

Near Caria there is the settlement of Enkluvi, where guests are offered amazing lentil dishes. It turns out that from this simple and unpretentious product you can cook real culinary masterpieces.

Excursions

Given the number of attractions on the island, its rich historical and cultural heritage, many excursions are conducted here. However, you can walk around Lefkada on your own. Simple take the road to Nydri. Walk a few kilometers, and on the way you will meet a small settlement Kalligoni. According to one legend, it was here that the ancient Lefkada was born.

Strolling the ruins of the ancient city, you will enjoy the dilapidated walls and the unusual ruins of the ancient theater.

The village of Ligia is the next stop. This is a small village by the sea, there is a beautiful beach with soft sand.

Upon reaching Nydri, you can visit many shops and purchase various souvenirs and art objects made by local artisans.Find out RATES or book any accommodation using this form

Fans of a luxury holiday can cruise and visit the most picturesque islands surrounding Lefkada - Valaoritis, Sparta, Scorpios. The main attraction of the Agia Kyriaki Peninsula is the Derpfeld House. It is located at the top, from where an unforgettable view of Lefkada opens.

It is impossible to take your eyes off the beautiful waterfall, located near the settlement of Rahi.

Any excursion can be carried out by a professional, local guide, you only need to discuss the details of the trip.

The largest of the islands surrounding Lefkada is Meganisi. On the island there are several villages - Spartochori, Vati and Catomeri. If possible - go to the sea cave of Papanikolis. During the Second World War, a submarine was hidden here.

On the island of Kalamos, people who like beaches, clear sea water and enjoy the beautiful scenery love to relax.

If you want to feel absolute isolation from civilization during your vacation, take part in a cruise to uninhabited islets - Arkuli, Atokos, Patalas, Draconer and Oksia.

Weather and climate in Lefkada

The island has a Mediterranean climate. It has hot summers and wet, mild winters. The hottest months are July and August. At this time, the air temperature warms up to +32 ° C. Humidity is high in summer.

In the second half of September and early October, the resort has a velvet season. The main advantage of which is a small number of vacationers and a comfortable temperature of air and water - + 24 ... + 27 ° C and + 23 ... + 25 ° C, respectively.

Also, travelers come to Lefkada in April and May. In spring, the island blooms and fascinates with an abundance of vegetation and rich colors. Of course, swimming at this time is still too early, because the water warms up to only + 16 ... +19 ° C.

How to get there

When studying the question of how to get to Lefkada in Greece, note that the island can be reached from anywhere in the mainland. You can get there either by car or by public transport - bus or ferry.

From the capital of Greece, the city of Athens, bus flights are carried out 2-5 times a day. Travel time is 5.5 hours. Ticket price - 33.4 euros (as of November 2017).

The bus departure point can be found at Athens Kifisou 100.

The schedule varies depending on the time of year and the influx of tourists. The current schedule and prices for travel from different cities of Greece can be found on the official website of the carrier Ktel lefkadas - www.ktel-lefkadas.gr (you can also buy tickets online).

Ferries run from Ithaca and Kefalonia. In 2015, as a result of the earthquake, the island moved about 35 cm in the direction of Kefalonia, now the time spent on the ferry has been reduced.

25 km from the main city of the island of Lefkada is Aktion Airport, which receives domestic flights (from Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu and Crete) and international flights. There is no direct communication with Russia and Ukraine.
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The resort island of Lefkada (Greece) is the dream of many tourists. Be sure to visit this unforgettable place imbued with the spirit and color of Greece.

A short but beautiful video from the island of Lefkada - after such shots, you definitely want to go there.

Watch the video: 73 best beaches of LEFKADA Λευκάδα, Lefkas, Greece Beach Guide, 51 min. Melissa Travel (December 2024).