Lefkada

Details

Parent Category: Regions

Category: Ionian Islands

The island of Lefkada is surrounded by a total of 24 islets, including the renowned island of Scorpios, property of Aristotelis Onassis. In Lefkada, which extends over 302.5 km2, you will find remarkable sights, churches and monasteries, picturesque settlements, green surroundings and wonderful beaches.
The Archaeological, Folklore Museums and the Charamogleios Special Library of Lefkada, which is unique in the world, compose the image of an island with a somewhat "mainland" character ideal for holidays and entertainment.

Lefkada formed part of the coasts of Akarnania until the 6th century B.C. Nowadays, it is considered to be an island, as it is separated from mainland Greece by a canal however a bridge provides access to the island. This along with the fact that it can be frequently reached by ferry boats departing from other Ionian islands as Zante, Ithaca and Kefalonia make Lefkada a very good base for trips and excursions to the Ionian islands and western Greece. Lefkada was named after Lefkatas, a cape located at the southernmost part of the island with its imposing steep white rocks. Lefkada has been inhabited since the Neolithic era. It grew prosperous as a Corinthian colony and formed part of the Epirus Domain after 1204, when Constantinople was conquered by the Franks. Later on Turks, Venetians, French and Englishmen took over the island, until it joined Greece in 1864 along with the rest of the Ionian islands.