Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mainland to avoid an Ottoman tenure, which began in 1479, but the Venetians
wrested back control a couple of centuries later. They were in turn overthrown by
Napoleon in 1797 and then the British took over as Ionian protectors in 1810 until
reunification with Greece in 1864.
The whiteness of its rock strata -
lefkás
has the same root as
lefkós
, “white” - is
apparent on its partly bare ridges. While the marshes and boggy inlets on the east
coast can lead to a mosquito problem, the island is a fertile place, supporting
cypresses, olive groves and vineyards, particularly on the western slopes. The rugged
west coast, however, is the star attraction, boasting some of the finest beaches in the
archipelago.
Lefkádha remains relatively undeveloped, with just two major resorts:
Vassilikí
, in its
vast bay in the south, claims to be Europe's biggest windsurfing centre;
Nydhrí
, on the
east coast, overlooks the island's picturesque set of satellite islets, including laidback
Meganíssi
. The capital's superb
marina
also appeals to yachties in large numbers.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
LEFKÁDHA
11
By plane
Lefkádha itself does not have an airport but is
less than 20km from the one at Préveza, served by charter
flights from northern and eastern Europe, as well as
domestic connections to Athens (1-2 daily; 50min). There
is no airport bus but KTEL services from Préveza stop at the
terminal entrance and taxis are readily available.
By bus
The new bus station is out past the marina, around
1km from the centre of Lefkádha Town.
Destinations
Athens (4 daily; 5hr 30min); Igoumenítsa (5
weekly; 3hr); Pátra (2 weekly; 3hr); Préveza (4 Mon-Sat, 3
Sun; 30min); Thessaloníki (2 weekly; 8-9hr).
By ferry
Apart from the shuttle ferry from Nydhrí to
Meganíssi (see p.734), the only ferries departing from
Lefkádha now leave from Vassilikí; the summer schedules
below are reduced drastically in the low season.
Destinations
Fiskárdho (Kefaloniá; 1-2 daily; 1hr); Fríkes
(Itháki; 1 daily; 1hr 30min).
Information
There is no tourist office on Lefkádha but for
further information you can check out
W
lefkasgreece.com,
the most comprehensive site on the island.
GETTING AROUND
By bus
There are services from Lefkádha Town to almost
every village on the island, with frequent daily schedules to
Nydhrí, Vassilikí and Áyios Nikítas/Káthisma, especially in
summer.
By car or motorbike
Two outlets for car and motorbike
rental in the capital are EuroHire, Golémi 5 (
T
26450
26776,
W
eurohire.gr), near the bus station, and Santas
(
T
26450 25250,
W
ilovesantas.gr), next to the
Ionian Star
hotel. There are numerous other rental agencies
throughout the island, especially Nydhrí, Vassilikí and Áyios
Nikítas.
Lefkádha Town
LEFKÁDHA TOWN
sits at the island's northernmost tip, right where the causeway joins
it to the mainland. Like other capitals in the southern Ionian, it was hit by the
earthquakes of 1948 and 1953 and the town was devastated, with the exception of a
few Italianate churches. It's a small town - you can cross it on foot in little over ten
minutes - and still very attractive, especially around the main square,
Platía Ayíou
Spyridhónos
, and the arcaded high street of Ioánnou Méla. The largely pedestrian-
only centre boasts over half a dozen richly decorated private family
churches
, best
visited around services as they are usually locked at other times. Many contain rare
works from the Ionian School of painting, including work by its founder,
Zakynthian Panayiotis Doxaras.
Phonograph, Radio and Tradition Museum
Panayióti Políti 1-3 • May-Oct daily 10am-2pm & 7pm-midnight • Free •
T
26450 21088
You can catch a glimpse of the old way of life at the quaint little
Phonograph, Radio
and Tradition Museum
, which is dedicated to antique phonographs, radios and an
astounding array of bric-a-brac. It also sells recordings of rare traditional music and a
few assorted souvenirs.
