Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Yíra and Aïyánnis
There is a decent and lengthy shingle-and-sand beach west of the lagoon at
YÍRA
, a
thirty-minute walk from the centre of Lefkádha Town. Roughly 4km long, the beach is
often virtually deserted even in high season. Its western extension,
AÏYÁNNIS
, is a
popular yet relaxed spot with several restaurants.
Faneroméni monastery
Daily 8am-2pm & 4-8pm • Free
The uninhabited
Faneroméni monastery
is reached by any of the west-coast buses or by
a steep 45-minute hike on foot from town through the hamlet of Fríni. There's a small
museum and chapel, and an ox's yoke and hammer, used when Nazi occupiers forbade
the use of bells.
Karyá and the interior
he island's
interior
offers imposing mountainscapes and excellent walking between
villages only a few kilometres apart.
KARYÁ
is at the centre of the interior, and offers
some rooms. This is the centre of the island's lace and weaving industry, with a small
but fascinating
folklore museum
set in a lacemaker's home (April-Oct daily 9am-9pm;
€2.50). The historic and scenic villages of
Vafkerí
and
Englouví
are within striking
distance, with the west-coast hamlets of
Dhrymónas
and
Exánthia
a hike over the hills.
ACCOMMODATION, EATING AND NIGHTLIFE AROUND LEFKÁDHA TOWN
For rooms in Karyá, contact the Kakiousis family (
T
26450 61136; €30) or Haritini Vlahou (
T
26450 41634; €25).
11
Club Milos
Yíra
T
26450 21332.
This lively club in a
disused windmill is so far from any other buildings that it
can pump out the hottest disco sounds at full volume far
into the night.
May-Sept daily 10pm-late.
Ta Platania
Karyá
T
26450 41247.
The best of the trio of
tavernas that fringe the beautiful plane-shaded square
dishes up ample portions of mostly meat dishes such as
frigadhéli
, for around €5-7.
Daily 11am-1am.
Tilegraphos
Aïyánnis
T
26450 24881.
Good restaurant
with a shady elongated garden, serving a decent range of
mezédhes
and
seafood, and also has some simple rooms.
May-Oct.
€40
The east coast
Anchored by the island's busiest resort of
Nydhrí
, Lefkádha's east coast is the most accessible
and the most developed part of the island, much more so, in fact, than the nearby mainland
coast. The beaches are mostly shingly and unspectacular, with the exception of
Dhessími
and
Rouda
bays, until you reach the long strand on the bay of
Vassilikí
.
Northeast coast
The stretch of the
northeast coast
between the capital and Nydhrí is a rather
unprepossessing sprawl of seaside villages linked by almost unbroken development.
Unless you choose to camp at
Karyótes
, there's little point stopping before the small
fishing port of
Liyiá
. Further on lies
Nikiána
, another reasonably picturesque fishing
village. Beaches all along this part of the coast tend to be pebbly and small.
Nydhrí
Most package travellers will find themselves in
NYDHRÍ
, the island's biggest resort by far
and also the jumping-off point for Meganíssi (see p.734). It's an average resort but has
a lovely setting and a reasonable pebble beach offering watersports. The town's focus is
the Aktí Aristotéli Onássi
quay
, where most of the restaurants and bars are found. The
German archeologist
Wilhelm Dörpfeld
is honoured with a statue here for promoting
the theory that Nydhrí, rather than Itháki, was the site of Odysseus's capital, while his
tomb is tucked away at Ayía Kyriakí on the opposite side of the bay. The turning
signposted Ráhi leads to Nydhrí's modest
waterfall
, a 45-minute walk inland.
