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With an area of 395 km² and 25.000 people living there Lefkas
(also known as Lefkada) is one of the bigger islands in the
Ionian group. In a way it isn't even an proper island
anymore. It is connected to the mainland by a floating swing
bridge which by all means is a rather curious thing.
Lefkas is one of these places where they found the right
balance. They never even tried to appeal to the masses and as
a result did not attract mass tourism. As a result the island
attracts a rather different crowd.
Lefkas – even the touristy areas – maintained its original
charm. There are excellent campsites on the island for
example which these days is rather unusual. Backpackers of
course love it. The island is also popular with surfers and
hikers. The island offers everything independent travelers
fancy and it should; they are the target audience or so it
seems. The rather excellent beaches of course help as well.
Picture: © lettas -
Fotolia.com
Lefkas city is situated right behind the bridge that connects
the island to the mainland. The old town with its narrow
alleys is worth seeing. The city is a good place for
shopping. Most of the better shops are located in the big
pedestrian zone. There you'll also find loads of nice
restaurants and hotels. The main attraction seems to be the
local castle (Aghia Mavra), the museums are quite interesting
as well. There for example is the Archaeological Museum, the
Museum of Popular Art and – rather unusual – a Photography
Museum.
The east of Lefkas: In the east of the island are a few nice
tourist places. Most popular is Nidri. You'll meet quite a
few English people there. Most of the restaurants and hotels
are around the old and quite romantic port.
The south of Lefkas: Most popular in the south is Vasiliki.
It is situated in a wide bay and considered one of the best
surfing areas in Europe. The town is widely considered the
most beautiful on the island. The local camp site (Vasiliki
Beach Camping) is particularly popular and not only with wind
surfers. It is regarded as one of the finest camp sites in
Greece.
While you are there we highly recommend visiting the villages
up in the mountains. Most impressive is the old capital
Karia. She is a typical example for the Ionian architecture
and style.
Due to the islands popularity prices rose in recent years. We
would consider it slightly above average.
There are frequent busses between Lefkas City and Nidri.
During season they go at least every hour. At least five
busses a day connect the capital with Vasiliki. Generally
speaking the bus system is quite good. You get pretty much
everywhere by public transport. Unusual for an island, there
are 4 busses a day to Athens and other places on the
mainland.
From Nidri and Vasiliki go three to five ferries a day to
Ithaka and Kefalonia. There is no airport on Lefkas.
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