Lefkada

Lefkada (Lefkas) is peculiar, which is exactly why it has so many avid fans through the years. Connected to the mainland by a long causeway through lagoons and a 30m pontoon swivel bridge, it barely feels like an island, at least on the busier eastern side.

Lefkada was long an important strategic base and approaching the causeway you pass a series of fortresses, climaxing in the fourteenth-century castle of Santa Maura – the Venetian name for the island. These defenses were too close to the 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 island is a fertile place, supporting cypresses, olive groves and vineyards, particularly on the western slopes. The rough west coast though is the star attraction. Impressive cliff setting, white sand and pebbles shining in the Ionian sun, crystal clear, turquoise waters and wild natural landscapes join forces to create some of the best beaches you’ve ever seen. The most popular and most-photographed of them are Porto Katsiki beach, Egremni beach and Kathisma beach. If you are looking for privacy and secluded beaches, visit Mylos, Kalamitsi, and Kaminia, to chill out and relax away from the crowds.

Lefkada remains relatively undeveloped, with just two major resorts: Vassiliki, in its vast bay in the south, claims to be Europe’s biggest windsurfing centre; Nydri, on the east coast, overlooks the island’s scenic set of satellite islets, including Onassis’ former private island Scorpios. The capital’s superb marina also appeals to yachties in large numbers.