Lefkada
Lefkada, or Leucas is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, connected to the mainland by a long
causeway and floating bridge, as well as the island's capital city. The city of Lefkada, is at
the north of the island, approximately 20 minutes by automobile away from Preveza Airport.
Lefkada Town (population: ca. 10,000), has a pedestrianised main street, a marina, and bus access
to Athens.
The east coast section of the island has small resorts of Lefkada, Nikiana and Perigiali, all north
of the largest resort on the island - Nidri. It is set in a sheltered location with views across to
Skorpios - owned by Aristotle Onassis, Meganissi and other small islands, as well as the Greek mainland.
The main coastal road from Lefkada to Vasiliki runs through the town, although a bypass is being built.
There are regular car ferries to Kefalonia, Ithaca and Meganissi.
20km south of Nidri is the resort of Vasiliki - a windsurfing center. There are ferries here to Kefalonia
and Ithaca.
South of Vasiliki is Cape Lefkada, where renowned Greek female poet Sappho allegedly leapt to her
death from the 100 foot (30m) high cliffs. There are spectacular views across to Ithaca and
Kefalonia, however the 16km (10 mile) unpaved road is enough to put off all but the most determined.
Indeed, the myth about Sappho's suicide at Cape Lefkada is related to other myths linking the island
to the ancient Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, and to Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey. The
German archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld proposed the theory that the island of Nidri off the southwest
coast of Lefkada was the real historical Ithaca, home of Odysseus. There exist several passages in the
Odyssey suggesting that Lefkada is the real model for Homeric Ithaca. The most notable of these passages
describes Ithaca as an island reachable on foot, which is the case for Lefkada, that is connected to the
mainland by a narrow causeway (although analysis by geographers and hydrographers has concluded that the
causeway is a more recent product of silting in the natural channel between the island and mainland and
that in Homer's day Lefkada was indeed an island).
The West coast, facing the great expanse of the Mediterranean, has the hyped beach of Porto Katsiki.
To the North, there are numerous beaches, with pale golden sand and powerful waves - a sharp contrast
to the more popular East Coast.
Folklore has it that once upon a time, thousands of years ago, Lefkada was attached to mainland
Greece (see above about Homer's Ithaca bein Lefkada). Some say the Leleges, its first inhabitants,
transformed into an island, others that the Corinthians dug a trench in its isthmus.
Municipalities and communities
| Municipality | YPES code | Seat | Postal code |
| Apollonion | 3601 | Vasiliki | 310 82 |
| Ellomenos | 3602 | Nydri | 311 00 |
| Karya | 3604 | 310 80 | |
| Lefkada (city) | 3606 | 311 00 | |
| Meganisi | 3607 | 310 83 | |
| Sfakiotes | 3608 | Lazarata | 310 80 |
| Community | YPES code | Seat | Postal code |
| Kalamos | 3603 | 310 81 | |
| Kastos | 3605 | 310 81 |
Notable persons
- Aristotelis Valaoritis, poet and politician (1824 - 1879)
- Lafcadio Hearn - Orientalist and writer, who was named after the island
- Dimitrios Golemis, a historic Greek athlete
- Angelos Sikelianos, poet and playwright (March 28, 1884 in Lefkada - June 19, 1951 in (Athens)
- Maria Vamvakinou - federal politician, Australia
- Panos G. Rontoyannis, (June 20, 1911 in Lefkas - December 26, 1996 in Athens) a philologist and historian (the called "historian of Lefkas")
- Agnes Baltsa International opera singer
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org