Lefkada Λευκάδα
Location
Lefkada
Coordinates	38°43′N 20°39′E / 38.717°N 20.65°E / 38.717; 20.65Coordinates: 38°43′N 20°39′E / 38.717°N 20.65°E / 38.717; 20.65
Location within the region
Government
Country:	Greece
Region:	Ionian Islands
Regional unit:	Lefkada
Population statistics (as of 2001)
Municipality
- Population:	21,414
- Area:	335.8 km2 (130 sq mi)
- Density:	64 /km2 (165 /sq mi)
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)

Lefkada, or Leucas or Leucadia^[1] (Greek: Λευκάδα, [lefˈkaða]; Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς, Lefkás, [leu̯kás]), is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Lefkada (city).^[2] It is situated on the northern part of the island, approximately 20 minutes by automobile away from Aktion National Airport. The island is part of the regional unit of Lefkada.

History[link]

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, having performed excavations at various locations of Lefkada, was able to obtain funding to do work on the island by suggesting that Lefkada was Homer's Ithaca, and the palace of Odysseus was located west of Nidri on the south coast of Lefkada. There have been suggestions by local tourism officials that several passages in the Odyssey point to Lefkada as a possible model for Homeric Ithaca. The most notable of these passages pushed by the local tourism board describes Ithaca as an island reachable on foot, which was the case for Lefkada since it is not really an island, that it was connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. According to Strabo, the coast of Acarnania was called Leucas in earlier times. The ancient sources call Leucas a Corinthian colony, perhaps with a Corcyraen participation.^[3] During the Peloponnesian War Leucas had joined the Spartan Confederation.^[4]

The Ottomans called it "Ayamavra" (a rendering of the Greek Αγία Μαύρα, the island's medieval name), and ruled it between 1479–1502, 1504–1684 and 1715-1716.^[5][6]

Geography[link]

The island of Lefkada in a NASA World Wind satellite picture.

Porto Katsiki beach.

Kalamitsi Beach in Lefkada.

Porto Katsiki beach.

Lefkada measures 35 km from north to south, and 15 km from east to west. Its area is 336 km². Its highest point is the mountain Stavrota, 1158 m elevation,^[7] situated in the middle of the island. The east coast section of the island has small resorts of Lygia, Nikiana and Perigiali, all north of Nidri, the largest resort on the island. 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 village, although a bypass has now been completed which skirts the village to the west. There are regular car ferries to Kefalonia, Ithaca and Meganissi.

20 km south of Nidri is the resort of Vasiliki, a windsurfing center. There are ferries to Kefalonia and Ithaca from Vasiliki. South of Vasiliki is Cape Lefkada, where the Greek female poet Sappho allegedly leapt to her death from the 30 m high cliffs.

The famous beach of Porto Katsiki is located on Lefkada's west coast. Lefkada was attached to mainland Greece (see above about Homer's Ithaca being Lefkada). The Corinthians dug a trench in the 7th century BC on its isthmus.^[8]

Climate[link]

The island has a typical Mediterranean climate: hot summers and cool winters, especially in the mountains.

Municipality[link]

The present municipality Lefkada was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 7 former municipalities, that became municipal units:^[2]

• Apollonioi
• Ellomenos
• Kalamos
• Karya
• Kastos
• Lefkada (city)
• Sfakiotes

The municipality covers the island Lefkada and the smaller islands Kastos and Kalamos.

Transport[link]

• Greek National Road 42
• Two other roads

Persons[link]

(in chronological order)

• Spiridon Zambelios (1813-1881), historian
• Frederick Temple (1821-1902), Archbishop of Canterbury
• Aristotelis Valaoritis (1824-1879), poet and politician
• Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904), Greco-Irish orientalist and writer, named after the island
• Dimitrios Golemis (1874–1941), athlete
• Aggelos Sikelianos (1884–1951), poet and playwright
• Tzavalas Karousos or Karoussos (1904–1969), actor
• Panos Rontoyannis (1911–1996), philologist and historian
• Theodoros Stamos (1922–1997), Greek-American painter
• Apostolos Kaklamanis (1936), politician
• Agnes Baltsa (1944), opera singer
• George Contogeorgis (1947), political scientist
• Elli Stai (1954), journalist and talk show presenter
• Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping tycoon
• Maria Vamvakinou (1959), Greek-Australian politician
• Spyros Vrettos (1960), poet
• Evagelia Aravani (1985), fashion model

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lefkada

• Lefkada Prefecture
• Lefkada The Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation

v t e Administrative division of the Ionian Islands Region Area: 2,307 km² • Population : 212,984 (2001) • Capital: Corfu Regional unit of Corfu Corfu • Paxoi Regional unit of Ithaca Ithaca Regional unit of Cephalonia Cephalonia Regional unit of Lefkada Lefkada • Meganisi Regional unit of Zakynthos Zakynthos Regional governor: Spyros Spyrou • Website: www.pin.gov.gr