Despite being connected to the mainland with a causeway which practically makes it the only Greek island that can be accessed by car, Lefkada is still amazingly unaltered by tourism. The island is world renowned for its verdant landscapes and its abundant beaches, each of them adding to the all-pervading white sand and turquoise green water setting.
Central to all is the capital Lefkada town that occupies the northeastern tip of the island. Following the destructive earthquakes of 1948 and 1950, a major part of the town was massively destroyed and forced the inhabitants to re-build their houses. And although the earthquake laid waste to most of the historical buildings, the town was re-built in a distinctive quake-proof attractive style; wooden buildings in faded pastel colors whose upper stories are adorned with brightly painted corrugated iron. The backbone of the town, the pedestrian street Ioannou Mela, is lined with elegant cafeterias and exclusive shops, a genuinely congenial place to stroll through. The seafront is another hub of life which leads to the new state-of-the-art marina.
Some very interesting museums can be found in town; the quaint museum of Phonographs, the Orpheus Folklore Museum, and the small but captivating Archaeological Museum. It traces the history of the island and its people from the Paleolithic to the late Roman period. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the excavations of the archaeologist William Dörpfeld and it showcases findings related to every aspect of life of the time span it covers.
Lefkada town is home to some of the most important and interesting churches of the island. Agios Spyridonas is situated just a few meters away from the central market street. Originally built in 1687 it was re-constructed following the devastating earthquakes. Today it is well-known for its beautifully adorned iconostasis with works of Ventouris and Roussos.
Do not miss out on the opportunity to visit Lefkada; the island that along with Ithaca remains one of the most pristine destinations of the Ionian.