General Information
The second-bigger among the islands of the Ionian Sea, Lefkada is a complex of 24 large and smaller islands. Lefkada's landscape alternates between varying forms of natural beauty, including long sandy beaches, picturesque anchorages with green-blue waters, impressive caves, rare geological formations and beautiful greenery all of which ensnare the visitor. The presence of man through the ages is depicted by his numerous impressive creations, such as archaeological sites, castles, churches, traditional hamlets and picturesque offshore villages, all masterfully harmonious with the natural environment of the island. Lefkada measures 35 kilometers (22 miles) from north to south and 15 kilometers (9 miles) from east to west. The area of the island is about 302 square kilometers (117 sq mi), the area of the municipality includes the islands Kalamos, Kastos and several smaller islets.
History - Culture
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 Nydri on the south coast of Lefkada. The first museum in Europe for Lafcadio Hearn, who was born on the island and is named after it, was inaugurated in Lefkada on July 4, 2014, as Lafcadio Hearn Historical Center. It contains early editions, rare books and Japanese collectibles. The visitors, through photos, texts and exhibits, can wander in the significant events of Lafcadio Hearn's life, but also in the civilizations of Europe, America and Japan of the late 18th and early 19th centuries through the open mind of his lectures, writings and tales. The municipalities of Kumamoto, Matsue, Shinjuku, Yaizu, Toyama University, Koizumi family and other people from Japan and Greece contributed to the establishment of Lafcadio Hearn Historical Center.
Access
All year round there are dense flight services from Athens. There is also a daily bus service from Athens and Patras in the Peloponnese. The Greek National Road 42 is a highway in northwestern Aetolia-Acarnania and in Lefkada, Greece. It links the town of Lefkada with the Greek National Road 5 (Antirrio - Arta - Ioannina) in Amfilochia, passing through the town of Vonitsa. The eastern part of the GR-42, between Amfilochia and Vonitsa, runs along the southern shore of the Ambracian Gulf. The highway contains a bridge over the Vonitsa Lagoon. A drawbridge form the connection of the island of Lefkada to the mainland. The road ends in the town of Lefkada.