Lefkada combines the vibrancy of an Ionian island with a rich history. Its name comes from the white cliffs of Cape Lefkatas in the south, home to the legendary “Leap of Sappho”.
Built beside the lagoon, the capital stands out for its colourful, earthquake-resistant houses with wooden and sheet-metal upper floors — a unique architecture born after the earthquakes. Stroll the cobbled streets, visit the Venetian castle of Agia Mavra, and experience the renowned International Folklore Festival every August.
Once a quiet fishing village, Nydri has grown into the island’s liveliest seaside resort. Here lived and worked the German archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld, who argued that Homer’s Ithaca was in fact Lefkada; his tomb lies just across the bay on the Agia Kyriaki peninsula. Nearby you’ll also find the Dimossari waterfalls, set in a lush green gorge.
