Information about Lefkada island

Photo: anta00001

Lefkada covers an 294.5-square-kilometer area, thus being the fourth largest island in the Ionian Sean and the closest to the opposite coast. It is just 78 meters away from Mainland Greece, from which it is separated with the channel of Leykada that has a width of 25 meters. Nowdays, there is a mobile bridge and the access is possible by road from the mainland. Her name probably derives from the adjective white and it is due to the white colour of the mountains of south-west side which was the scarecrow for the pirates in antiquity, but there are also other versions. The population of the island amounts to 20,777 (2001), with 1 / 3 concentrated in the town of Lefkada.

The shoreline with length 116 km forms oblong capes and bays, particularly in the south.

The west side has a wild view with steep cliffs above the sea, while in the east side, the landscape is softer. Besides the natural beauty and the world famous beaches of the island, Lefkada has produced an interesting cultural movement, dominated by the celebrations of the Word and the Arts. The economy of the island is based on the production of olives and pulses, the beekeeping, the production of salt, in both salt marshes on the east coast, and the pisciculture.