The fine dust swirled like a white cloud over the rough dirt road. In the hot summer noon every attempt to open the car windows proved futile. Even so, the dust found a way to find the unseen crevices and penetrate the interior. The supposed tightness of the Japanese car had been irretrievably compromised by the fine grains of dust from the Lefkada dirt road.

It was the late 1970s. I was driving downhill with many other like-minded people towards Porto Katsiki and wondered if it was worth all the… flour. A few minutes later I got the answer. A few dozen meters below my feet revealed the most spectacular bay, the brightest turquoise waters and the most fascinating geomorphologically fascinating coastline I had seen so far.

In the course of time, many details of Lefkada were forgotten. Porto Katsiki, however, retained the primacy in my memories, a painting painted by Nature in the indelible turquoise colour of the Ionian Sea.

So when Aris Katsigiannis – a subscriber from the first issues of the magazine – invited us to the island, the first image that formed in my memory was the legendary bay that had once so captivated me. I would soon find that the charm of Lefkada was not only due to Porto Katsiki and the other famous beaches, but also to the unseen hinterland, which remained in the shadow of the island’s celebrities.

Fryni. The Venetian olive grove and the beach of Agios Ioannis.

Unless one is preconceived, one hardly realizes that, from one moment to the next, one is passing from mainland Greece to an island. This “geographical change” takes a few seconds, as long as it takes to cross the 60 meters of the floating bridge over the sea channel that separates the coast of Aitoloakarnania from Lefkada. It is the shortest and most inexpensive passage to a Greek island, unaffected by the unpleasant weather conditions throughout the year, a true privilege for both Lefkadians and the numerous visitors to the island.

It would require a special article to describe the first charming images that reveal themselves to our eyes, the sweet tranquility of the lagoon, the majesty of the Venetian Castle of Agia Maura, the graceful and delicate silhouettes of the herons and immediately afterwards the picturesque beauty of the Chora of Lefkada. So for now we limit ourselves to a fleeting wander and continue for two kilometres west of Chora, to the settlement of Fruni. A winding network of narrow lanes leads us inland. The sea horizon gradually disappears. The blue colour of the coast is hidden behind dense foliage with different shades of green. It is the orange and lemon trees, but mainly the countless olive trees, which impose themselves on the flat land with their dimensions and volume. We are in the famous “Venetian olive grove”. I observe the old olive trees, these “Methuselahs” of the Lefkadian land, many of which are more than six centuries old. They are a true miracle of nature, a unique example of the most extreme, most stubborn resistance to the hardships of time. On the one hand, their tortured trunks, full of hollows and crevices, deep wrinkles, like the forehead of a centenarian old man. And on the other, the dull green branches, rising above them like a comet of untamed young man. Loaded each year with blossoms and fruit, they defy and mock time as if they possess the sadness of eternal youth. How many and how many generations of men, Venetians, Turks, Greeks and so many others, have seen the light in this place, grown up and gone while these trees remain … They are the monuments of nature that link the past with the present, that vaguely recall an age gone forever.

Today the characteristics of the plain in Fryni have changed. In place of the dusty or muddy dirt roads and the old farmhouses and facilities, an asphalt road network has been developed, as well as a significant number of modern accommodation facilities to serve the thousands of visitors. In such a green environment of 4 acres, the complex of 20 furnished apartments “ALEXARIA”, owned by the brothers Alexandros and Aristomenes Katsigiannis, has been operating since 1990.

The unit brings together all those characteristics that predispose for a peaceful and quality holiday. A large swimming pool with hydro-massage dominates the centre of the open-air area, which is covered with grass and planted with flowers, orange and lemon trees and old olive trees. The parking area is under the trees, and there is a playground and a special children’s activity area. The one-room and two-room apartments are distributed in two building complexes and are comfortable, tastefully furnished and have air conditioning, TV and kitchen equipped with all necessary utensils. The ground floor apartments have direct proximity to the grass and trees, while the apartments on the first floor have, depending on their orientation, a view of the olive grove, Fryni or the pine forest to the west of the settlement. We choose a ground floor apartment in order to have the sense of immediacy with the wonderful natural environment all around us.

A cool maestro lightly shakes the treetops.

–A pleasant companion that rarely leaves us in summer, says Ares. Here, of course, in the interior its intensity is tempered, but on the beach of St. John’s it must be blowing hard at this moment.

At the north-western end of the island, just 700 metres from the lodge, the great curve of Agios Ioannis beach is outlined. It is a bay with a wonderful sandy beach and crystal clear waters that, depending on their depth, take on various shades of blue. The bay is fully exposed to the maistro, which at this time of the day exceeds 5 Beaufort and creates foamy waves. This constant natural energy of the wind is exploited by some daredevils and they engage with great skill in the spectacular sport of “Kite surfing”, a combination of board and paragliding. Due to its natural beauty and its proximity to the town of Lefkada, the beach of Agios Ioannis is very popular and touristically exploited with many bars, restaurants and rooms to let.

The main focus of this article is to highlight the – less known – inland of the island. However, we cannot avoid the temptation to wander for a while to some of the more famous settlements and beaches of Lefkada. So until the sun sets we continue along the NW coastline towards Ag. Nikita. Previously we pass by the famous monastery of Faneromeni, founded in the mid-17th century and still considered by Lefkadians to be the most important place of pilgrimage.

The route is of great interest. The successive hillsides and the gentle slopes of the ground create a complex terrain covered with olive groves, pine trees and numerous cypresses, which stand out with their delicate silhouettes. As we ascend, the view towards the town of Lefkada and the plain becomes more and more fascinating. We pass by the settlement of Tsoukalades and descend towards the Ionian Sea. The olive groves are gradually replaced by pine forests. A vast sandy beach is revealed to our eyes. It is the stunning coast of Aghios Nikitas, the well-known “Pefkoulia”, so deserted in mid-March but so homogeneous and lively in summer. At the end of the coast and at the cove of the bay, next to the cape of Ag. Nikita, stands the homonymous settlement, one of the most famous and popular holiday resorts of Lefkada.

Halfway along the coastal route to Ag. Nikitas, a road climbs steeply to the left, connecting the coast of Pefkoulia and Ag. Nikitas with the mainland. Last summer we had the excellent experience of this route, which after almost 5 km of successive turns along a pine-lined gorge, had led us to the settlement of “Asprogerakata” and then to the mountainous area of the island. For the sake of this first memory we deviate again from the coastal road and climb up towards the mountainous area. Before a minute has passed, our course is violently and unexpectedly halted. A huge landslide had obliterated the asphalt roadway under tons of dirt and rocks. It was in fact the detachment of an entire hillside, made up of loose rocks and dirt. It is certain that the widening of the road and the overall restoration of the destruction will require a lot of time and large machinery. More difficult still will be the task of shoring up the slope so that it is not at risk of another landslide in the future.

We return to the traditional fishing village of Agios Nikitas, with its stone houses, narrow streets, ouzeri and taverns by the shore.

The village is almost deserted at this time of year, but it is bustling with life in the summer. Before the sun sets, we climb past the settlement up a steep dirt road to “Megali Rachi”.

The view from here is amazing to the beach of “Mylos” under our feet and the whole vastness of the Ionian Sea.

As darkness falls we return to Chora. The mainland has now calmed down, the waters of the lagoon are still. It is an incredibly romantic hour, inviting us for a long and peaceful walk.

TO THE MOUNTAINS

The day starts with an orange I pick from the tree. It’s not very sweet, it’s not ripe yet. It is, however, a fresh and authentic taste, saturated by the overnight dew.

We cross Fryni in a southerly direction towards the settlement of Apolpena. The Venetian olive grove is decorated with the colourful carpet of nature, the innumerable wild flowers of spring. On a branch of the stream “Varda” a little lady is crouched. It is Stamoula Therianou, washing her “litter” in the clear flow of the gully. With Aris as our guide, we always go uphill from the torrent on a rough dirt road, unsuitable for conventional cars. On our right we see the picturesque settlement of Apolpena, built amphitheatrically between green slopes. Behind in the distance the calm waters of the lagoon shimmer. Plane trees, cypresses and olive groves, hills and gullies, a varied landscape with constant changes.

After a short while, a section of the “Melissa Gorge”, an impressive gorge, covered mainly with cypresses and holly trees, emerges low. On the right of the dirt road, we find a wonderful grassy path, which descends into the gorge. It is an extremely pleasant walk on gently sloping terrain, with plenty of vegetation and many flowers, among which large purple irises stand out. The opposite side of the gorge is a steeply sloping slope, covered with olive groves. We are struck by the terraces and terraces with the elaborate dry stone to hold back the soil.

In 8 minutes the trail ends above the canyon bed. The water flows rushing and, rushing but unseen almost through an impenetrable jungle of holly.

The rugged and sloping terrain, as well as the wild bushy vegetation make it almost impossible to cross the canyon in this area. We return to the car and head SE and continue along the narrow and rough dirt road between continuous olive groves. In 5 minutes we reach the main road network, which connects Chora with the mountainous part of the island. We climb uphill with bends. Behind us, Chora appears panoramic in the morning mist.

In a few minutes we reach a wide plateau with an average altitude of about 400 meters. We are already in the territory of the Municipality of Sfakiotes, which, according to tradition, owes its name to Sfakians who settled here in the 16th or 17th century.

The first settlement we meet is Spanochori, built amphitheatrically on a beautiful hill, with picturesque stone houses, olive trees, almond trees and vineyards. Immediately afterwards the flat road crosses Lazarata, the seat of the Municipality of Sfakiotes. At the Town Hall we are welcomed by Mayor George Kourtis, who, although it is Sunday, is working in his office. An educator and a nature lover, the Mayor is immediately at our disposal for a short tour of his municipality.

A sign on the main road points us in the direction of the chapel of Prophet Elias. Some people drive the 800 metres to the chapel, while others prefer the well-maintained path, which, through a forest of holly trees, leads to Prophet Elias in 20 minutes. Built with stone at an altitude of 470 m, the temple was badly damaged by fire in the mid-1990s.

Restoration work is already in the process of being completed. Outside the precinct, an uphill path starts to the east, which in 5 minutes leads us to the top of the hill, in a wonderful view of the Skaros mountain range, Acaryania and the sea. Immediately after the neck, the path descends roughly between pine trees and in a few minutes it ends up at the cavernous temple of Agios Stefanos. Built in 1950 with bricks, the chapel has no architectural merit, but it is a real hermitage with a top view of this wilderness area.

– I suggest a short familiarization visit to Bee Canyon, says the mayor.

We start at the Town Hall, pass the beautiful settlement of Kavalos and continue on a dirt road in a N direction. It is a lovely route through cypress trees and olive groves.

Almost 4 km later we reach the gorge area. We are initially greeted by a stone bridge with a 7 m span, 2.2 m wide, an elaborate arch and a very heavy construction. A little further down, the mayor points out a smaller bridge very beautiful with its arch almost disappearing behind dense ivy. About 300 metres further on we come across another bridge with a ruined water mill. 3 minutes later the parade of watermills continues. This time the building is kept in very good condition with excellent stonework and a domed stone roof. A millstone still remains on the floor. All around the surroundings are flowered with daisies and anemones. A little further down another mill and bridge appears, 2m wide and 3.5m wide. The number and beauty of all these stone monuments of the past is astonishing.

– It was a unique area teeming with activity, as there were 10 water mills in operation, the Mayor explained.

We arrive at a small plateau next to the stream, where the canyon path begins. Here are the ruins of a watermill, as well as a stone bridge connecting the banks of the stream. The natural environment is beautiful with plane trees, cypresses, cypresses, gorse, holly and plenty of flowers dominated by anemones and irises. We walk alongside the stream of Apetasti with its transparent flow. In three minutes we pass under a bridge, which has the originality of not being arched but flat. Its stone construction is very strong. At 1.30 metres wide and 2.50 metres long, it is one of the smallest bridges. Immediately afterwards we meet the rich flow of the Melissa stream.

We take the old trail for a while, which in some places preserves the cobbled path. After many years of disuse, the path has been closed and damaged by landslides. We make our way through the holly trees, the vegetation around us is so dense that, despite the bright sunshine of the day, we are suddenly enveloped in a half-darkness.

– This is the unseen Lefkada, not described in any tourist guide, the mayor tells me. But the ambition of the Municipal Authority is, by 2006, to restore and open the path of at least 2 km in the Melissa Gorge. We believe, it will be a valuable walking proposition to our nature loving visitors.

A LITTLE BREAK: Kavalos

With many old stone houses, Kavallos is a traditional village and one of the most picturesque of the Municipality of Sfakiotes.

However, for the locals as well as for the informed visitors, Kavalos is popular not only for its architecture but mainly for the gastronomic lunch events on Sundays.

–It’s worth popping over there, even if we are a little late, suggests the Mayor.

We leave the cars in the centre of the village and after a few dozen metres we are enveloped by a tickling smell of roasting meat. In half a minute the source of the olfactory stimulation is revealed. It’s an open-air barbecue with coals, on which two small spits of what remains of what used to be short ribs and spleen are simmering. An old man stands upright beside the grill.

–You’re late, Mayor, you and your company, he says as we approach. You barely have time to catch a whiff.

Nearing 80, Mr. Vangelis is a third-generation butcher, a tradition that began with his grandfather and has extended to his son Pantazi and grandson. When he retired he thought he would not give up the profession. So he set up an outdoor barbecue next to Stathis’ café and for the past five and six years he has been roasting kokoretsi, kontosouvli and spleen on Sunday mornings. No matter what the weather, cold, snow or rain, Mr. Vangelis’ grill never ceases to tingle the atmosphere and draw a crowd of merrymakers to Stathis’ café. He, for his part, is a genuine shopkeeper. Loud, boisterous and, on occasion, foul-mouthed, he is constantly going back and forth among the patrons with jokes and banter that are not misunderstood by anyone.

Now and then some odd nicknames are heard.

–Everyone here has a nickname, the mayor whispers to me. It’s the only sure way to determine someone’s identity.

Mr. Vangelis’ goodies are great. Unfortunately, they disappear in a flash and there’s no way to replace them. So we continue with the local redbud dry clover. Standing a little further on, Stathis seems to be lurking. Before he can reach the middle of the glass he rushes over with his dammitzana and spills it for us.

The time passes very pleasantly, but we must continue our tour. We cross Kavalos and reach the northwestern end of the village. Here, in a wonderful location, is the village’s old primary school, which ceased to function in the mid-1970s. However, since September 2004, the deserted building is alive again, as its huge hall houses the village’s Folklore Museum. The wealth of exhibits is impressive and their arrangement is excellent. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful regional folklore museums we have seen so far. It is mainly due to the personal participation of Andreas Lazaris and Christos Katopodis or Zakhaios, with the full support of the Municipality of Sfakiotes.

The Museum includes reproductions of traditional Lefkadian house spaces, such as the kitchen and the oven. A complete collection of tools of about 15 traditional trades is exhibited, such as the farmer, the shoemaker, the blacksmith, the blacksmith, the carpenter, the carpenter, the builder, the barber, the shoemaker, the shoemaker and so many other trades that have been lost. There is also a section of textiles and a collection of books by Lefkadian authors.

Our memories come back vividly as we pass in front of the student’s “tools”, a pencil sharpener, a plate, a shillelagh, pegs, the janitor’s bronze bell, notebooks and old school photographs. At one point my attention is drawn to a humble little book with yellowed leaves, very old but of indeterminate age. It has been published in Athens by some teachers with the title: “The key to your success in high school”. I’m trying to flip through it but the leaves are uncut! Apparently its contents were not considered particularly attractive by either its contemporaries or posterity.

A harsh fate for a book doomed to age untouched!

EVEN MORE MOUNTAINOUS: Plateau of Saint Donatos and Baltos 

From Kavalos we continue south towards the interior of the island. The road crosses Asprogerakata with the ancient plane tree and the old well, which preserves the carved stone mouth with a diameter of more than one meter. The interior is made of stone and the water glistens in the background. From Asprogerakata starts this wonderful route to Pefkoulia and Agios Nikitas, which unfortunately has been cut off by the recent landslides.

We pass through Pigadisani and continue towards Karya, the main village of the mountainous Lefkada and seat of the municipality of the same name. Before entering the village we turn right towards the “Air Base” of the island. With successive bends we gain altitude. The view becomes more and more impressive both towards the ground plan of Karya and the wide horizon.

One of the most characteristic morphological features of the area are the numerous terraces with well-built terraces on the slopes. In most of them, there are even small vineyards in lily pads. P. Kontomichis in his book ‘The Agricultural of Lefkada’ states that ‘the Lefkadian is a good and tireless cultivator. But the land he owned was never enough.

It was always poor and limited. Nevertheless, the need to survive gave him the strength of perseverance, so that he transformed the rocky and inhospitable slopes into beautifully cultivated farms. The mountain slopes were planted with vines and the lowlands with olive trees. In order to retain the soil on the downhill soils that were carried away by the heavy rains, he implemented the system of ‘stones’. He used stones from his own estate to raise single dry-stone walls, which supported the soil and levelled the land in a gradual manner. This is how the sometimes squares and sometimes narrower ‘stairs’ were created, which gave the estate horizontal surfaces. This is what the slopes of the island look like from one end to the other. And it was to truly rejoice in the industriousness and patience of the people who literally watered the land with their sweat and made it produce in abundance whole-meal and succulent fruit.”

We are constantly on the move. We reach a small, picturesque plateau at an altitude of 800 metres. Some people are tending their vineyards. A little further up is another, more extensive plateau. Here, the picturesqueness disappears. The land is everywhere excavated by extensive sand-digging. Even in this lunar landscape, however, at an altitude of 850 metres, there are some slopes with terraces and vineyards. It is probably the most mountainous vineyard in Greece.

A narrow, recent asphalt road leads us in 3 minutes to the top of the hill of Agios Ilias, at an altitude of about 1000 meters. The dome of the chapel is painted blue, the colour of the sky. The interior is austere. The original paved floor is preserved but the clutter and rubbish reveal an unjustifiable abandonment. But what remains unaffected by the actions of people is the view from the chapel, which is truly aerial to every point on the horizon. All the small islands of Lefkada, inhabited and uninhabited, the mountains of Akarnania and Agrafa, Tzoumerka and Peristeri, Amvrakikos, Preveza and the airport of Aktion, the vastness of the Ionian Sea and in between, a complex coastline with successive bays and coves, hills, plateaus and peaks, gorges and gorges, an interwoven network of dirt and asphalt roads, countless villages with yellow and red roofs, an incredible spectacle and absolutely characteristic of the diversity of the Greek landscape.

However, the region has not yet revealed all its peculiarities. Returning from Agios Ilias we continue in a southerly direction. Two kilometers later, at an average altitude of about 900 meters, the famous plateau of Ag. Donatos is revealed. Low hedges with dry stone walls divide its surface into small irregular shapes, marking the boundaries of the farmland properties. But the element that makes the place unique in all of Greece is the countless stone cobblestones that are scattered everywhere. According to the excellent description in Kontomichi’s ‘Georgika’, these are vaulted stone structures, the inside of which is shaped like a kiln, in the lime kiln type. They are called ‘volti’ or ‘volta’, because they were constructed with locked stones like the volta, i.e. the arches. Their walls are thick, from 60 cm to 1 m thick, and start from the ground surface in a circular shape. As they progress upwards they slope inwards vaulted, like the oven, until at the top they are locked bridged. Above the dome, which is about 2 to 2.5 m high, smaller stones and soil were piled up. On top they placed thick and strong tiles that were fixed with ‘lanza’ (sand and lime) to prevent them from being blown away by the wind. The construction was a ‘double wall’, i.e. with an inner and outer wall. The usual dimension of a walkway is on average 3 x 3 metres. There are three types of rides: single or single, twin and triple. The single-chambered ones belonged to the poorest families.

On the inside walls there were small recesses and frames, which served as cupboards. In each ride there were agricultural tools, kitchen utensils and foodstuffs. Those who settled on the plateau of Aghios Donatos usually slept outside of the volta, in grass beds, the so-called ‘barracks’. In the twin and triple volta there was comfortable space to accommodate the farmer, the oxen and their feed. Some, more affluent, built a separate, turreted volta for their accommodation. The construction of these stone huts is very durable and was entrusted to skilled craftsmen. The oldest cloisters are nearly 200 years old and have remained intact since the earthquakes, while the first ones must have appeared as early as the 17th century, during the Venetian occupation. Today, the number of the remaining standing walks must exceed 150. As stated in the Yearbook of the ‘Lefkada Studies Society’, the arrangement of the circular and oval-shaped spaces is somewhat reminiscent of the way they were extended in prehistoric huts. The whole shaping of the area by the common man made nature no longer a random composition of stones and earth, but the two elements were brought into order. The forms achieved with them come from their nature and from the need to serve man.

The plateau of Aghios Donatos and the rides belong to the nearby mountain village of Eglouvi. The main crops were – and still are on a smaller scale – cereals, vines and especially lentils, which became famous and sought after for their quality. These crops justify the existence of so many threshing floors, since there is a threshing floor for each complex of rides. No other region in Greece has so many threshing floors. Their diameter is 8-10 metres and today they are all paved with cement. But we can also find a larger one, whose diameter reaches 12 metres! It is located next to the chapel of St. Donatos. The church used to be dedicated to St. Dometios, but when the locals renovated it in 1980, they dedicated it to the memory of St. Donatos, Bishop of Lefkada in 284 AD. The chapel is small, one-roomed, with a simple interior, preserving the original paved floor. The roof is a gable tile roof, with a triple row of tiles at the ends. In front of the chapel extends a large, paved area with 9 wells, all of which have water, 3 of which retain their old mouths of heavy hewn stone. Every year on 6 August, a big festival is held in this area with the famous Lentil Festival, with plenty of local wine, lentils and other traditional dishes.

We walk for a long time among the dry stone walls and threshing floors in this indescribably picturesque landscape of the mountainous Lefkada. Then, always in a southerly direction, we continue our tour. A farmer from Eglouvi with his donkey is cultivating a small field of lentils. Dry stone walls, geometric shapes, land with a colour varying in shades of brown. We are constantly on the move. Barren slopes, dotted with limestone rocks and bushes. But in between, tiny cultivated areas between the terraces. Leaving the boundaries of the Municipality of Karya, we find ourselves in front of the sign of the Municipality of Apollonia, the largest municipality of Lefkada. Maestro strong. Neck and altitude of 970 meters. Asphalt with a good road surface, bordered by wide yellow stripes to protect from the fogs that the maistros brings from the depths of the Ionian Sea. Thick soil everywhere.

8.5 km after Aghios Donatos the road ends just below the OTE tower and the antennas of the local radio and TV stations. We are already in the centre of the island, on the top of “Mnemati”, which, with an altitude of 1157 m, is the second highest peak of Lefkada. The view from here is also stunning; low to the south lies the wide bay of Vasiliki, while further back the spine of Cape Lefkata, the southernmost point of the island, is still visible. Despite the sun, the chill is palpable.

Returning to the plateau of Aghios Donatos, and just before the church, we turn sharp left onto a dirt road, which, with a little good will, is passable even by conventional cars. Five kilometres later we reach Chortata and the main road network of the western coastline. After the dry stone walls and the earthy colours of the mountains, we are again confronted with the blue vastness of June. We continue south, passing by the small settlement of Komilios and end up for a short stop at the tavern “Panorama” in Athani. The tavern is a great balcony on the Ionian Sea and fully justifies its name. A simple tsipouroki with traditional local delicacies, coffee and immediately afterwards we descend to the beach of Gialos. We cross an olive grove with trees of great age, in whose soil spring is in full bloom. The road is narrow, with steep slopes and countless bends, the ground is loose, the location is called “Hanging”. Two partridges in front of us cross the road with hurried steps and disappear into the bushes.

Yalos beach stretches before them, vast, with coarse sand and deep turquoise water. It is in no danger of becoming overcrowded no matter how many visitors it hosts in summer. The small rocky islet of Sessoula emerges from the sea to the north.

High again at Athani and we continue. The south draws us like a magnet. This is perfectly natural, considering that the legendary “Porto Katsiki” nestles on this elongated coastline, while the lighthouse and the wild beauty of Cape Lefkata dominate at the end. About 7 km after Athanos the road forks. On the right it leads to Porto Katsiki and on the left to Akrotiri. Here is the refreshment room and the tavern “Oasis”, perhaps the top of the route, since the endless and incredibly beautiful beach of Egremna, a stunning strip of sandy beach between the green of pine trees and the turquoise of the Ionian Sea, stretches below.

We descend towards Porto Katsiki on a paved road now, which in no way reminds me of the white clouds of dust that had enveloped me the first time. Reaching over the famous coast the memories return in an instant. A white pebbled beach with deep, clear water, at the base of a vertical cliff of huge, solid rocks carved by nature’s giant geological knife. Outside the bay, to the northwest, an inaccessible cove from land with a stunning rock cave. A lonely couple by the sea enjoys the ultimate in serenity. Three months later, Porto Katsiki will be available only to those who can reach it. One last look and we’re heading uphill. A fairly passable dirt road, which once didn’t exist, cuts across the long and steep slope towards the cape. It crosses low vegetation with holly and holly trees. Two kilometres later the dirt road meets the tarmac.

Here a plateau is created, a balcony. For a few dozen metres we risk a dizzying path, which is absolutely forbidding for altitude-phobes. At its end, it rewards us with a breathtaking view of the steep coastline and the rocky islet that seems to float in the waters of the Ionian Sea. Even now, after so many days, I still recall those moments and marvel at our cut-off point.

Immediately after the vertigo of the cliff we cross a sweet plateau with crops, wells, a large plane tree and a few dilapidated stone market houses.

Already the lighthouse can be seen in the distance at the top of the cape, the southernmost point of Lefkada. The road surface has already become quite rough for conventional cars. We arrive at the lighthouse, built on the site of the older one that was demolished by the 1948 earthquake.

It stands tall, imposing but closed now, without lighthouse keepers. The place has an incredible wildness, with cliffs that, from a height of 60 meters, plunge vertically into the sea.

The cape was already known since prehistoric antiquity, since there was a sanctuary of Apollo here with a great reputation throughout Greece. According to legend, criminals condemned to death were thrown from these rocks. If they survived the abyssal leap, they were granted life. But jumping from the rock was also recommended by the ancient priests to those who wanted to free themselves from the incurable passion of love. According to tradition, the poet Sappho from Lesbos jumped from here to cure herself of her love for the handsome but indifferent Phaon.

The sun sets on the horizon line of the Ionian Sea, free from any natural obstacle. It casts its last rays on Cephalonia with the heavy bulk of Mount Ainos, on Ithaca and on Arkoudi with its low outline. We stay for a long time to watch its course yellowish at first, then orange and finally red. The weather cools as darkness falls. It is time to return.

HISTORIC MONASTERIES

The interests in the hinterland of Lefkada are many and important and it is impossible to cover them in just one article. However, we could not omit an introduction to Karya and the four historical monasteries in the region.

Karya is undoubtedly the head village of the mountainous Lefkada. Built amphitheatrically on a wonderful slope, with an altitude of 500-550 meters, it has a wide view and an E orientation. The paved shady square with various shops, the narrow streets and the several traditional stone-built houses that have been preserved, constitute a picturesque settlement, which maintains life and movement even in the winter season. The fact that it is the seat of the municipality of the same name also contributes to this. The Mayor Vassilis Katopodis welcomes us very kindly at the Town Hall and puts at our disposal any information and assistance.

On August 11 every year Karya gathers a lot of local and foreign visitors, who watch the re-enactment of the Lefkadian wedding. Apart from its beautiful natural environment and its picturesqueness, Karya is well known for the quality of its traditional embroideries, which can be purchased both in the village and in the main street of Chora. Some excellent examples of the embroidery art of the women of Karya can be admired at the Folklore Museum of the ‘ORFEYS’ group in Chora of Lefkada.

But the tour of Karya is not over yet. There are some unseen corners that are missed by many. There is the abandoned settlement “Rekatsinata”, just above Karya, in the SW. We drive there from the centre of the village, after about a kilometre of a very narrow and winding uphill road. Built amphitheatrically at an average altitude of 600 meters, the settlement has a wide view and excellent orientation.

From the very first steps we are enveloped by the aura of the past. The road network is completely absent, only narrow paths accommodate our steps. In some of them, parts of the old cobbled streets are preserved, built with thick stones and without any particular technique. These narrow paths, which lack any sense of layout, branch off towards every point of the settlement. All the houses are stone-built and, as a whole, dilapidated to varying degrees. Very few of them retain parts of their roofs, which are made up of yellowish Byzantine tiles. The houses also lack dates of construction. Only one can be found engraved on a lintel, indicating the year 1888. The entrances to the houses, however, are arched, made of chipped stone and are generally in very good condition. At the north-eastern end of the settlement is the church of Agios Antonios, which, as is usually the case in abandoned settlements, is in much better condition than the rest of the buildings. A small bronze bell at the entrance to the courtyard, with the date 1750 embossed on it, is indicative of the age of the church.

We walk for a long time among the ruins, the crumbled walls, the stoned and grassy courtyards, in a silent place, which, after being abandoned in 1965 due to landslides, has definitively lost all life. The only living thing in Recatsinata is a donkey.

The time has come to get to know the historical monuments of Orthodoxy that have been preserved in the area. And first of all, the Monastery of St. John, in Livadi Karya. Our companion and guide – after the Mayor’s mediation – we have the priest Panagiorgos Ktenas. We leave Karya in direction A towards the “Livadi”, a wide plateau flooded by the winter rains, with the vines barely emerging from the water. Here the ‘lathiri’, a legume with a roughly triangular, greenish-yellow fruit, is cultivated on a large scale. On an elevated spot on the northern edge of the Livadi is a monastery, 5 km from Karya. It is surrounded by a strong fortification enclosure with a heavy stone construction, which reaches a thickness of 1 meter. On the south side, where the gate of the monastery is located, the height exceeds 5 metres, while on the other side it is lower. The gate is arched, with chipped stone and stone reliefs on the lintel. Above it there was a tower with the remains of catapults and zematis, and of course the battlements are still visible in many places.

According to the historian K. Machairas, the first small building of the monastery came in 1605 from Hieromonk Jeremiah Aravanis. One of the first owners was Simon Bouas, originally a lord of the region and later a monk, who was buried in the Katholikon in 1622.

The Protopresbyter Geras. Zampelis, in his book about the monastery, places its foundation in the second half of the 15th century. During its long historical course the monastery experienced days of prosperity and offered with its School great spiritual work, but the all-round persecution led to its decline in 1965.

The Katholikon of the monastery has an excellent paved floor, while the walls are covered with hagiographies , some of which are very worn, while others are preserved in moderate condition. The iconostasis is old, of important art but with obvious wear and tear of time.

Outside the NE precinct of the monastery, the stone frame of the chapel of St. Nicholas, built in 1727, with very good masonry but without a trace of a roof, is preserved. Also a few dozen metres outside the SE precinct of the monastery, the large stone storage rooms for wine and oil can be seen. Before we leave, Father Panogiorgos does not fail to offer us the traditional monastic treat, loukoumi with cool water.

At a distance of 4.7 km SE of Agios Ioannis we meet the Monastery of Agios Georgios of Skari, built at the foot of the homonymous mountain. The natural environment is extremely wooded with cypresses, holly trees, wild olive trees and holly trees. The fortified enclosure is similar in architecture to that of St. John’s, but of lower height and smaller perimeter. All the buildings are in ruins, but there are a few vaulted buildings of very good masonry. These buildings, which are considered to be a building element of the Byzantine period, prompted Sen. Zampelis concludes that the monastery was founded in the 12th century. The exterior of the Katholikon is preserved in a very good condition, but inside there is much damage to both the wooden ceiling and the walls, from which the frescoes are missing, perhaps because of the coating.

Some frescoes survive only in the sanctuary, where restoration work is being carried out. A millstone outside the Catholic Church survives in excellent condition.

Returning to the asphalt, and heading NE, we descend with successive bends to the seaside village of Nikiana. At 2.8 km. we meet the “Monastery of the Holy Fathers of Lefkada” above the road, with the cavernous temple, whose low roof requires the visitor to be permanently crouched. Within the space of the holy step there is the monument of the second, probably of the Holy Fathers from where the holy water constantly gushes forth. Little is known about the history of the three founders. What is certain is that the hermitage was a part of the Monastery of St. George. For the last 200 years they have been practicing nuns. The last one passed away in 1978 and since then the cycle of monasticism in the Monastery of the Holy Fathers has been closed.

The tour of the monuments of Orthodoxy continues. From Karya we head towards Vankeri, a picturesque village dating back to the 16th century, but with few inhabitants. Before the village, under the plane trees, there is a polygonal spring with eight spouts from which water flows abundantly. From this point a signpost points us in the direction of the Monastery of St. Asomaton. After 1.5 km, an uphill and rough road leads us in front of the monastery, which is built at an altitude of 550 meters. The plateau is surrounded by hills covered with large holly trees, cypresses, oaks and olive trees. The fortified enclosure is massive, but it has suffered a lot of damage and in a few places exceeds 4 metres in height. There is a large well in the courtyard and the buildings are in ruins. The Katholikon is unpretentious, and retains the original paved floor. There are many quite good frescoes in the sanctuary, but with considerable wear and tear. The old wooden carved iconostasis also has a lot of wear and tear. All the walls of the church are lined with wooden surfaces, covering behind them any possible frescoes. A general picture of abandonment prevails. On the floor there is a marble slab with the date 1898 in relief, while in the lintel of the church there are relief figures.

We leave the silent area of the monastery and continue our uphill march up the mountain, in a natural environment, wooded and very beautiful. After 4 km the uphill ends, we find ourselves on a narrow plateau. Here, among the mountains and sheltered from the N and NW winds, nestles the picturesque settlement of Egklouvi, which we had seen low from the plateau of Aghios Donatos. Built at an altitude of 700-750 meters, Egklouvi is the most mountainous settlement of the island, a very special, remote and unseen place.

An 88 year old lady is pruning her vineyard. Next to her is her fifty-year-old son. Watching them as they work, one couldn’t tell which one is the youngest. Through the alleys of the Englouvi are revealed stone houses, traditionally built with heavy construction to withstand the winter.

Despite Eglouvi’s great reputation for its sought-after lentils, the village is gradually becoming deserted. It is characteristic that the school, which before the war was full of children, is nowadays not functioning.

If we cross the village and continue uphill, we will find ourselves in a few minutes on the well-known plateau of Ag. Donatos. We, however, head down towards Karya. There is one last historical monument of Orthodoxy that we must visit. It is the Monastery of the Annunciation of Theotokos, better known as the “Red Ekklesia”.

From Karya we head SE towards the neighbouring Platystoma. We cross the village and, always in the same direction, we descend with successive turns. We are already at the lush SW foothills of Skari, above the famous “Dimosari Gorge”. Three km after Platystoma a sign shows us the direction of the monastery on the left. A dirt road with deep water holes begins, making it impassable for conventional cars. 500 m later a beautiful meadow with cypresses and olive groves appears in front of us. In the sweet afternoon light, the mighty fortified enclosure of the monastery with its many battlements stands imposing, a small fortress in this unseen corner of the Lefkadian hinterland. In front of the enclosure stands a large millstone in excellent condition and a LEADER II sign for restoration work. In the courtyard there are two wells, and, as in the previous monasteries, the facilities are in ruins. However, the walls that survive are made of good masonry.

The exterior of the Katholikon is whitewashed. The interior retains the paved floor, an old iconostasis of important art, and a few frescoes on the N wall in a poor state of preservation.

According to K. Machairas, the historical course of the monastery begins in 1478, but G. Zampelis claims that its foundation must have been two centuries earlier. After great spiritual work and many adventures during its long history, the Monastery of the Red Church began to decline. Two laws, in 1925 and 1931, shrunk its property, resulting in its final dissolution and ruin.

After the monastery we do not return to the asphalt, we continue along the dirt road to the top of the Scars. It is a route that is not mentioned in the tourist guides or on the maps. In the first couple of kilometres the road surface is terribly rough, but later it improves. The place is wonderful. Purslane, bushes, jungle vegetation, a partridge lonely low the huge funnel of the Demosari gorge.

Later Nydri and the incredible bay of Vlychos with all the small fishes appear. 4.5 km after the monastery we turn right. Already all around us, the landscape is dominated by the amazing indigenous forest of over-aged oaks. Five hundred meters later we reach the peak “Piatellia”, at an altitude of 652 meters. Opposite to the north-northeast rises the highest peak of Skaros at 664 m. In the last light of the evening we sit down on the edge of the cliff and simply gaze at the magnificent spectacle that spreads at our feet, all those small and large islands that emerge from the sea, Chelona, Sparta, Madouri, Skorpidi and Scorpios, Thileia and Meganisi and in the distance, wrapped in the sea urchin, Kalamos and Kastos. Between them is the multifaceted Lefkadian coastline and in the distance the extension of the Akarnan Mountains.

As darkness falls, we take the road back. Following the course to the north we meet after 4 km the asphalt road that descends towards Nikiana. Then the mountains at sea level. Relaxing coffee in front of the calm harbour. A day filled with incredible changes of images and performances.

FROM EAST TO WEST: Demosari Gorge, Kalamitsi, Drymonas

–Today you will also meet our waterfall, says Ares. I hope at this time of year there will be plenty of water.

We wander around for a while in Chora, the picturesque cantinas, the historic bookstore of Tsirimbasis from 1897 and the Public Library of Lefkada. Then we follow the eastern coastline, so crowded in summer but so calm at this time of year. At the cosmopolitan Nydri we leave the coastal road network and turn right. Crossing orchards of overgrown lemon trees, we reach the start of the path three kilometres later, where there is a refreshment centre.

The trail begins over the wide canyon bed, protected for a 5-minute stretch by a wooden railing. All around, wild slopes with steep gradients and impenetrable vegetation of holly, aria and holly trees. Below, the water flows murky and clear. Between the rocky bed and the vertical slopes small blue ponds form, ideal for swimming after a few months. The path lowers, reaching the bed. We cross it by jumping over rocks. Immediately afterwards we find ourselves in a natural ground cavity of wild splendour and a triangular-shaped pool, measuring about 8 x 12 metres and with a depth that must be more than 3 metres. Many parapet stalactites decorate the hollow surfaces of the rocks above the pool.

We are climbing some concrete steps. Next to us the water flows on the smooth rocks with a lot of noise and great speed. For a few meters the climb becomes difficult, some supports are missing, we balance on the slippery surface of the rocks. The noise is getting louder and louder. A few more meters of difficult ascent and suddenly the waterfall is revealed in front of us. It’s impressive. With a rich flow, it rolls from a height of at least 12 meters and ends with a thud in a pond between the rocks. Cold and damp, a microclimate of a completely different kind, just 12 minutes from the starting point. In fact, if the local authorities take a little more care of the final ascent, the whole family will have safe access to this point, without the slightest chance of an accident.

From the southwest side of the gorge, we ascend along a fascinating route towards Vankeri, Karya, Apsprogerakata and Drymonas, facing the western coast and the vastness of the Ionian Sea again. Drimonas, Exanthia, Kalamitsi, picturesque villages, built on slopes, with traditional stone houses and unobstructed views of the Ionian Sea. Below Exanthia begins a large gorge, which passes by Kalamitsi and ends at the beach “Kathisma”. One of the narrowest roads of the island leads there, starting from Drymonas, crossing countless hairpin bends of the olive grove and after 4.6 km it ends at the coast. Small continuous bays, sand and pebbles, deep turquoise waters. In between, many huge rocks, as if thrown by a giant hand from the height of the mountain, ancient and steadfast fighters against the fury of the punditry.

The sun is lowered playing among the dark silhouettes of ethereal cypresses, which rival olive trees in number. I wonder, finally, which are more.

A large company gathers in the evening in Lazarata, at Stathis’ tavern, “Klemataria”. Pig roast and ribs, excellent flavours. The red wine is equally good.

–Is it local? I ask Stathis.

He hesitates for a moment:

–No, from Sfakia.

–In Lefkada with all those vineyards, wine from Sfakia?

–Hey, don’t forget that we are in the municipality of Sfakiotes, he replies with a laugh.

The delicious topping is the steaming, fragrant doughnuts. Stathis brings a huge quantity.

–Who will eat all of them? asks Aris.

–The ones that are left over you will take with you. Even cold, they’re good for breakfast.

OPINION

-I have longed to sit in this café and enjoy a cup of coffee for a long time, says Ares. With the cares of work, these little pleasures have slipped away. We have just emerged from the sanctuary of the Public Library of Lefkada. After the mystical atmosphere we are back in the light of the warm spring sun. Narrow canteen, one of the most picturesque in Chora, an old building with chipped stone, probably of the 19th century. On the ground floor the “LIBRARY” Café. Greek coffee in a white cup. Cool breezes. In the city centre, in this unseen corner, peace and quiet. Every now and then a man passes by. He almost touches us.

The Lefkadians must feel lucky. And so are we. That, if only for a few moments, we lived as modern people should live in the cities.