| The west coast
of Lefkada seems to be surrended to the deep blue Ionian sea
and the open horizon. The undercurrents and the sand of the
open sea have created endless white beaches along the west coast.
These beaches are interrupted by steep and imposing rocks while
the green and full of pines, cypresses, olive trees and bushes
sides of the mountains create a contrast with the white beaches.
In some spots the pines literally reach the sea.
Here the sun sets in the sea. During the sunset the white
beaches are painted with thousands of colours. The sense of
swimming in the sea while the sun sets is indescribable.
The first big beach of the east coast is Gyra which spreads
for 10km along the lagoon and the town of Lefkada. It has
numerous organised beaches:
The Castle: across the bridge and the castle of Santa Mavra,
which ends with the beautiful Ammoglosa under the west lighthouse.
Gyra: with the traditional restaurant on the cove.
The Windmills : this long beach has got four windmills.
During the summer it is full of surfers from all over the
world. Late in the afternoon the wind, the beach, the sky
and the sea swamp from the colourful sails of the surfing
and kite-surfing athletes. The show is fantastic. There is
also a well organised club and a surfing school. One of the
windmills has renovated and turned into a beautiful café.
St John : this beach follows the beach of the Windmills.
It was named after the little church of St. John which was
built between the sand and the pines. Here the water is cold
because of the water springs inside the mountain. The beach
of St John is the ideal place for relaxation an. It was recently
awarded with the blue flag of the European Union.
Towards the south of the west coast we find the village of
Tsoukalades and the Pefkoulia beach just 2 km under the village
. The beach begins where the full of pines mountain ends.
Within a distance of 1 km from the Pefkoulia beach we meet
the village of Agios (St.) Nikitas.
Milos beach is after the village of Agios Nikitas. You can
follow the mountain path to get there or you can take a boat
from the village. The beach is huge and not so crowded. Some
people prefer to swim nude.
Who hasn’t heard of Kathisma, one of the most beautiful
beaches in the Mediterranean. Twenty years ago people from
all over the world would walk 4-5 km from Agios Nikitas to
Kathisma just to swim nude in the crystal waters. Today things
have changed. The beach is organised with hotels on the mountainside.
Restauarants, clubs with pools, jacuzzi and loud music invite
young people to dance and party all summer.
Under the village Kalamitsi, which was built on a hidden
mountainside in order to avoid pirates, there is the Kalamitsi
beach. It’ s a white sandy beach with protected coves
and white rocks. You can get there by following an asphalt
road.
The naturalists visit Lefkada during the summer. They swim
and enjoy the freedom of the sun and the sea on the beaches
of the south-west Lefkada. Gialos, Egremni, Porto Katsiki
are famous in the Mediterranean Sea.
Gialos beach is situated under the village Athani well-known
for its beautiful sunsets. The beach is huge, about 3 km long.
In the north, just opposite the island of Sesoula with the
undercurrents, there is a small café-restaurant. Anyone
is free to swim and enjoy the beautiful sea with or without
clothes.
Mountain Voidomadra intersects Gialos beach and Egremni
beach.
To reach Egremni beach you have to leave your car on the
mountain and go down 200 steps. There are canteens under the
pines.
The sand is white and so are the rocks and the waves. The
sea is deep blue. This gives you the absolute sense of freedom.
Porto Katsiki is a precipitous coast of the palaeolithic
era. The beach with its rocks and the white sand is amazing.
This is why it was nominated the best and most clean beach
of the Mediterranean Sea.
The west coast of Lefkada ends with the Lefkatas Cape.
|
