Lefkada got its name from “Cape Lefkata” or “Cape of Kyra”, located at the southern tip of the island. The cape in antiquity was called “Lefkas petra” or “Lefkas akra”. A legend says that the poet Sappho, from the island of Lesvos, jumped from the rock of the cape to get rid of her love for Faonas. Near that area there is the temple of the god Apollo, to which the white rock is dedicated. Many myths relate Lefkada to the goddess of love Aphrodite (mythology) and Odysseus, the hero described by Homer.
Many myths relate Lefkada to the goddess of love Aphrodite (mythology) and Odysseus, the hero described by Homer. Later on the island was named Agia Mavra, taking its name from the homonymous church that was built inside the castle of Agia Mavra, which is located opposite the city of Lefkada and which was a model of fortification art. For a long time the city of Lefkada was built around this castle, but later the Venetians moved it to its current location.
In 1864, Lefkada together with the other Ionian islands, according to the treaties of 1863 and 1864, was officially ceded to Greece and the Ionian Islands after many centuries of foreign occupation are now free. It was in 1963 that the Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis bought Scorpio, a small islet located off the east coast of Lefkada which has since gained worldwide fame, occasionally hosting numerous visitors and celebrities from around the world.
Lefkada is an enviable destination for lovers of water sports. In various parts of the island there are beaches that are suitable for such occasions. For example, on the beach of Ai Giannis, with its huge sandy beach, one can get in first contact with the sport of kitesurfing and learn its secrets. In fact, every year official competitions are organized with the participation of athletes from all over the world. Inside the city there is the Archaeological Museum, which houses works of art, as well as finds from the Paleolithic era to Roman times and the Marina of Lefkada, which is considered one of the largest and most organized in the Mediterranean.
At the entrance of the city, next to the port, is the famous park of poets (locals usually call it Bosqueto), which houses the busts of great personalities of the island: (Valaoritis, Sikelianos, Lefkadios Hearn, Dimitrios Golemis – Klemas ), who left an era with their artistic aura and their wonderful works. However, it is worth walking on the wooden bridge that is built over the canal, which is located right in front of the pedestrian street with the cafe-bars, next to the port of the city. The locals call it a bridge of sighs or a bridge of lovers. It was built at the beginning of the last decade and with its architecture it gives a Venetian air to the city.
On the beach of Gyra, near the city, are the four windmills from the twelve that existed in the past, which until the end of the 20th century ground large quantities of grain, mainly from Russia. Near the village of Fryni, just outside the city is the Holy Monastery of Faneromeni, which is a museum of Ecclesiastical Art. Two km south of the city there is the area of ??Kalligoni, which includes the ruins that survive from the prehistoric city of Nirikos. This place has been declared an archeological site. Apart from these, however, the visitor can get to know the beautiful natural landscapes of the island.