Lefkada Island – Greece

My beautiful Lefkada Close and lock the office, and pack your briefcase away, because you are coming away on vacation to my wonderful and ancient Greek island of Lefkada. It is not easy to miss the masts of all the yachts and catamarans berthed alongside the many jetties in the marina of Lefkada town. In the winter, sitting at a table having lunch in one of the many harbor front taverns, or sitting in one of the cafes, sipping a strong Greek coffee, being lulled by the sound of the rigging ropes tap tap tapping against the masts in the wind, it is easy to daydream oneself back to summer, remembering those carefree halcyon days, sailing the crystal clear waters of the Ionian sea. Summer is when my island comes alive, with tourists visiting from all corners of the world; from Australia, Canada, the USA, and Europe, to mention just a few. Lefkada has a bustling economy in the winter, even though we only have a population of about twenty thousand, but come the summer, the roads are crowded, kids and families laze on the beaches and swim in the sea, and the taverns, coffee shops, and bars do a roaring trade.

Sailing, along with the typically lazy beach vacations is the backbone of tourism here, with the calm, sparkling clear waters of the Ionian Sea, and myriad small ports and island ports calling to visitors in their yachts, probably not unlike the Sirens of ancient Greek mythology. Sailing is a wonderfully stress-free vacation, just the sound of the wind in the sails and the water rushing around the hull as you cut through the wave to your next destination. Maybe it will be the famed Ithaki, the legendary home of Odysseus, or perhaps you will skirt around Skorpios, the private island owned by the Onassis family. Dolphins and sea turtles (Caretta Caretta) are abundant in these waters so always have the camera at the ready; it is not unusual to see schools of young dolphins showing off to each other, leaping from the water with the utmost agility and grace. The beaches here on Lefkada are like chalk and cheese, from one side of the island to the other, with shallow calm waters on the east, ideal for yachting and all manner of boating, to the west, dominated by steep cliffs and almost inaccessible beaches, with crystal clear waters that shimmer an exquisite turquoise in the sunlight. Maybe you are a “culture vulture” and enjoy exploring old buildings and studying the history of a place when you are there. Here in Lefkada, you are spoilt for choice, with ancient ruins, not-so-ancient monasteries, and a town that has small narrow streets and alleys, with little gems hidden around every corner. My wife and l live in Lefkada. We are semi-retired, love our cycling in the winter when the roads are quiet, and enjoy the odd coffee or three in our favorite taverns in town when I take a break from writing. I say town, it is really a very large village. Coming here four years ago gave me the opportunity to write, and for Deb to put her feet up. Our children and grandchildren are far away, so when they visit, we make as much fuss of the girls as we can, all four of them. So now, maybe I have painted a wonderful canvas for you. Open invitations extend to all those that want to step in and discover the secrets of our island. The best thing about living here has to be the wonderful peace and calm that is daily life, but above all, when the tourists leave after summer is over, and the roads become quiet again, we get our island back for ourselves. This is a guest post by Graham Green