Archeological places

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In Lefkada, you can visit a great number of Archeological places.

The visitor can start his route from the Municipality of Lefkada, continue to the Municipalities of Ellomenos and Apollonia, ending up to Kalamos.

Archaeological places of Lefkada’s Municipality

The caste of Aghia Mavra is located at the entrance of the island. It is one of the most imposing medieval buildings of Greece, representing the fortification art of this period.

It was built around 1300 from a Frank leader, Ioannis Orsini, when he took Lefkada as a wedding gift for his wedding with the daughter of Epirus Bishop Nikiforos A.

The castle was protecting the capital of the island, as the most important defensive armoring against Pirates and other enemies, from the first decade of 14th century since 1684. In 1487, it was overtaken by Turks, who built a large arch shaped bridge with 360 rooms, which crossed the lagoon from the coast to Kalkani, resting the pipes of a water tower. This project was destroyed by the earthquakes. Some ruins are still preserved in the lagoon.

Nirikos: 2 km outside and east of the town, passing through the olive grove, you can reach Kalligoni.

The area has been declared an archeological place, as here, was located the ancient town of Lefkada, Nirikos – reaching the areas of Tsechlibous, Kalligoni, Kariotes, Ligia of Lefkada’s Municipality.

This archeological place embodies the ruins of the surrounding settlement of Ancient Lefkada, which are dated from Archaic to Roman times, 2 cemeteries of the ancient town, monuments, construction ruins, like graves, farmhouses, and harbor facilities composing an integral part of the protected monumental place of the ancient town abandoned around 1300.

Archaeological places of Ellomenos’s Municipality

In the valley of Nydri, the area which reaches the feet of Skaros Mountain to Magemenos place of Nikiana has been declared an archaeological place.

It consists of the tombs of Pro Hellenic period at Steno’s place, case shaped and tile roofed graves and construction ruins in the area of Nydri Valley to the feet of Skaros and Amali’s mountains and in the areas of Paliokatounas, Koloni and the settlement of Perigiali.

Also, to the top of Poros village, the ruins of a tower are preserved, which had been possibly a farmhouse, together with the ruins of an ancient oil press, dated around 4th century b.c.

These ruins were discovered during the excavations of the famous archaeologist Wilhelm Dorpfeld.

The German archaelogist Wilhelm Dorpfeld proposed the theory that the island of Nydri, off the southeast coast of Lefkada was the real historical Ithaca, home of Odysseus. He adored Lefkada and his wish was to be buried here. His tomb is located at the edge of the hill of Vlichos peninsula, over the scenic church of Aghias Kiriakis.

Archaeological places of Apollonia’s Municipality

The area of the municipality had been inhabited at the very early days, as it is proved from some limited findings of Paleolithic and Neolithic period (3.500 bc) which were discovered from the excavations of Dorpfeld in the “pigcave” of Evgiros and exhibited on the Archaeological Museum of Lefkada.

In the valley of Vassiliki, the Archaelogical Service has discoverd ancient archaeological ruins (ruins of towers) belong probably, to an ancient town and to the places of Marmara, Pyrgi, Klismatia, Marantochori.

To the Cape of Doukato or Lefkata are located, construction ruins and architectural parts Apollon Lefkata’s temple. This sanctuary was widely famous in the ancient world.

Every year, pan Hellenic festivals have been taking place to the honor of Apollon, who was the protector of the marines and the doctor of body and soul.

For this reason, ancients believed that, if you jump off the rocks, your soul would get free from the weight of passions and sins. In this place, the female poet Sappho allegedly leapt to her death from the 30 meters high cliffs.

Archaeological places of Kalamos

The Castle of Kalamos, “Kastromonastiro” is located near Episkopi. Ruins of the high stone walls with the beautiful interior arches, which could be converted to loopholes from the outside, are preserved since today.

We know too little for this magnificent monument. It is said that, the mother of Georgios Karaiskakis (fighter of 1821), was buried.