Lefkada (also known as Levkas) is an Ionian island connected to the Greek mainland by a floating bridge — making it one of the few Greek islands you can drive to. The west coast has some of the most spectacular beaches in all of Greece: Porto Katsiki, with its towering white cliffs; Egremni, reached by hundreds of steep steps; and Kathisma, the most accessible and popular.
The island's capital, Lefkada Town, was rebuilt after a 1948 earthquake in a distinctive style — the upper floors of many buildings are clad in corrugated metal painted in bright colours, a practical response to seismic risk that gives the town an oddly cheerful appearance. Just north of the town the long Venetian Castle of Santa Maura guards the lagoon. Nydri, on the sheltered east coast, is the main resort and the departure point for boat trips to the tiny islands of Meganisi, Skorpios (once owned by Aristotle Onassis), and Madouri.
Inland, Lefkada is mountainous and surprisingly green for a Greek island. The hill villages of Karya and Englouvi are barely touched by tourism, and the local lentils from Englouvi are considered the best in Greece. At the southwestern tip, the dramatic white cliff of Cape Doukato gave the island its name and was, in classical legend, where the poet Sappho took her life.