Englouvi

A small mountain village at around 730 m, the highest permanently inhabited settlement on Lefkada. Englouvi is famous all over Greece for its lentils — small, dark, intensely flavoured — which are considered the best in the country and which sell in the village shops for several times the price of ordinary lentils.

The village itself is modest; the views back down towards the east coast are excellent. Order a plate of lentil soup ("fakes") at the central taverna — it is what you have come for.

things to do sight
A story
Englouvi lentils — small, pale brown, grown in the thin upland fields around the village — have Protected Designation of Origin status in the EU. The crop is harvested in late July by hand, traditionally by entire families gathering for a few intense days; the lentil festival in early August celebrates the harvest with public cooking on the square.