Lefkimi - Divided by a river.
by Jerelis
We can honestly say that the charm of Lefkimi probably lies in its resistance to tourism, which is perhaps understandable as it is so close to the excesses of Kavos. By its size it was clear to us that Lefkimi is the second largest city of the island of Corfu. Lefkimi is divided in two by a river. While it is hardly Amsterdam, the canal that carries the river through the lower suburb of Lefkimi has some pleasant spots for a nice cold drink or meal by the pretty bridge. The facades of the main street and surrounding alleys are very attractive and it's a welcome change to see real shops selling functional everyday items instead of tourist para-phernalia.
Finally we left this beautiful village with a great feeling. Driving in the near surroundings we saw several traditional villages and many vineyards producing the famed local wine. But we didn't leave the area as we spotted a brown sign, meaning something cultural, of a lighthouse. Off we went!
Address:
Village of Lefkimi.
Directions:
Situated at the south side of the island. It is a 40 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.
Lefkimi - We spotted Greek in traditional costume.
by Jerelis
It was a day full of contrasts when we visited Lefkimi. One morning we drove by car to the south of the island of Corfu and we ended up in Kavos, which is dire and unrivaled for ugliness. It's for the mentally challenged package tourist who likes nothing better than 24 hour clubbing with bungee jumping and go-karting thrown in for light relief. When we drove through the town we saw gangs of youths looking for a "larf" give the place a hostile air of an English soccer town on match day!
At that point we decided to leave Kavos as fast as possible and to explore some more of the real Corfy life. Driving over some hills toward the north we were attrackted by a distinctive orange dome of which we learned later that it was the dome of the Agios Arsenos Church at Lefkimi. It's located in the middle of a fertile plain full of olive trees and vineyards. The lovely village of Lefkimi is well of the beaten track and a huge step back in time. Donkeys are still used as transport and driving into the town we even spotted the odd Greek in traditional costume.
Address:
Village of Lefkimi.
Directions:
Situated at the south side of the island. It is a 40 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.
The channele to Lefkimi
by JLBG
Lefkimi is a small village in the very south of Corfu, one nautical mile inland but connected to the open sea by a shallow channel. In the sailing charts, the channel was granted a depth of 1 meter in the middle, less on the sides. One of our boats needed 0.95m, the others 0.60, so, we tried it at a slow speed, trying to remain exactly in the middle. From time to time, there was a soft ssshhhh, when the hull rubbed some tuft of mud on the bottom or on the side but we reached the village safely. It was amazing, after one mile across lowlands and marches to find fishermen boats moored along the quays in the village.
Lefkimi - First floating lighthouse of Greece.
by Jerelis
Most guides (and even guidebooks) either ignore or dismiss Lefkimi, but anyone interested in how a Greek town works away from the bustle of tourism should not miss it. As you can read above we weren't interested in visiting Lefkimi in the first place, because we didn't know anything about it and didn't read any stimulating stories about it. We just drove towards it because of the attracktive and distinctive orange dome of the Agios Arsenos Church. We were not sorry about that!
Another must see near Lefkimi is the lighthouse! The first lighthouses built in Greece on specific designs and in accordance with European standards were found on the Ionian island chain. Colonian English rule of these islands for a few decades ensured that several crucial sections of the Ioanian were navigable. Thus, from 1822 when the first English lighthouse was built on the island of Corfu, and up until 1864 when the Ionian islands were united with Greece, a large number of lighthouses were built, most of which operate even today. In 1825, the first floating lighthouse was built in Lefkimi. We didn't stay too long at the scene as it was already getting a bit late and we still needed to get back to Perama.
Address:
Village of Lefkimi.
Directions:
Situated at the south side of the island. It is a 40 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.
Lefkimi
by JLBG
Maps mention Lefkimi and Ano Lefkimi (Lefkimi Heights),but actually, they are completely melted into one another and make a 6,700 inhabitants city, the second largest city on the island. Until recently, it had kept its character and was almost not visited by tourists. However, the recent building of a marina may soon change the situation.
My two photos may not give a realistic account of Lefkimi: they were shot a few years ago and moreover, as we preferred to spend the night closest to the open sea, we landed on the outskirts of the village, in an apparently more or less left over district.
The first photo shows a narrow a narrow street with the gutter flowing in the middle.
The second photo shows an even narrower street (or should I name it a passage?) with corn ears drying and the opening of a cistern. Or should I name it a well as the water table is almost at ground level!
Note that 6 km away from Lefkimi is famous (infamous) Kavos resort. That did not exist when we visited Corfu, so I am unable to give any first hand information on Kavos. If you want to know more about this very special place, click on this Kavos link. There are also two small pages about it on VT. Here is Kavos VT travel guide
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Lefkimi
Lefkimi
The channele to Lefkimi
The channele to Lefkimi
