White-Stepped Paths
The route covers 103 kilometers and lasts around 3 hours by car or motorcycle, without stops. Visitors may complete it in one go, or divide it into parts and continue another day. It is accessible all year round and is ideal for lovers of nature, the sea, tranquility, adventure, hiking, exploring, and fine food.
In about three hours, Lefkada presents itself with grace, dressed in colors and flavors. Starting from the town, with its lagoon and the Monastery of Faneromeni, the road passes through Kavallos and Karya, where the windmills and the renowned Karsan embroidery bear witness to the island’s tangible and intangible cultural wealth. On the Englouvi plateau, the famous lentils ripen in the pure mountain air, ready to become the simplest yet most exquisite soup with olive oil and herbs. If you find yourself in Lefkada in early August, do not miss the festival of Saint Donatos on the Englouvi plateau, where locals cook lentils in large cauldrons and offer them to visitors with wine, olives, and sardines. From Agios Nikolaos of Nira and Vasiliki, the road leads to Porto Katsiki and Agios Nikitas, while in Nydri the Dimosari waterfalls add a refreshing image to the journey.
The cuisine of Lefkada is an initiation into the flavors of the Ionian, where land and sea meet and converse continuously. The island’s air-dried salami, spicy and aromatic, matures in the local climate and is served in thin slices, ideally with local wine. The Englouvi lentils or grass pea stew, accompanied by riganada (dried bread soaked with olive oil and vinegar, oregano, and salt), is a humble yet timeless dish. Savoro brings the briny taste of the sea, with fish marinated in vinegar, rosemary, and raisins, while sofrito, with beef, wine, and parsley, preserves Venetian traditions. For dessert, ladopita, drizzled with honey or grape must syrup and dusted with cinnamon, fills the palate with sweetness, while mandolato and pasteli, made with honey and nuts, continue the proud tradition of Ionian confectionery.
For accommodation, Lefkada offers many hotels and guesthouses, and when it is time to leave, don’t forget to take with you the island’s treasures—rosoli liqueur made with orange, citron, and cinnamon, Lefkadian sausages, and Englouvi lentils or grass peas—to keep alive the taste and aroma of Lefkada long after your journey.
In Lefkada, the journey never truly ends. Every stop and every image becomes both a reason to return and the beginning of a new adventure—under the sun, by the sea, and in the embrace of warm local hospitality.
Route Products
PGI Products: Lefkada wine
Specialties: Air-dried salami, Lefkadian sausages, Englouvi lentils and grass peas, mandolato with nuts, pasteli, Rosoli liqueur
Route Delicacies
Englouvi Lentils: Famous small-sized lentils that cook quickly and have a rich, earthy flavor. Traditionally prepared as a thick soup without tomatoes, but with garlic cloves or onion, and sprigs of oregano for aroma. Served with a dash of rose vinegar and fresh olive oil.
Lefkada Salami: Greece’s most renowned salami, of Venetian origin, and one of the country’s earliest branded foods. Recognized for its delicate garlic aroma and whole peppercorns. Served in thin slices with wine, tsipouro, or ouzo, or paired with fresh tomato, kasseri cheese, and bread with olive oil and oregano.
Lefkadian Savoro: One of the island’s signature dishes. Small fresh fish are fried until golden, then layered in earthenware. In the same oil, garlic, raisins, and rosemary are sautéed and deglazed with vinegar, then poured over the fish. Served with bread, it pairs beautifully with ouzo.
Ladopita: Lefkada’s most emblematic sweet, deeply tied to local life and customs. Offered as a treat at every joyful or solemn occasion, and sometimes even as a New Year’s cake. Made with pure ingredients—olive oil, flour, and sugar—it resembles halva in texture. Topped with cinnamon and blanched almonds, and drizzled with syrup made of grape must or honey.