Lefkada has been highlighted as one of the best spring destinations in Europe in an article by The Guardian, written by travel expert Susan Smillie. In her piece, “From an Alpine Meadow to a Greek Island: Five of the Best Spring Breaks in Europe,” Smillie showcases Lefkada’s breathtaking landscapes, crystal-clear waters, and serene atmosphere as the perfect getaway for those seeking a peaceful yet stunning island retreat. With its unspoiled beaches, charming villages, and vibrant natural beauty, Lefkada stands out as an ideal spring escape.
This is a repost of the original article published by The Guardian and written by Susan Smillie. You can read the full article here: link
Lefkada, Greece
‘Expect paths that are a delightful assault on all senses: a riot of colour and fragrance’
📷 Kathisma beach. Photograph: Malija/Getty Images
It’s the colours that hit you on Lefkada, especially in spring, when it is lush from winter rainfall, with glossy green hills and electric blue seas shifting over white sand. Up on the mountains, seas of crimson poppies carpet the plains. As showy as it gets. Technically, Lefkada is an island, but it’s connected by a bridge to the mainland on Greece’s west coast.
The Eglouvi-Karya loop is a moderately difficult six miles, according to the excellent Lefkadatrails.com, which provides free GPS hiking routes (its lively Facebook community organises everything from strolls to the whole 50-mile multi-day Lefkada trail). The full loop takes a few hours and gets steep, so take a tiropita (cheese pie) along or cut the walk shorter and make time for lunch. Greek tavernas can be a gamble in spring (many remain closed until Easter), but in Eglouvi you’ll find Lithanofli taverna under the shady plane trees. Here, you’re in lentil country; locals are proud of a special variety, grown and harvested by hand. Before the walk, try their delicious lentil soup (garlic, oregano, good olive oil). And don’t forget water – even in spring it gets hot.
After scrambling rocky outcrops and a fine-looking gorge, we found shade in a damp pine forest and then stumbled, agog, through a lunar-like quarry before the final push up to the summit. It was so beautiful that I forgot to moan about my feet. Profitis Ilias, the tiny whitewashed church at the top, has stunning 360-degree views (the churches in Greece always bag the best spots). I’m moderately unfit, it turns out, so I enjoyed the heavenly views while massaging my calves.
📷 Wildflowers in Lefkada. Photograph: CasarsaGuru/Getty Images
Maybe I should have started with something easier, I decide later, in Sivros, to the south. This pretty village sits on the mountain slopes, overlooking a valley to Vasiliki bay. As well as its rural charm, good (open) tavernas, olive museum and proximity to stunning beaches (a joy off-season), it’s a great base for walking.
Start local – Sivros is famed for beautiful clear springs, streams and waterfalls – or arrange transport to hikes elsewhere with Vasilis Deftereos, in whose lovingly restored stone cottage I’m staying (gardens with seaview, starting at €60 a night for a minimum three nights until May, sivroscottages.gr). With other locals, Deftereos revived the idyllic Sivros Springs trail. His is the ideal place to stay, not least because it’s on that trail. What’s more, this path can be completed in a couple of hours. Easy even for children, I’m told. Bliss. The full 50-mile trail across Lefkada can wait.
Susan Smillie
