Lefkada
The most important natural beauties that a visitor may encounter on their journey to get to know Lefkada are:
Gyra: A narrow strip of white sandy beach, 7 km long, that embraces the lagoon at the northern tip of the island, making the landscape unique. It begins almost behind the Castle of Agia Mavra, forming Ammoglossa, and extends to the other end, beyond the town.
The Lagoon in the town of Lefkada and the Lagoon of the Straits are landscapes of exceptional natural beauty. They have been included in the NATURA 2000 network as protected areas of special ecological importance. The lagoon area in the town of Lefkada is also of interest as a migratory bird station, designated by the RAMSAR Convention as a wetland of international importance. There one can encounter many and rare bird species such as swans, herons, lapwings, various species of gulls, ducks, and geese. Within the lagoon there is the ivari—fish farming installations with special traditional reed enclosures—where fish live and grow under natural conditions.
The Olive Grove: To the north of the town of Lefkada stretches the olive grove, with olive trees that are many centuries old. When the Turks first arrived on the island, there were already around 8,500 olive trees, both in the Lefkada plain and in the villages of Apolpaina, Fryni, and Agios Nikitas. The Venetians who returned in 1684 made the planting of olive trees compulsory. In this way, they sought to offset the damage they had caused to the inhabitants by destroying shipping and trade, relocating the town away from the castle, and imposing heavy taxation. Moreover, by replacing the grain that had previously been sown in the plain with olive trees, they kept the inhabitants in a disadvantaged position so they could control them by supplying them with wheat themselves.
Pefkoulia: After the village of Tsoukalades and on the road toward Agios Nikitas, the olive trees are replaced by a pine forest. This is the area known as Pefkoulia, which covers the entire region and reaches the sea, ending in a large sandy beach also called Pefkoulia.
The Salt Pans: On the other side, to the east, just outside the town of Lefkada, are the town’s salt pans. They have ceased operating since 1947, but together with the Alexandros Salt Pans, located near the bay and the port of Drepanos, they form an important part of the area’s history that should be preserved. The first salt pans were built by the Franks of the Tocco family at the beginning of the 15th century and covered 500 stremmas (about 50 hectares). They consisted of 26 salt ponds, or “pans.” Under Venetian rule, these salt pans supplied salt to the Venice market and from there to all the markets of northern Italy and Central Europe. The second salt pans were created by the Venetians under Morosini in 1684 on an area of 50 stremmas with 34 pans. The salt pans of Lefkada produced large quantities of high-quality salt. Sheltered from waves, they were open areas with abundant sunshine and dry summers. Seawater evaporated quickly, leaving the salt at the bottom of the pans; after remaining there for a few days, it was carried on the shoulders and heads of workers to the large central pile for processing and collection at the end of August. It was hard and dangerous work for the women laborers, who carried 25 to 30 kilograms barefoot.
The Skaroi Forest: An important natural monument in this area is the Forest of Skaroi. This forest features rare flora, including an uncommon species of oak. Several sources mention that during Ottoman rule the forest belonged to the Turk Ahmet Aga, who sold it for a negligible sum to the priests of the Monastery of Saint George in Skaroi.