Chora Lefkadas - Tsoukalades - Agios Nikitas - Kathisma - Kalamitsi - Porto Katsiki

The weekend 23-24/06/07, we actualized a mini trip to the island of Lefkada, a destination that has always something to give, due to its picturesqueness and incomparable landscape. The fellow-travellers that came in this excursion was Stergiani and Panagiotis M. with Irine riding a ZZR 1400.
If you want to ride to Lefkada, there are two ways. The first, if you come from Athens, as you reach the town of Amfilochia, you turn left and you follow the road to Vonitsa. I haven’t been to that particular way, but descriptions from  other fellow bikers say that it has good roadway with pleasant turns. The second way that we followed, starting from the city of Ioannina, leads you to Lefkada through the underwater tunnel Preveza-Aktio. The cost from the toll is 0.70e for the bike and the time to cross it, is 1-1.5 minute. Also you can go with the ferry boat.
As you reach the island, you move on a road that vests with sea from both sides. At the end of this road you meet the bridge that connects the island with the mainland. As you pass the bridge you have two choices, turning left you find the central square. The period that we visited the area the road was closed. So we went right to Agios Ioannis. At the beach of Agios Ioannis the winds are usually strong and it is used for surfing. Also at the village there are along the beach many restaurants.
As we found the rooms we left our luggage and started for a walk at the centre. We stopped for coffee at one of the many cafe that are found at the beach. Next we went at the central square of Lefkada. Small slip-roads ends to the square from everywhere and also there are many tourist shops and restaurants with local dish.
Next station was Porto-Katsiki. As we asked some local people for the shortest way , they told us that it is about the same distance either you went from Nidri, or from Agio Nikita. It is about 40km from the centre. Through Nidri the road is almost maritime until the gulf of Vlichos and afterwards it goes to Vasiliki. My opinion is that it comes behind in beauty toward the way from Agios Nikitas.
We chose the way from Agios Nikitas. The roadway as you leave the city  is almost new, with smooth turns and went uphill. Before the village of Tsoukalades there is the monastery of Faneromeni , in a location inside a verdurous forest. Passing through the village, the landscape changes. The road becomes downhill between the forest at the one side and the sea at the other side. Suddenly you reach the beach of Agios Nikitas. Just before the village there is a parking by the road. The view from that point is astonishing. The color of the sea is green-blue and very clean. Agios Nikitas is build with apmhitheatrical way in a bay. Most of the houses look at the sea and at the beach there are pictorial taverns.
Next the road is getting narrow and the roadway isn’t in a good shape until the beach of Kathisma. Perhaps is one of the best beachs. As you leave the road ,to Kathisma, you are high enough, that suddenly, you see in front of you, the sea like a huge pool. The colors and the nature are unreal. The beach is organized with cafe and umbrellas.      
Next villages, Kalamitsi and Chortata, where you turn right to Porto-Katsiki.   5Km before Porto-Katsiki there is a canteen inside the trees that has fantastic view to the beach of Egremnon. As you look, you see the same beautiful scenery. It made us impression the fact that it wasn’t crowded. Afterwards we learnt that to reach the beach you must go down 350 stairs!!!
Until there the way was inside the forest, good roadway, smooth turns and forgotten villages. At the last 5km remaining the road was really bad, too narrow, many chuckholes, rubbles and dirt in the road.
Both two cars can’t pass by. With low speed, on any kind of bike you don’t have any problem. Justification! An image that was taken from fantasy. The water has two colors: passionate blue, unbeatable green! If you want to reach the beach you must go down 50-60 stairs. Shops and canteens are above the beach. There are umbrellas that are charged. In case you don’t find one, you can search for shadow under the rocks. The beach is full of pebbles that make your entrance to the sea a little bit difficult. Also in case that you don’t have mean of transportation, there are small boats that make that excursion.
As we returned, followed the same way until the village of Exanthia. There we didn’t turn to Kalamitsi, but we went straight. The roadway was nice, but the landscape was poor. The way was mountainous, rough and downhill, as we reached the city of Lefkada. Alhough, when we left the road was smoother.
Next day, we went for a swim at the beach of Agios Nikitas. Until the time for our return had come. With mixed emotions, we took the way back, having inside our minds pictures of absolute natural beauty and kilometers of riding pleasure.
At the end I would like to thank Mr Panagiotis for his hospitality!