There are islands that reveal themselves at first glance: a sweep of white sand, a flash of turquoise water, a harbour glowing at dusk. Lefkada, one of the Ionian Sea’s most beloved destinations, has long been celebrated for precisely these things, its sailing winds, its beaches, its luminous coastline. But step away from the waterfront, follow the old stone paths inland, and another Lefkada begins to appear.
It is quieter, greener, older. It is a Lefkada of mountain villages and oak forests, of ravines, springs, wind-bent ridges and footpaths once used to connect fields, monasteries and remote hamlets. This is the island explored in Lefkada Trails: A Guide to Hiking in the Forests and Mountains of Lefkada by Colin Cooper, published by fagotto books, a walking guide that invites visitors to experience Lefkada not simply as a summer escape, but as a landscape to be entered slowly, step by step.
The book opens up a side of the island that many travellers miss. Beyond the famous beaches lie the central mountains, the ancient oak woods of Skaros, the high village of Eglouvi with its lentil fields, the stone streets of Karya, the springs of Syvros and the dramatic southern tail of the island leading towards Cape Doukato. There are gentle loops for a morning walk, shaded routes for warmer days, and more demanding mountain crossings for those who want to see Lefkada from above.
What makes walking in Lefkada so rewarding is the constant shift in scenery. A path may begin among olive groves, climb through pine and oak forest, pass a ruined monastery or a hidden spring, and suddenly open onto a view of the Inland Sea, with the mainland mountains fading blue in the distance. In spring, the trails are alive with wildflowers and flowing streams; in autumn, the air softens and the forests begin to turn. Even in summer, early morning walks and shaded routes offer a different rhythm from the beach, cooler, quieter, more intimate.
This is also a book about continuity. Many of these paths were not created for leisure, but for life: routes built and walked over centuries by the people of Lefkada, linking villages, fields, churches and coastlines. To hike them today is to move through layers of island history - past stone walls, abandoned settlements, restored houses, old watermills and churches set high above the sea.
With clear descriptions, maps and GPX links for every trail, Lefkada Trails is designed both for visitors discovering the island for the first time and for those who think they already know it. It is practical, detailed and deeply affectionate-a guide for walkers, yes, but also for anyone drawn to the slower, more soulful side of the Ionian islands.
Lefkada’s beaches may be the reason many people arrive. Its trails may be the reason they return.
LEFKADA TRAILS
A guide to hiking in the forests and mountains of Lefkada
by Cooper Colin
language: English
pages: 240
You can find the book “Lefkada Trails” on our website here as well as in our physical stores in Lefkada at (7 Zakynthou Street) and in Athens at (15 Valtetsiou Street, Exarchia). The book is also available in major bookstores in Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as at many locations throughout Lefkada.
