Communal provinces Vassiliki
The port of Vassiliki is connected to the islands of Ithaka and Cefalonia giving tourists the chance to visit more Ionian islands. The area was inhabited very early. Findings of the Paleolithic and Neolithic era (3.500 bC) were discovered by Dorpfeld in the Cave of Evgiros and they are presented in the Archaeological Museum of Lefkas. According to the Service of Antiquities there are ancient building remains which probably belong to an ancient city.
In the west side of Vassiliki there is the peninsula and the Lefkata Cape. First we find the small beach of Plaka and then the steep but impressive west coasts of the island. The landscape is mountainous and wild and it goes down the sea where the white rocks fight the tempestuous sea. According to the legend it was in the Lefkata Cape where the poetess Sapfo ended her life desperate from the passion of love. The white rocks gave the island its name. This is one of the many versions for the name of the island.
There is a lot of sightseeing for the visitors in Vassiliki. There is also the possibility of trekking, mountain biking and horse riding. One of the most interesting monasteries of the islands, the Monastery of St. John, built in 1654 is in the village. The temple is built on the floor of a great ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Dimitra who was the goddess of agriculture and fertility. That is why it is believed that any childless couple who step into the church will then be able to have a baby. Today there are still remains of the ancient temple such as part of the floor. The Christian temple was expanded many times. The monks' cells were increased and many extra spaces were built. Around the end of the 18th century the monastery was given to the state and in 1797 it was given to the Monastery of Asomatou in Vafkeri village. The temple is in a very good condition inside a spacious parvis. It has two entrances and seraglio. Parts of the murals in the east wall of the temple are in a good condition also and they are a sample of excellent style. In the village we also find the temple of St.John which used to belong to the Karavias family and is considered to be the oldest church of the Byzantine times in Lefkas. Here we find the springs of the Kerassia canyon, one of the most beautiful canyons of the island. Those who love trekking will soon be able to enjoy these magnificent places and the forest of Daphne. Very close to Sivros there is the Karouha cave which is worth visiting.
The main road from Vassiliki to Lefkada passes through the village Kontarena. The houses of the village are an excellent sample of traditional cottages. The visitor can also admire the 19th century temple of the Virgin Mary, one of the biggest temples of the rural area with more than 12m height. Another beautiful temple of the village is the temple of Saint Spiridonas which is situated in the center of the village and speaks for its past prosperity. Right after the Vassiliki bay the visitor comes across with two magnificent sandy beaches. The first one is Agiofili and the other one is Amousso. Near the village in the Bissa location there is the Monastery of Saint George which was established around the end of the 16th century.The Monastery was not particularly big but it was rich and it had many estates. Its temple which was full of murals was expanded towards the west. In 1922 according to the locals the temple was used as a lazaret for those who suffered from smallpox. Unfortunately after the epidemic people whitewashed the walls. In the locations Marmara, Pirgi and Klismatia the Service of Antiquities has spotted remains of ancient towers. In the area there is also a natural lake, the lake of Marantohori, which is an important reserve for flora and fauna.
In the east there is the beautiful deep bay of Sivota which looks like a fiord and provides safe anchoring for many boats. In the small port there are numerous fish taverns which attract foreign and local visitors throughout the year. Agios Petros, Ponti and Roupakias
The village Agios Petros is a rural dorp in a beautiful location with impressive view to the champaign of Vassiliki and the crest of Stavrota mountain, the highest mountain of the island. It was named after the homonym church of Agios Petros (St. Peter) which was built in the 14th century. It is the biggest village of the area and its inhabitants mostly deal with agricultural cultivation.
There are two beautiful churches in the village: Agios Athanasios and Agioi Apostoli.
The small village Roupakias still preserves its farmhouses in good condition. Simple, made of stone and tiles, strong, lonely guards of a past era, the houses stand on a steep slope. In the village there is a water fall, full of water mostly during the winter. The area is of special beauty due to its rare flora and fauna, forest, canyon, waters and tracks. Nikoli, Manasi and Agios Vasilios
Hortata The archaeologist W.Dorpfeld made a small excavation in 1905 in the location "Spilia". He discovered evidence of life during the ancient Greek and Roman times.
Komilio
In Dragano there is an old olive factory which is considered as a tenable monument. It is a remarkable sample of pre-industrial building for the process of agricultural products and it contributes to the study of the history of architecture. Here the process of the olives and the production of olive oil was achieved manually or with the help of a horse. In Dragano there is also the church of Ipapanti and two interesting wells from the Turkish, Venetian and English times. In Athani there is the Monastery of Agios Kirikos which was built during the Turkish occupation. Very close to the Monastery the Archeological Service has spotted the remains of an ancient building. The road continues towards the south and leads to three unique beaches : Yialos, Egremni and Porto Katsiki. They are world famous beaches for their crystal, clear waters and white sand. The landscape remains in the memory of the visitor as he approaches the beaches either from the land or from the sea by boat.
The lighthouse of Lefkata, on the south, was built on an ancient temple dedicated to the God Apollo, one of the most important temples of the island. During the ancient Greek and Roman times the temple was a place of sacrifice on an annual basis for the celebration of the God. At first the victims were ordinary people but later convicts were offered as sacrifice. The legend of Sapfo is also connected with the purificatory attributes of the God Apollo. Sapfo committed suicide because she was desperately in love. There are testimonies that many people fell of the same cliff in order to save themselves from unfulfilled love. Today there are only a few traces of that ancient temple but the landscape remains impressive and mysterious.
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