Cycladia Travel Guides

History | Mythology

Lefakada History

The history of Lefkada is similar to the one of all the Ionian Islands. After the fall of Constantinople in 1204, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Despotate of Epirus, then it was occupied by the Venetians and from 1477 until 1684 by the Ottomans. Lefkada was then successively occupied by the French, the Prussians and finally the British, up to 1864.

The final phase of Lefkada’s unification with Greece took place on May 21st 1864. Many years later, around the 1960s, the Greek mogul Aristotle Onassis bought the islet of Skorpios, just across from Lefkada, making both destinations famous among royal families and world known celebrities and personalities. His vacations with Jackie-O, Alexandros and Christina in Skorpios were legendary and so were his frequent visits to the village of Nydri.

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