Lazarata Holidays

The pace of life at this hillside village in Lefkas – AKA Lefkada – just off the Greek mainland, is blissfully slow. Around the square, overlooked by the impressive Church of Aghios Spiridonas, there are just a few cafés and tavernas where locals gather for gossip over a glass of ouzo. Olive groves provide the mountain backdrop, while the capital, Lefkas Town, lies patiently in wait just up the road.

From its inland position Lazarata has its pick of beaches on both sides of the coast. To the west, about 30 minutes’ drive away, is Pefkoulia Beach, where shaded pine trees border a long wide strip of sand that comes with sunloungers and a taverna. Or about the same distance east there’s Lygia Beach, with its uncrowded patches of shingle lined with waterfront bars and tavernas. You could even head south about 40 minutes to the windsurfing mecca at Vasiliki.

Just 30 minutes’ drive and you can be in the capital, Lefkas Town. It’s been hit by several earthquakes so expect to find modern buildings alongside 17th-century churches. You’ve also got a quartet of museums here, including one with a collection of old gramophones. And just outside town, set high in pine woods, is the Monastery of Faneromeni with its first-rate views and Ecclesiastical Museum.