The ancient salt pans of Kariotes

One of the most beautiful, mystical and incredibly unique places that Lefkada has given me the opportunity to experience are the ancient Salt Pans of Kariotes
An ancient site, dating back to Alexander the Great.

I found them by chance, while looking for a good spot to go fishing while studying the map of the island.
On the east coast, at Kariotes, an arm of land cuts off a patch of sea, creating the narrowest point between the mainland and the island.
In ancient times, just to the west, there was an ancient road built by the Romans that connected Lefkada to Arcanania.

Now, however, there is an arm of land with an improbable road enclosing what were once the glorious salt pans of Lefkada, separated from mainland Greece by the channel that thousands of boats cross every year to avoid circumnavigating the island.
It is a popular place to observe the countless birds that have chosen Lefkada as their nesting ground, with a wooden gazebo as a lookout point.

I chose it for another reason.

It is an obligatory passage for the flow of fish coming from Preveza to the small Eptanese islands, a paradise not only for us humans but also for various fish species. A sort of underwater highway.

During the busiest hours of the day, you can catch one fish after the other, including bass, bream and greenhouse fish.
In the middle of this arm there is a large pylon and in front of it, looking at the mainland, a small island. That is the best spot, well known by the locals.

During the pandemic, we used to catch fish in buckets, risking heavy fines.
The policemen knew about it, but turned a blind eye, sometimes even two.
But what makes this place so magical and suggestive are its views.

When the Mistral blows from the north-west, the scents of the hills in front of it, full of farms, waft through. The cowbells of cows, goats and sheep play their melody. The sun sets behind us and the colours increase in intensity.
The purity of the air particles amplifies the perceptive qualities of the view, creating this van Gogh styled play of light.
Turn south and the channel opens out into the beautiful waters of the east coast of Lefkada. With its splendid islands gracing the surface. At the end of the channel is Sparti, and further away, when there is no mist, the shape of Atokos calls to you like the song of a little mermaid.

To the west, however, the enigma is always lurking. Now there is the pastel blue of the beautiful Lefkadian sky, now threatening clouds overtake the hills and you only have time to admire their grey, wild beauty as they dump their liquid cargo onto the lush green slopes of the island.

The light continues to fall and the warm colours take over.
The water becomes still and the scents take over, depending on the season.
Yes, because the Salinas are profoundly different depending on the month you visit.
Rainy and mystical in winter, fragrant and full of life in spring, hot and humid in summer and generous with fishermen in autumn, when nature paints them to the best of its divine possibilities.
Flying over it with a drone, you can appreciate the surrounding landscape even better, with the clouds reflected in the stillness of the shallow water and with Nefele stealing the show from Narciso.
The beauty of this place is overwhelming.

I have been there countless times, in all seasons, in all weather conditions.
The great thing about experiencing a place as a local is that you get to know it in all its facets.
This has happened to me many times, in every place I have lived.
I still remember the look on a Californian guy’s face when we were talking about LA.

He told me he worked in the suburbs, in a place little known to tourists. I described it to him in astonishing detail.
Travelling is one thing, going on holiday is another.

This is also the meaning of this website, of this blog. Through my writings, those of you who love Lefkada at least as much as I do will be able to skip part of that inevitable and splendid rigmarole called discovery.
I know it’s the best part of travelling, don’t tell me that I’ve discovered the best places of my life simply by getting lost.
But I realise that not everyone has the time to try it, and it’s hard to wait another year to try your luck in a fortnight.
The salt pans are a small, unknown corner of Lefkada and I recommend that you experience them, especially out of season, when the birdsong accompanies the hissing of the fishing line, when you cover yourself with a woollen jumper because the winter humidity gets into your bones, when the scents of Spring permeate the saturated air of awakening and when the rain makes you raise the hood of your rain jacket and wet the only dry patch of land around.

The salt pans are one of those few places that amaze those who think they know Lefkada inside out and then realise that something is still missing.

But that’s how she is, bitchy and capricious, always keeping something for herself, giving a drop at a time only to those she considers worthy.

So why not.. Go there, unleash your sixth sense and then write me two lines about what you have experienced.

VIDEO SALT PANS