The History

Since the 15th century, the wider area of the southern part of Corfu island was dominated by Lefkimmi, or Alefchimmon, the second largest urban settlement of the island, after Corfu town. Lefkimmi is at the moment the administrative capital of South Corfu, and has always been so.

Before the development of mass tourism on Corfu island, the vast majority of the local people made a living through agriculture and fishing. Olive oil and wine were the two main agricultural productions of Corfu island, in general, and Lefkimmi, in particular. Every day rural work was hard, other than their own products the people had scarcely any other material goods, there was no easy transportation within the island, let alone outside of the island, there was no sufficient medical care, no sufficient housing for everyone, and life was harsh.

Lefkimmi and its wider area was the part of the island with the heaviest agricultural production, as it was clearly privileged by the flat geomorphology and the very fertile ground, in contrast to the north of the island which is mountainous and rocky. Olive oil was called by the locals ''the Gold of our land''. The local wine, nowadays famous Kakotrigis or Lianoroido as it is called in Lefkimmi, travelled in barrels from Lefkimmi all the way to Igoumenitsa, and from there it was sold in Athens and other places of mainland Greece.

Every day, the river of Lefkimmi was busy with little fishing boats, were fishermen would trade their catch, and from there they would sail off to Igoumenitsa to bring back stone, which, back then at the time, was used exclusively to build houses, as there were no other construction materials.

On a Sunday, people would gather at the church early in the morning, and then have avgolemono around the family table. A typical family in Lefkimmi until the 50s-60s would consist of the Grand parents, the parents, and their children, usually anywhere between 5 to 10 little ones.

After a day of hard work, men would entertain themselves at the Kafenio, the traditional coffee shops that served little more than coffee, wine and ouzo. Women would also help at the fields, and would usually go back home earlier with their babies and younger children on top of their donkey. From there, they would have to bring water from the well, as there was no running water at the time, light the fire in the wood oven, and then cook their family's meal.

In the summertime, people were busy with the production of summer vegetables and fruit, while the little ones would enjoy a dive into the warm waters of the Ionian sea. Back then, at the beaches there were absolutely no establishments of any type, only a few little fishing huts, the sand, and the crystal clear waters. In the summertime, people would entertain themselves at the Panigiria, i.e. the celebrations of the various Orthodox Saints.

a large group of people standing outside a building

There, it was usually where most of the matchmaking for young, unmarried people would take place, leading - hopefully - to a successful marriage with many children.

At those times, many families could not afford to send their children - or all of their children - to study, as children at school would mean less working hands for the olive picking, for the wine production and for the other agricultural labour. However, even under these harsh circumstances, there have been many cases of children and later on young teenagers who were eager to broaden their horizons, to gain a decent education, and later on study even at university. At the time, this was considered as a major achievement, worthy of the respect and admiration of fellow villagers.

a person in uniform walking with a group of children

As there was no high school in Lefkimmi and the wider area, most of the children would have to travel to Corfu town ir order to attend classes, and what made their goal even harder, was that the majority would be looked down upon, as people from Corfu town were usually biassed against people from Lefkimmi and would often engage in discrimination against children coming from the South. At the time, most of the people from Corfu town, including fellow students at school, would consider children from Lefkimmi as children from lower class, uncivilised, and they would usually be frowned upon for being poor and for coming from humble rural families.

Still, so many among those children did not quit, kept tight to their dreams regardless of the discrimination and challenges they had to face, pursued a high level academic education, and succeeded in life. The youth of Lefkimmi were then increasingly becoming scientists, teachers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, professors, and other successful professions, proving anyone who had looked down on them wrong.

During the 60s and 70s this life changed dramatically. The first charter aeroplanes started landing on Corfu international airport, and the first hotels started being built. Groups of tourists started making their presence in the town, the beaches and places of interest. In the course of the following years, the island that was once a poor agricultural place, would change dramatically as would its landscape.

The majority of the locals started abandoning agricultural production, and everytime they were more interested in working in the tourism sector, either by starting their own business or by working in hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, souvenir shops, bars etc. Little by little, most of the island's beaches started to get crowded with tourists, taverns and beach bars. Every year there was more traffic, especially in the summertime, both in Corfu town and in the surrounding areas, and one could hear English and other international languages being spoken on the streets.

Little by little, the locals started understanding the English language, and eventually started learning it either in public school or even in private classes, as they would think that this skill would give them a much desired opportunity to work in the tourism field. Many big hotel chains started making their presence, luxurious villas and apartments, as well as major investments in other fields of the tourism sector. Several British, German, Italian, and Russian citizens, among others, started buying properties on the island or building their own villas, as summer houses or even as their permanent residences, contributing to the international and cosmopolitan character of current Corfu.

The real estate sector went through an unprecedented flourishing phase, where deals of many millions were made each year, hotels and other businesses were sold or bought, family houses and luxury villas were rented or sold, following a frenetic economical development orgasm. The once untouched by human hands seashores and olive groves, were now turned into cement buildings, to use as restaurants, shops, hotels, and other establishments catering to the heavy tourism flows.

By the 90s and thereafter, there was nothing to resemble the humble village life of Corfu, once predominant throughout the island,and the poor life of farmers struggling to make ends meet through agriculture.

Albeit this strenuous development of tourism on all levels of the economy and life of Corfu island, it seems that the far south of the island remained relatively untouched, and stuck to its land, its traditions and customs. Apparently, there was no significant interest from major investors or tourists for the area of Lefkimmi, or at least it wasn't preferred. Almost all of the major investments were made around Corfu town and the north; almost all of the mega establishments were built also in Corfu town and the suburbs, as well as the north of the island. The vast majority of the potential buyers willing to spend their thousand euro notes on the island, would usually look at Corfu town and the north. As years went by, Lefkimmi and its surrounding area continued to be considered as ''that isolated place far south'', cut off from the rest of the island and its frenetic development, inhabited by the locals whose life and manners were considered outdated, to say the least, or even grotesque and boorish.

Indeed, the majority of locals from Lefkimmi continued to go olive picking in the same, untouched immense olive groves, continued going fishing and swimming in the same untouched and unknown beaches, continued entertaining themselves in the same traditional Kafenia, where little or nothing has changed on their humble coffee and wine offer. Most of the locals continued eating avgolemono with their families on a Sunday, continued growing their own tomatoes, and continued to speak the local ntopiolalia, or the micro-dialect of the south of Corfu island.

In spite of the times, in spite of the frenetic development, in spite of the new norms and the new modern ways, a little miracle took place in Lefkimmi; against all odds, it managed to preserve its real identity, its real character, its authenticity, and its genuinity.

Lefkimmi is one of the very few places on Corfu island which is still original and true to its past. And this is why we love it. And this is how we love it.

This is the very reason why we desire to show you through our eyes our place, our traditions, our culture, and our hospitality. And there is so much to show you.

From the little alleys or kantounades of Lefkimmi town, to the unexploited beaches of the south, unknown to the masses and to the travel agents, to the breathtaking nature that has been blessed with beauty and fertility.

We look forward to showing you our land through our eyes.

Please be our Guest.