Built on the western outskirts of Skari, in the shadow of the mythical oaks of the sacred mountain, Alexandros, a mansion village, maintains its tranquility, its traditional colour and moves at its own qualitative rhythm of tourist development against the galloping pace of the rest of the island.
It was once a separate municipal district that consisted of Kolivata and Koklata or Kiafa with the main occupation of its inhabitants being agriculture and animal husbandry. Today it is being reborn as a place, after some 40 years of decline, as the beautiful, green location attracts people seeking an alternative approach to tourist culture by investing in tranquility and love of nature.
The acquisition of the village is lost in the depths of the centuries, as the first references to it and its settlements appear in sources of the 16th century, while there are indications of even older settlements in the wider area.
Tradition has it that one of these older settlements, Katouni, was abandoned by its inhabitants because a bird calling from the Karya meadow was causing death. Obviously this version of fiction conceals some plague, plague perhaps, which forced those who were not sick to flee the infected place.
In the villages and their surroundings, the visitor can admire the beautiful stone-built houses, many of them renovated with absolute respect to tradition, old windmills that highlight the former rural character of the area and the old school at the crossroads that connects the two settlements, which was in operation until 1982. Old churches and chapels and the unique monastery of Agios Georgios, emphasize the strong presence of the religious element, as Skari, this magnificent mythical mountain, is considered the Athos of Lefkada.
The monastery was founded in 1611 with the dowry of the entire mountain and prominent clergymen and scholars taught there during the years of its great prosperity. Its demise began in the first quarter of the 20th century when it was abandoned and looted, while today it is fortunately being restored.
Today Alexandros and Kolivata retain their traditional character and are a wonderful, peaceful and refreshing walk for nature lovers, as they are part of the long Skari path that starts from Nikiana and reaches almost to Livadi, following the footsteps of the old path of the farmers of the area. Here you can recognise, in nature, the signs of each season, in its colours and aromas.
Here, an active association, the Figos, takes care to highlight the beauty and raise concerns that lead to a substantial and creative development of the area.