Echinades

The Echinades (Greek Εχινάδες Echinades (f. pl. ) ) Are an uninhabited group of islands off the west coast Ätoloakarnaniens and sub-group of the Ionian Islands.

Already in ancient authors such as Strabo, Herodotus and Thucydides the islands as Echinades ( Ἐχινάδες ), in Homer as Echinai ( Ἐχῖναι ) are mentioned. In ancient times, five islands were expected to Echinades whose origin was attributed to four mythical nymphs Echinades, and Perimele, a lover of the river god Achelous, who was turned on its request of Poseidon in an island. Even in ancient times these located directly in front of the mouth of the Achelous islands were silted up by Schlammanspülungen the river.

The slightly more than twenty islands and some small rocks comprehensive, today known as Echinades archipelago extends from the mouth of the Achelous north along the coast up to the Bay of Astacus. The islands are overgrown rocky and barren, the highest elevation is 417 m above sea level. inst to Oxia. The sedimentation process in the Achelous delta is continuing; with 6 km ² the largest of the islands, Petalas is now connected to the mainland by alluvial deposits. The island group is divided into two subgroups: the northerly group called Drakoneres ( Δρακονέρες ), from her the island modes and three small islands lying north of it to the subgroup of Modia ( Μόδια ) are summarized.

Administratively, the islands belong to the Ionian Islands. The southern islands and Drakonera and Karlonisi located on the territory of the municipality of Ithaca, while the other islands belong to the municipality Pylaros the municipality Kefalonia. Many of the islands are privately owned and are occasionally offered for sale.