The American ghost base of Lefkada: Why not a single screw on the giant radars has rusted away
Four giant antennas still stand on the plateau of Agios Donatos outside the village of Englouvi.
They once served as a state-of-the-art radar system- a link of utmost importance between Turkey and Italy. For the past three decades or so, they have been falling apart from the wear and tear of abandonment.
This is a former telecommunications base in Lefkada. This key point on the island was chosen by the Americans because it is "hit" by strong winds from all sides of the horizon. The project began in 1962 and was completed in 1965, in the heart of the Cold War.
The requirements for the season were very high. Significantly, the antennas are made entirely of steel and have not rusted in the slightest to this day. "There is not a single rusty bolt", local visitors say, as well as travelers who discover them. The camp was equipped with a self-sufficient power plant, oil storage tanks, state-of-the-art control centers, and luxurious dormitories for U.S. troops.
Radar antennas are made of steel.
Inside there were large kitchens, dining and entertainment areas such as billiards and movie theaters, and even a spacious gymnasium. The staff consisted of 10-15 Greeks, while the number of American officers reached 30.
As with almost all NATO bases in Greece, little is known about the operation of the base at Lefkada. Two of the antennas that sent and received radio waves faced east and two-faced west. It is said that the eastern ones mainly faced north, towards the countries of the then Eastern Bloc. Access to the transmission area was strictly forbidden to unauthorized people.
According to locals, the Americans began to withdraw in the mid-1980s. The final closure of the base came shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. NATO ceded the camp to the Hellenic Air Force and later came under the jurisdiction of the Karya Municipality.
Today the camp is completely abandoned.
Although the Americans had left it in excellent condition, the Municipality never did anything to make use of the fully functional and modern facilities. The buildings were left to their fate and to this day and the interiors have been completely looted. Antennas, tanks and generators also stand abandoned.
The once state-of-the-art American base has turned into a ghost camp, on one of the hills with the most spectacular view of the island.