Ithaka, Odysseus' Homeland

How to get there if you follow our itinerary
Take the small ferry from Vassiliki on Lefkada that travels via Fiskardo on Kefalonia to Piso Aetos on Ithaka. For details, call the Vassiliki port authority at +30 26450 31323.

How to get there via alternate ways
There is only one way: by ferry. Ithaka is an island without an airport. You can take a ferry from Patras (Peloponnese), Sami or Fiskardo (Kefalonia), Astakos (western mainland), and Nidri (Lefkada). Some of these services are season-bound. For details, call the Ithaka port authority at +30 26740 32909.

About Ithaka
Ithaka is a small, quiet island of austere beauty with pretty villages. An isthmus connects the green southern part is with the rugged northern part. You don’t go to this island for beaches (although there are some beautiful ones) or a busy nightlife. What is so special? It’s the very relaxing atmosphere and the legend of Homer’s hero.

Whether this was really Odysseus homeland does not matter so much: it’s fun to walk to the legendary Arethousa Spring to find a plastic bucket on a cord so you can haul up some water! The Nymph’s Cave is where Odysseus is supposed to have hidden his treasures; if you find it open and pay the entrance fee, who knows what you will find inside. Close by is Dexa Bay where the hero is supposed to have been returned by the Phaeacians; now it’s a pleasant beach on which olive trees grow. Nevertheless, it all adds to the charm of Ithaka.

Among the island’s characterful villages are Vathy, the capital situated around a large, natural bay that forms the harbor; Stavros, inland above the Polis Bay, close to a site where Odysseus’ palace may have been; Frikes, at the bay with the same name where you’ll find some good waterfront restaurants; and pretty Kioni, built around a narrow, rectangular bay, and in the summer very popular with yachters.

Where to stay and dine
We really enjoyed Perantzada - a small boutique hotel located in an old mansion overlooking Vathy’s bay. This hotel is run by the same family company that runs the Emelisse hotel on Kefalonia. Each room has a stylish modern interior created around a playful color (our room had some bubblegum pink colors and a terrace overlooking the bay.) A good breakfast is offered on a communal terrace, also overlooking the bay.

For dinner, we enjoyed Paliocaravo Restaurant, situated at the bay, a 15 minute walk outside of Vathy. Liberty Restaurant in Vathy is relatively new and supposed to be good too. In Frikes, we liked Symposium at the harbor for lunch. In Stavros, Polyphemus serves an excellent lunch in a lovely garden.

Next stop on your itinerary: Kefalonia

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