The Charming North of Kefalonia

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How to get to there if you follow our itinerary:
Take the ferry from Piso Aetos on Ithaka to Sami on Kefalonia. Time tables depend on the season, but there are usually several crossings per day. For details, call the Ithaka port authority at 2674 032 909 or the Sami port authority at 2674 022 031.

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How to get there via alternate ways:
There are many ferry lines to reach the island, some season-bound: travel from Patras (Peloponnese), Astakos (western mainland), Vassiliki (Lefkada), and Kilini (Peloponnese). There is also a ferry from the island of Zakynthos. There are scheduled flights from Athens by Olympic Airways (daily, year-round) and Aegean Airlines (season-bound). In the summer there are many charter flights from all over Europe.

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Kefalonia is the largest island of the Ionian group, with a mountainous, unspoiled heartland. The lack of historical buildings in its villages is explained by the massive 1953 earthquake that devastated much of the island with the exception of Fiskardo (pictured below on the left), which is a very charming little port in the very north of the island. Fiskardo attracts yachts -and tourists- in the summer; restaurants and terraces line the harbor.

About half an hour drive south, you’ll find picturesque Assos, a small pretty village restored after the 1953 earthquake and spectacularly situated around a beautiful bay. There are some ruins of a Venetian castle (pictured below in the middle), but you mainly want to wander around the village, sit down on a terrace (pictured below on the right), take in the view, and enjoy a glass of wine.

A short ride south, you’ll find breathtaking Myrtos beach (pictured below on the right), one of the most beautiful beaches of Europe, wide, and perched in between limestone cliffs. However, be careful swimming: there’s a steep decline and strong currents.

The eastern part of the island has a place of exceptional natural beauty: the Melissani Cave with its underground lake that receives its water from an underground river. The lake has some openings to the surface, allowing for sun rays to illuminate the blue water.

Kefalonia is also the setting for the popular movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin after the book with the same name by Louis de Bernières.

Where to stay and dine
A very good reason to stay in Fiskardo is the Emelisse hotel – expensive but very well worth the price of admission. Modern, somewhat minimalist interiors are combined with a setting that provides gorgeous views of Ithaka across the strait and of Lefkada in the distance. The hotel has a large pool surrounded by a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean (pictured above on the left); a small sandy beach is in the vicinity. Highly recommended for total relaxation.

For dinner, we enjoyed the restaurant in the Emelisse hotel. In Fiskardo village, try Tassia for a great Kefalonian meat pie. In Assos, Platanos is a recommended tavern.

Make sure you taste some white wine made from indigenous Robola grapes that are unique to Kefalonia. The best producers are Gentilini and M.Metaxa (not to be confused with Greek brandy of the same name).

Next stop on your itinerary: Olympia (still in development)

Return from Kefalonia to Peloponnese+more

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