Likes & Dislikes

Opinions

Kefalonia - boat trip -p.r. photo

Kefalonia - p.s. photo

“If someone is looking for an active holiday, then Kefalonia is the perfect choice: with a rental car it’s easy to explore the whole island, and worth it, too, because there’s loads to see. For instance, there’s the monastery of Saint Andreas, the lake in Melissani Cave, Assos Castle, and the unforgettable Myrtos.

Myrtos is a bay between two mountains, and the beach is covered in dazzlingly white, round, limestone pebbles. The twisting path that leads up from the beach it fun to walk, but you still exhale with relief when you get to the top. On first arriving, you’ll park the car, get out, then pick your jaw up off the ground – water this turquoise doesn’t really exist, yet here it is! One of those place where you can take catalogue-quality photographs without using photoshop.

The limestone pebbles are constantly washed by the waves, and against this white background the sea shimmers in a thousand shades of ultramarine – indescribable! The day we visited was windy and turbulent, so swimming out into the two-meter-high waves was a bit of a kamikaze action. Then, when we were trying to get out again, a wave blasted us straight into one another: a memorable experience! The second attempt was more of a struggle, so if you aren’t keen on kissing the shoreline pebbles then I’d suggest going on a calmer day, when the waves break lightly on the shore and leave the bathers to enjoy their fifty shades of blue in peace.

If I had to summarize Kefalonia, it would sound something like this: gorgeous blues, friendly, sandy beaches, colorful and quaint houses, beautiful bays and harbors, kind locals, delicious food, peace and quiet, and endless sunshine. (2017)

Practicals

Transport

“We tried to navigate by GPS, with added help from signposts. We were constantly shocked, though, to find that when we typed in a destination 30km away the GPS gave us an estimated journey time of 75 or 80 minutes. In the end, I thought we might be better off skipping Fiskardo, and just going to Assos, so we’d have time to get back to the hotel before dark. Fate, however, seemed to have decided that we should go to Fiskardo – the signs for Assos simply vanished after a certain point, and there were only signs for Fiskardo. On the way back I realized I’d accidentally taken a wrong turn, which is easily done.

Fiskardo is a charming town, and in the end, we realized that our wrong turn had actually been a great ‘decision’. There are neat, colorful little houses, palm trees, flowers, and sailing boats in the harbor. The water is unbelievably clear, and you can see the rocks and stones at the bottom, even in the deepest places. The island of Ithaca faced us across the channel.

Kefalonia - ferry - Ata photo

Food

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Kefalonia - gyros - g.g. photo

Kefalonia - view - k.c. photo

Kefalonia - Argostoli - Ata photo

Fun

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Kefalonia - Argostoli by night - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Argostoli - bar - Ata photo

Others

Beaches

Kefalonia - Avithos beach - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Lassi - Makris Giallos - Costa Costa Beach - s. a. photo (2022 july)

Background

Kefalonia - bay view - w.r. photo

Destination in brief

Kefalonia is also written as Cephalonia. (It was formerly known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia.)

Kefalonia is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, north of Zakynthos, west of mainland Greece.

Kefalonia, or Cephalonia owes its name to the mythological hero-figure Cephalus.

Size: 786.6 km² (303.7 mi²) - Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands

Capital city: Argostoli

Population (in 2020): 35,000

Number of visitors in 2018: 73,000

Must-see attractions: Mirtos Beach, Fiskardo Village, Melisani cave/lake, Drogarati cave, Mountain Aenos,  Antisamos beach, a little beach called "Dafnoudi" near Fiskardo, Assos village, Saint George Castle, Ancient Vlachata village, Ai helis beach, Skala village, Argostoli and Lixouri (two large cities).

Geography

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Kefalonia - Lixouri - Avithos beach - sea turtles - Ata photo

Climate

During the summer months there is usually little to no rainfall.

Gastronomy

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Kefalonia - Fried cod with aliada, traditional garlic (skordalia) dip - Ata photo

Kefalonia - stamna, a traditional beef stew in tomato sauce - Ata photo

Attractions

Argostoli

Kefalonia - Argostoli - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Argostoli by night - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Argostoli - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Argostoli - Ata photo

Myrtos Beach

“I was so impatient to see Myrtos Beach I was like a kid before Christmas, so on our first day on the island, we headed straight there. Getting there from anywhere on the island is easy – you just have to turn off the main road in a small village called Divarata, and it’s well signposted. The road winds between hills for a while, then all of a sudden the brilliant blue of the sea appears in the distance. A few more twists and turns and the beach stands revealed in its full splendor. The view of the bay, surrounded by high, rocky cliffs, is extremely impressive, and almost everyone stops the car and gets out, to really savor the experience. Grinning people take photos, and nobody is unmoved by the sight of Myrtos. A brilliant, snow-white beach of smooth pebbles, an azure and cobalt sea, and surrounded on three sides by monumental cliffs – we have arrived at one of the world’s most beautiful beaches!”

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“A beautiful place, though the sea shelves off sharply, and the water is crazy cold! Antisamos beach was better was swimming, and I liked it too. We spent more time in the water there, though it’s true there are a lot of wasps in the area. (n.r., 2019)



Kefalonia - Myrtos Beach - l.n. photo

Fiskardo

,, Fiskardo is the northernmost fishing village in Cephalonia. All passengers coming from Lefkada arrive at this cozy place.
If you are here, be sure to taste the Tselentis cheese or cod pita and chocolate brioche at the traditional local bakery. (Ata, 2021)

Kefalonia - Fiskardo - marina - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Fiskardo - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Fiskardo - Ata photo

Kefalonia- Fiskardo - Ata photo

Lixouri

Kefalonia - Lixouri Port - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Lixouri - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Lixouri - Ata photo

Kefalonia - Avithos beach - Ata photo

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