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Venture to Myrtos Beach and Lourdas Beach—just a couple of the popular sights around Kefalonia.
Kefalonia is one of the most
enchanting of the Greek Islands. It lies in the centre of the Ionian Sea 53
nautical miles from Patras.
Once a low-key tourist destination,
Kefaloni rose to fame with the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
based on a book by Louis de Bernieres and starring Nicholas Cage and Penelope
Cruz.
It is the largest of the Ionian
Islands, and boasts a towering mountain range, sprawling vineyards, stunning
cliffs and beaches and unclassified Roman ruins. Back in 1953 it was devastated
by an earthquake therefore much of the island’s architectural aesthetics are
modern.
Argostoli is the capital of the
island and lies within walking distance of the largest and most commercial
resort, purpose-built Lassi. The
other top resort, Skala, grew up
around a fishing village of the same name, and is on the southeast coast.
Kefalonia's main port, Sami, is bustling but not particularly attractive.
However it does offer two interesting caves nearby, plus regular ferries to Patra on the mainland.
Kefalonia has something for everyone
– for the sun worshippers it offers some of the best beaches in Greece such as Myrtos beach, Petani, Atheras,
and Xi in the Lixouri peninsula
west of Argostoli. To the south of the capital is Kaminia, Lourda,
and Makrys Gialos and on the east
coast Skala and Antisamos beaches are well worth a
visit.
For those wanting to explore more of
the beauty of the island there is a plethora of natural wonders to be found.
From Katavothres, a natural sinkhole to numerous caves the most visited of which are
Melissani, Drongarati, and Agalaki caves. The
island is also home to the tallest island mountain in Greece, Mt. Enos which rises to 1627 meters
and is crowned by a forest of black Kefalonia fir trees (Abies cephallonica)
that covers about 28500 acres of protected national park.
The island has an excellent tourist
infrastructure, connected to Athens by air and to Patras and surrounding
islands by ferry. Visitors to Kefalonia are never at a loss as to what to do.
As with most of the Ionian Islands,
Kefalonia has a Mediterranean climate. Its winters are rainy and mild with
temperatures barely falling below 8°C and hot, dry summers with an average
temperature of 22°C.
The monthly average temperatures are:
|
°C |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Day |
13 |
13 |
15 |
18 |
23 |
27 |
30 |
30 |
27 |
22 |
18 |
15 |
|
Night |
6 |
6 |
7 |
10 |
13 |
17 |
19 |
19 |
17 |
14 |
10 |
8 |
Despite the fact that Kefalonia is a large
island, its shops are not very varied. Most of the products you will find on
sale are local products and jewels. Most of the shops are in the capital,
Argostoli, on Lithostratos Street. This pedestrian road is boarded, on both
sides, by many shops and cafes.
Most of the resorts have gift shops along
the beaches so you will easily be able to find your holiday souvenirs like ceramics,
embroidered linens, leather goods, soaps made from olive oil and of course the
boiled sweets of Voskopoula.
The islands main export is its white
wine, Robola. There are several vineyards are open to the public for wine-tasting and direct purchase. You
could try Robola Co-operative Winery which is behind Agios Gerasimos Monastery
on the edge of Mount Ainos National Park. Or there is a more upmarket boutique
winery called Gentilini Vineyard near Argostoli.
Kefalonia’s night life
isn’t renowned for its liveliness, but that’s not to say it is quiet at night.
Nights out mainly consist of wining and
dining.
If you want a bit more action,
the locals head for Argostoli,
where the island's biggest club,
the Cinema Music Club
(Lithostroto Street) offers dancing in a former cinema. There are also several lively bars clustered around the main
square, Platia Vallianos.
Most of
the nightlife is gathered around Argostoli but modern bars and big nightclubs
can be found in main resorts such as Sami, Skala, Fiscardo, Lixouri and Poros.
A few
names to look out for are:
When you have exhausted
the island of Kefalonia, here are a few other things to do and places to visit
a bit further a field:
The tap water in Kefalonia is considered safe to
drink.
Kefalonia has very little
crime. Traffic can be a little mad in towns. Out in the hills, the roads wind
precariously around the sides of mountains. Some are passable only with a good
4 X 4, though the main routes are fine.
Mosquitoes are a minor issue
in inland accommodation, less so by the beaches.