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Kefalonia is considered to be one of the
most beautiful islands in the whole of
Greece. It is blessed with some of the
tallest mountains in Greece, some very
interesting geological phenomena,
beautiful villages, friendly locals,
delicious food and wine, and amazing
beaches. |
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With an area of 688.8 km2, Kefalonia is
the largest of the Ionian Islands and
the 6th largest of all the greek
islands. Kefalonia is located off the
west coast of mainland Greece, with
Lefkas to the north, and Zakynthos to
the south.
Kefalonia is a green but at the same
time mountainous island. The highest
peak in the Ainos range is Megas Soros
at 1.628m. The mountain is surrounded by
a national park with trees unique to the
island. It is also inhabited by wild
horses. The steep western slopes falls
rapidly down to sea levels and are met
with many stunning sand or pebble
beaches on the shore. |
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Map of
Kefalonia
(Click to
enlarge) |
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Ainos
mountain |
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Argostoli |
The
capital, Argostoli, was destroyed by the
terrible earthquakes in 1953 and rebuilt
from virtually nothing. One of the few
monuments that was saved form the
earthquake is the arched Drapano bridge
across the lagoon. Argostoli is rich in
historical features and it is worth
visiting Korgialenios museum and library
as well as the Archeological museum. The
town square is filled with restaurants
and bars and is the perfect place for
watching the world go by. When the
fishing boats return to the harbour
front in the mornings you may be lucky
to see one of the rare loggerhead
turtles following close behind. |
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Turtle |
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When
visiting the island there are many
places to explore. At the north of the
island, Fiskardo and Assos are two
picturesque harbour villages, surrounded
by thick cypress forests. Driving down
from Fiskardo you meet Myrtos, the most
photographed beach of Kefalonia and
perhaps of all Greece. This beach has
white sand, pebbles, turquoise water and
the biggest waves you will find in
Kefalonia! The under currents are very
strong here and it is only safe for
strong swimmers.
The seaside settlement of Agia Efimia is
situated 31 km northeast of Argostoli.
It has a population of 400 inhabitants.
The town's wide streets and beautiful
buildings are of unique beauty. |
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Fiskardo |
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Myrtos |
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Assos |
Close by is the 3rd largest
town on the island, Sami. This is an
important port for the island. Modern
film production techniques transformed
this quiet port into a substitute
pre-war
Argostoli for the famous
movie “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”. From
here
Antisamos Beach is only
a 5 minute drive around the headland.
The beach is a pebble stone beach. It
has calm waters and is a great place for
a relaxing day out. It is one of the
most scenic places in Kefalonia. You
will see many large yachts anchored
farther out enjoying the view. |
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Antisamos
Beach |
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A few
natural wonders can also be seen on this
island, more specifically the caves of
Melissani and Drogorati near Sami and
the sea mills at Katavothres just
outside Argostoli. Melissani is actually
a subterranean lake with an unusual
phenomenon. When the sun shines overhead
and its rays hit the crystal clear
waters of this lake, the light is broken
up into a myriad of colours. Drogorati
is a cave with amazing stalactites.
Katavothres offers a rare geological
sight. Sea water enters openings in the
rock where it disappears. Scientists
have found that this water flows
north-eastwards underground, emerging at
Melissani. Formerly this water used to
travel at such a rate that it was used
to power the 2 sea mills. |
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Melissani
Lake |
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Drogorati
Cave |
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Skala |
At the
south-eastern end of Kefalonia, Skala is
a tourist resort with a magnificent long
white sand beach. There are many
restaurants and bars which attract a
younger crowd. When visiting Skala it is
worth seeing the excavations of a roman
villa close to the beach and exploring
Old Skala up in the hills.
The small fishing village of Katelios is
located between the busier resorts of
Skala and Lourdas on the south east
coast. It consists of a small harbour, a
beach, and several restaurants by the
sea, gift shops, mini markets and some
apartments. |
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Katelios |
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Lixouri
is the second largest town on the island
with a population of 4,000 inhabitants.
Argostoli and Lixouri are connected by
ferry, which crosses the bay of
Argostoli. On the present site of
Palaiokastro (old castle), the ancient
city of Pali, named after Kephalos's son
Pileus or Paleus, once stood. Later, it
was renamed Lixouri, according to a
letter of 1534 to the Venetians. From
Lixouri, one can visit the site of
Kounopetra (another of the islands
strange geological phenomena) near the
village of Mantzavinata, and the
monasteries of Panagia Kehrionos and
Tafia. To the north-west of Lixouri is
the beautiful Petani beach which can get
very busy in high season. |
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Lixouri |
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Petani |
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Monastery
of Agios Gerasimos |
The
islands largest monastery is the
Monastery of Agios Gerassimos. The
island’s patron saint, Gerassimos
(1506–1579) was well known as a teacher
and a healer. Many believe that he
performs miracles on August 15th (the
day he died) and on his feast day
October 20th when his remains are
carried in procession. Many people lie
on the ground allowing the sarcophagus
to pass over them in the belief that
they will be healed. |
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The Old Church |
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The
Livathos area is home to some of the
best sandy beaches on the island. Worth
mentioning are Makris Gialos and Platis
Gialos in Lassi, Avithos, Ammes, Lourdas,
Trapezaki, Spartia, Agia Thomas and Agia
Helis. |
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Lassi |
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Avithos |
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Wild
Orchids |
The
combination of the wonderful climate and
the very fertile soil is the reason
Kefalonia is so green and lush for a
large part of the year. From March to
June the island is covered in beautiful
colours. There are over 1.000 species of
flowers and plants and quite a few of
them are either endemic or rare. After a
rain shower the air is filled with
different scents from the many herbs
growing in the countryside. |
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Wild
Flowers |
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There is
a great choice of restaurants and
tavernas all over the island.
Holidaymakers as well as locals enjoy
the great taste of the local produce
including honey, fruit, olives,
vegetables and seafood. Last but not
least it is worth mentioning that
Kefalonia produces some great tasting
wines. The best known is the Robola wine
which has won prices all over the world
for its outstanding quality. |
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