The small island of ITHACA to ITHAKA is one of the Ionian group and lies just 4km off Kefalonia's east coast. Overshadowed by its more popular neighbour Ithaca has escaped the notice of the package tourist industry.
Ithaca is a sleepy, rocky, little island - Homer called it 'good for goats' - where time, when not standing still, tends to wander about rather aimlessly. Apart from a small annual influx of tourists and occasional day trippers there is little to disturb the gentle, soporific atmosphere.
Ithaca is about 120 sq km and is almost split in two by the bay at Aetos, with large peninsulas to the north and to the south. The north has the best resorts and the more interesting walks.
The south has the capital resort at Vathi with one of the world's largest natural harbours and also important links to Homer. The western Ithaca coastline is rough and ragged with only a couple of decent beaches while the east is typified by rolling hills and lush farmland.
Many houses on Ithaca were destroyed in the earthquake of 1953. Ithaca is reputed to have an olive tree that is more than 1,500 years old.
Ithaca is for those looking for somewhere to unwind and where the most exciting event of the day is catching a waiter's eye. Although Ithaca does get busy in the summer, the crowds are mainly confined to July and August when Ithaca attracts Italians and Greeks as well as UK visitors.
If you are in the market for a sleepy island holiday then give Ithaca a close look. Apart from tenuous links with Homer and beautiful scenery there is little on offer.
Island visitors are either sailing types, enjoying upmarket flotilla holidays in the north, or among the daily round of Homeric sightseers on one-day boat and coach trips from nearby Kefalonia.
Byron thought Ithaca so beautiful he wanted to buy it but Homer dismissed it as 'overrun with barren rocks and cliffs '.
Beaches of pebble and stone are couched in deeply carved bays and the Ithaca countryside is heartbreakingly beautiful. If you are looking for Greek island tranquillity, look no further.
Ithaca is neatly divided north and south by the wasp-waist ridge at Aetos. The north of Ithaca has the better resorts, the biggest villages and the more interesting walks. The north-west side coastline is rough and ragged with only a couple of decent beaches while the north-east has rolling hills and fertile farmland. South Ithaca has few villages and fewer beaches. It is mostly barren rock and scrub with the south-west being virtually inaccessible. The south is identified with sites mentioned in Homer's classic Odyssey. The most notable of these is the Cave of Nymphs and the 8th century citadel at Aetos which lays claim to being Odysseus' castle.
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The south of the island is empty but for a few Homeric sites and the main port of VATHY or VATHI. The port has one of the most idyllic seafront settings in Greece, nestled at the end of a long, deep bay and embraced on three sides by steep hills.
The wooded islet of Lazaretto sits in the bay where a quarantine station was built in 1668. It was converted to a prison in 1864 and demolished by the earthquake in 1953. All that remains are trees and a picturesque, whitewashed church.
Unfortunately, the idyll ends as you step ashore at Vathy to find an unprepossessing quayside lined with functionally bland buildings that owe something to pre-quake Ithaca architecture, but not much.
A preservation order in 1978 prevented unsightly building and protected the town from naked commercial development but the results are nothing to send postcards home about.
The utilitarian view is not enhanced by a large car park and some seedy looking tavernas on the Vathy quayside.
There is also a small and dull archaeological museum that appears to survive only on daily diet of whistle-stop tour visitors. The best of the Ithaca island treasures were carted off to Athens or looted by European archaeologists long ago.
The Folklore and Cultural Museum of Ithaca is behind the Agricultural Bank and has exhibits of island life as well as photographs of the devastating earthquake of 1953.
The poor state of island roads makes Vathy the best base for exploring Ithaca by boat although there are several out-of-town walks to sites that claim a mention in the Odyssey.
Vathy is where most island amenities are found - post office, bank, cash machine, bakery, mini markets, travel agents and shops. Ferries leave here for mainland Greece, Kefalonia, Corfu and Italy and boats offer many trips around the island and to neighbouring Kefalonia.
Directly west of Vathy the huge bay at AETOS almost cuts Ithaca in two. Its dramatic setting, with the steep ridge above and towering cliffs behind, is somewhat offset by the scruffy, unkempt stretch of rock, stone and shingle that is the beach.
Despite being near Vathy and backed by a road providing easy access Aetos is often strewn with rubbish and detritus, either washed up on the waves or flung from the windows of passing cars.
The road runs behind Aetos beach for around 1km and, being above the beach atop a high cement wall, the traffic can be enough to destroy the peace. There is the occasional tamarisk to provide shade but it is generally very exposed.
A forest fire has scarred much of the Aetos hillside but is now slowly reverting back to its natural state.
Ferry port
Cantina
The narrow mountain ridge at Aetos separates the north of Ithaca from the south and is a favourite place for walkers who can overlook bays on either side and interrupt their ramblings to visit the ruins of a citadel built in the 8th century and abandoned in Roman times.
Some say this was the castle of Odysseus but frankly, the evidence is pretty thin. There is a waymarked path from at Aetos behind the chapel
On the opposite site of the ridge from Aetos and facing west with, views across the strait to Kefalonia, is the small port of PISO AETOS.
More of a ferry port than a beach resort, the tiny Piso Aetos harbour has been enlarged to take bigger ferries which can thus avoid the long sail around to the other side of Ithaca island to reach Vathy.
There is a thin and narrow beach of rough pebbles at Piso Aetos but few use it for bathing as it is barren and very exposed. A small cantina opens near the harbour in the summer months but there are no shops, toilets or other facilities.
Blue FlagCantina
The road north out of Vathy follows the bay to a narrow beach of coarse sand, pebbles and stone at DEXA. This is supposed to be the beach upon which Odysseus landed on his return home.
Dexa is about 2km from Vathy so it's a popular beach for those staying in the island capital. A fair number of apartments have also been built here so Dexa beach tends to get commandeered early in the day.
The very narrow strand of pebble is backed by a low wall and beyond that there are clutches of tamarisk as well as olive trees where visitors can relax on shaded sunbeds. A small cantina opens in the summer.
At the southern end of the beach the road curves round to a small anchorage for visiting boats. Parking can be a problem on the narrow road at Dexa and a desalination plant built nearby can, if the wind is right, produce an irritating hum.
At nearby at LOUTSA are the ruins of a French fort built in 1805 overlooking the bay and where narrow tracks lead to even quieter coves.
On the headland east of Dexa is the long and narrow beach of SKINOS, set in very attractive woodland countryside that is dotted with some very exclusive Ithaca villa properties.
Skinos beach is approached down a dirt track and is all pebbles and stone, some of it none too clean as, like Dexa, it seems to attract its share of tidal rubbish. Being more isolated than Dexa it doesn't get cleaned as often.
That said, there is decent snorkeling to be had along the rocky shore. The beach is very narrow and backed by a low stone wall. Skinos is a pleasant place to hide away from the daily Ithaca trippers, with plenty of shade from tall cypress trees along the shoreline but there are no facilities here.
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FILIATRO is a very pretty east-facing beach set in a medium-sized bay and serviced by a summer cantina. Filiatro beach is also the summer target of day trip boats that anchor offshore in the bay.
The water is shallow in the enclosed Filiatro bay, making for an nice warm dip if you fancy it although footwear is recommended as the beach is pebble and stone and there is no sand underfoot. Chairs and tables are set out under trees at the back of the beach
Car access has no problems - just follow the road east out of Vathy for about 20min until you reach the bay. Olive trees and tamarisk provide shade and the back of Filiatro beach where there is also some camping.
The SARAKINIKO bay gives it name to a couple of small shingle beaches that are separated by a rock outcrop into the sea.
One of the Sarakiniko beaches is dominated by an ugly cement villa that reminds us of the Greek love affair with the concrete mixer. This beach is also used to launch boats from a slipway and serious bits of boat rubbish can be strewn around.
Sarakiniko is a quiet, attractive beach in a sheltered bay, although most visitors are merely passing through on their way to the better Ithaca beach found at nearby Filiatro.
There is plenty of shade from olives and cypress but there are no facilities here. If you get fed up of sunbathing on the steep bank of pebbles there are sandstone slabs nearby.
There was once a German 'commune' a Sarakiniko than numbered about 200 people but only a handful live there now.
Tavernas
Monastery
The large and rather scruffy mountain village of PERACHORI or PERAHORI sits above Vathy and this is the area where most of Ithaca island's wine is produced.
Small tavernas open in summer although Perachori is very much a working, not a tourist, village. A wander round will reveal the ruins of fortified houses that were once used by Ithaca islanders to escape the eye of passing pirates.
Terraces tumble down the hillside planted with neat rows of vines and every turning produces a small citrus orchard or vegetable plot. Perahori villagers have recently taken a lead in growing organic produce.
Visitors to Perachori get unobstructed views over the whole south of the island and offshore islets Nearby is the Monastery of Taxiarchis built in 1645 near the top of the mountain.
The resort of AGIOS IOANNIS looks quite spectacular viewed from the cliffs above, with nearby Nikolaos completing the scene and even an old windmill for romantic effect.
Getting down to Agios Ioannis beach is a problem, particularly if you make the mistake of trying to make the descent before reaching the village of Lefki. There is dirt track before then but it is a precipitous drop and you will struggle to get back up in a car.
Even the road from Lefki is difficult, with hairpin turns on a steep track that ends about 100m from Agios Ioannis beach. A steeper path then leads down past the windmill.
Agios Ioannis beach is a long narrow strip of pebble and stone with fine views across the straits but there is no shade and no facilities.
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POLIS is the only west coast resort on Ithaca that could reasonably be called popular with tourists. A medium sized bay of white limestone and shingle has a small harbour at the southern end with a taverna nestling beneath the eucalyptus trees.
Polis sits below the main northern town of Stavros and, with parking on the beach, sunbeds, umbrellas and the taverna it can be a popular, crowded place in the summer.
Land behind Polis beach is flat scrubland so there is little in the way of shade unless you retire to the taverna or sit on the harbour wall. There are tamarisks along the back of the beach but they are behind a fence.
There is a small harbour at the southern end of Polis and boat trips also leave here for Fiscardo on Kefalonia and around Ithaca itself. It was a port for ferries until the expansion at Piso Aetos, just down the coast.
At the north end of the bay was once the Lozios Cave where important religious artefacts were unearthed but earthquakes have reclaimed it and the cave has collapsed.
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Taxis
Inland from Polis and overlooking the bay is STAVROS, the capital village of north Ithaca at the foot of Mt Neritos.
Stavros, which means crossroads, also envelops the hamlets of Pilicata and Kalyvia. It acted as a 'chora' in the 16th to avoid pirate attacks.
Worth seeing are the fine Stavros churches of Sotiris, Agia Varvara and Zoodochos Pigi. A stern and imposing bust of Odysseus stands in the central platia at Stavros and there a few traditional houses that survived the 1953 Ithaca earthquake.
Stavros has several tavernas and cafes as well as a mini-market. Excavations from the Loizos cave used as a temple are displayed in the tiny Stavros archaeological museum. The museum contains various finds from Ithaca, from the Early Helladic periods to the Roman.
Tavernas
EXOGHI is found north of Stavros is one of the oldest villages on Ithaca and it is picture postcard stuff for the visiting tourists with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside.
Exoghi is a picturesque village in a picturesque spot with wonderful views down to Aphales Bay and over the sea although many houses here have fallen into disrepair.
The main Exoghi church of Agia Marina is well worth a visit and there is a small cafe here and some rooms for rent.
Exoghi village is also noted for its three small pyramids built in 1933. The eccentric builder and his mother are buried under two of them.
Visitors must travel to one of the very tip of the island to find another northern beach, although you are unlikely to visit.
Dramatic white cliffs enclose the deep inlet at ASFALES which sits a few hundred feet below the village of Exoghi. Remote and relatively inaccessible it is rarely visited except in the high season.
Those that go are rewarded with astonishing views while making the descent to Asfeles beach. Arrival is less than stunning though as the north-facing beach of stone and pebble tends to collect its fair share of litter and is shrouded by the surrounding cliffs and woods. There are no facilities here.
The stone beach at MARMAKES is around 4km over the headland from Asfales and can be reached along a dirt track. It is a brave driver that tries to take a car.
Sheer drops to the sea along narrow, unfenced and crumbling dirt tracks are mainly for visitors inclined to the the suicidal. You either need a boat or very strong legs to tackle the goat track from Frikes, two good reasons why Marmakes beach is usually deserted.
That said, there are moves afoot to improve the road which may open it up to more visitors. The Marmakes stone beach is very attractive, with an offshore islet sporting a tiny chapel to add to the romantic setting.
Trees line the Marmakes shore and there are walks through the groves of olive and fruit behind. There are no facilities here but that may change when the road improves.
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FRIKES is one of the major holiday resorts in the north of the island (if anything can be called such a thing on Ithaca), along with its neighbour Kioni which lies just around the headland.
Though tarted up for tourists in recent years Frikes manages to retain plenty of Greek charm. Cafes and tavernas are strung around the dainty harbour with the sleepy village behind luxuriantly planted with bougainvillea and jasmine.
Feuding between local Frikes' families adds a certain edge to village life and local festivals have been known to end rather sadly in drink-fuelled village punch-ups.
Ferries from Lefkas arrive in the morning and Frikes village is briefly busy with the new arrivals before settling back its sleepy ways. A one-way system prevents what little village traffic there is grinding to a halt.
Frikes is a good base to explore Ithaca island with splendid walks through delightful countryside and various recently cleared trails along the coastline. Since a new harbour jetty was built in 2000 Frikes has grown in popularity.
The bay to the south offers a string of small coves and beaches, most of them easily accessible from the coast road,although it can be a scramble to get to a couple of them. All are much the same - small pebble and stone coves with no facilities.
One of the best, and nearest to Frikes, is KOURVOULIA, a narrow scoop of shingle along the roadside.
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KIONI is the premier resort on Ithaca and it shows. It's a picture postcard idea of a Greek island resort with smart houses and apartments climbing the hills around a secluded horseshoe bay.
Well-heeled holidaymakers parade around Kioni harbour before setting into one of several waterside bars and tavernas. Cars are banned from Kioni village over the summer.
Kioni is so cute it should be cheesy but it has somehow managed to marry authentic Greek charm to the demands of tourism. This comes at a price though, which is reflected in the costs of staying here and in the big expensive yachts moored in Kioni harbour, many trying to outdo each other in size and opulence.
For those that tire of sitting in the Kioni tavernas sipping beer there are several tiny coves at the mouth of the bay, windmills on the headland and old Ithaca donkey trails to explore.
The Kioni beach sits below the windmills, a steep, short and narrow bank of pebble and shingle with overhanging trees for shade at one end.
There is a beach cantina in high summer and it takes about 20 minutes to walk (the narrow road is closed to traffic except out of season). Sunbeds and brolloes hadn't made an appearance when I was last in Kioni but it can't be too long before they appear.
The Greek island of Ithaca or Ithaka is located in the Ionian Sea just off the west coast of mainland Greece and just 4km off the east coast of Kefalonia. The smallest of the Ionian island', after Paxos, Ithaca has an area of 96km2, a coastline of 100km and around 5,000 permanent inhabitants.
Ithaca is a mountainous island and its highest peaks are Mt. Neritos at 800m and Mt Petaleiko. Two peninsulas form Ithaca, almost equal in size and joined at the isthmus of Aetos, which is just 620m wide. The steep and straight 16km long western coast contrasts sharply with the jigsaw of inlets on Ithica's east coast.
Ithaca island capital of Vathy is located in the south-east, while the second largest village is Stavros in the north of the island.
There is little fertile arable land on Ithaca and most food is imported although some olive oil, wine, and currants are produced. Many of the old houses were destroyed in an earthquake in 1953.
Above the beach at Dexa is the CAVE OF NYMPHS also known as MARMAROSPILIA. This is the cave where Odysseus is supposed to have hidden his treasure on his return from Troy. What treasures have been found are more of an archaeological nature and can be found in the museum in Vathy.
The cave is, well it's a cave, and has a hole in the roof and a clump of cypress at the entrance. What atmosphere it once may have had have been lost in a blaze of tacky coloured lights. Some say this is not even the original cave anyway, the real one being inadvertently demolished in a nearby quarry some years ago. The route to the cave is well signposted from the road.
Around 10 km south of Vathi is the ARETHOUSA SPRING, where the swineherd Eumaes supposedly brought his pigs to drink, as told in The Odyssey. The landscape and sea views are extraordinary but the route is precipitous and you are not advised to walk alone. To get there follow the road out of Vathy that is signposted to the Marathis Plateau. At the village of Anemothouri, on the right, there is a large blue and white sign pointing to the Arethousa Fountain track. Follow the red waymarkers.
The scenery at the fountain is pretty impressive and a difficult rock-strewn descent down a ravine brings you to an unnamed beach opposite the islet of PERAPIGADIA. The spring itself is little more than a dribble and many may wonder at the effort taken to get there.
There is no airport on Ithaca. The nearest airport is south of Lassi in Kefalonia which has daily domestic flights from Athens with Olympic Airways and Aegean Airlines.
You will need to travel across Kefalonia to the port of Sami on the east coast to catch one of two ferries that call in at around 3pm.
Unfortunately, the incoming plane and outgoing ferry times rarely match, so an overnight stay on Kefalonia is often needed either in Argostoli, Lassi or Sami. Fortunately there are plenty of rooms to be found in all resorts should you need an overnight stop.
There are also flights to Preveza, or Araxos, on the mainland with several ferry connections to Ithaca.
Kefalonia International Airport (EFL) is located 9km south of the island capital at Argostoli. International charters in the summer can take annual passenger number to upwards of 400,000 annually and the strain can tell in the high summer as the airport is frankly too small to handle this sort of traffic.
The airport has only one terminal for incoming and outgoing flights and passenger services are limited, given the annual throughput. Expect long delays at the three meagre check-in desks and the two baggage belts.
There is no left luggage facility and no bank. There's a post office and first aid centre, some shopping, a gift shop, cafe and bar.
There is no public transport from the airport and a taxi is not cheap. Some hotels offer private minibus transfers. There are only 110 parking spaces at Kefalonia airport so it can get crowded at busy times.
Olympic Airways has a daily flight to Athens to Kefalonia all year round and this in increased to several flights a day during high summer season.
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There are several daily ferries services that call in at Ithaca:
From Athens: At Patras, Blue Star ferries leave twice daily for Ithaca calling at Sami on Kefalonia on the way, usually at 12.30pm and 8.30pm but check first. From Athens, KTEL buses leave hourly for Patras from the Kifissou Bus Station. The ferry takes 3hours 20 minutes. The earlier ferry docks at Piso Aetos and takes 3hours 20minutes, the later one docks at Vathy and takes about an hour more. From Athens you can also take a bus to Xanthoula for a ferry that takes about 2hours 20 minutes to cross to Ithaca, but the bus ride is around 6 hours.
From Kefalonia: As well as the daily ferries from Sami outlined above there is also a water taxi service from Aghia Efimia operated by Yellow Boats.
From Lefkas: There are daily ferries from Nidri in Lefkada calling at Fiskardo on Kefalonia and docking in Friskes, Ithaca. The journey time is about 2hours. There is also a 2 hour journey from Vasiliki, Lefkada to Piso Aetos on Ithaca. Taxis wait for the ferry.
From Corfu: Flying Dolphins sail from Corfu to Ithaca on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 9.15am and take around 3 hours. The return sailing leaves Vathy at 2pm. There are also dolphins from Sami to Corfu on Wednesday and Saturday at 4pm.
The main method of transport for getting around Ithaca is a hire car or taxi. Some visitors hire cars in Kefalonia and bring them over on the ferry. Taxis are about but not plentiful, although there are always some on hand to meet ferry arrivals.
If you hire a car or bike take note that police have been active the past few summers handing out hefty spot fines for not wearing seatbelt in cars or crash helmets on bikes. They don't wear them themselves but there you go.
There is a twice daily bus from Vathy to Stavros, Frikes and Kioni that leaves Vathi at 6.15am and 11am and leaves Kioni at 7.15am and 2.30pm. There is no bus service on Sunday or Bank Holidays. Many find it a hair-raising ride through the mountains.
Although small, Ithaca is a mountainous and wild island. Many old mountain tracks fell into disuse over the years but have been cleared by the island council and volunteers.
There are maps of local walking trails in many island souvenir shops. The main routes are waymarked and many of the paths have been cleared by islander Denis Sikiotis.
Online walks can be found here.
Ithaca is only a small island and holiday accommodation is lmostly imited to the main port of Vathy. There are plenty of places to stay around Vathy, from cheaper budget rooms to luxury villas with swimming pools and sea views.
There are also many small houses, apartments and villas to rent but this is not a place to turn up in the main holiday season of July and August when the small island can become quite crowded.
Frikes is the most northerly of Ithaca's village resorts and there are usually rooms to be found out of the main season and a few rooms are on offer in nearby Stavros, which has the largest population.
Most tourists visiting north Ithaca stay in Kioni but accommodation there will need to be booked well in advance. There are a rooms and studios in other parts of north Ithaca, such as at Lefki and at Agios Yiannis beach. In the south there is Vathy, which takes the highest numbers, but other accommodation is dotted along the coastline.
The hill village of Perahori commands the best views and rooms can usually be found except during the local festival. Perahorihas an agrotourism project which offers rooms in local houses as part of the family.
Cyclonic depressions provide the Ionian islands with mild, wet winters and little frost. Beginning in late autumn and continuing through the winter, the Ionians and the western mountains of the mainland receive abundant rain, with occasional snow at the higher levels. The average annual rainfall off the west coast is three times that in the eastern islands. Wet winters account for the island's verdant forests and lush, fertile plains. In April and May temperatures rise steadily with sharp showers slowly dying out. By June rainfall drops dramatically and temperatures soar. By September rain is much more likely while temperatures remain high compared to other Greek islands. But October brings heavy rain once or twice a week that can continue throughout the winter months.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | Averages |
| 12 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 22 | 17 | 14 | Day °C |
| 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 7 | Night °C |
| 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 | Sun (hrs) |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | UV Index |
| 145 | 122 | 91 | 62 | 37 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 47 | 131 | 167 | 186 | Rain (mm) |
| 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Rainy days |
