Fiscardo Kefalonia

holiday report and Kefalonia map

Fiscardo Kefalonia

FISKARDO or FISCARDO sits at the northern tip of Kefalonia, about 50km from Argostoli, and is the main village of the Erissos peninsula. Ferries from neighbouring Lefkas and Ithaca dock here, as do scores of swanky yachts and flotilla groups, though many of the latter divert to cheaper moorings at Agia Efimia to the south.
Much of Fiscardo is now pedestrianised, with a large car park near the harbour, although you will probably have problems finding a space. Often packed with visitors the area around the port can get incredibly busy at ferry times as coaches and cars disembark. The heavy boat traffic can make it hard work getting in and out of the Fiskardo.
Fiscardo is little more than a cluster of renovated houses, tavernas and apartments that hug the shoreline with wooded hills behind. Fiskardo is a popular spot for day trippers and one of the main stops on round-island coach tours. Few but the rich can now afford to actually stay in Fiscardo as prices have become prohibitive. The place is notoriously expensive even by Kefalonia standards.
Many buildings here survived the 1953 earthquake and Fiscardo trades on its Venetian architectural heritage. Much of Fiscardo now looks more twee than historic, as houses have been repainted, replastered and retiled to chocolate box perfection. Like a fading movie star with one too many facelifts it's hard to tell how old any of it is. Much looks as if it was built yesterday.
The Fiscardo museum has interesting exhibits of natural history and there are some Roman graves down by the waterfront, though they are poorly maintained and collect rubbish and seaweed. The area has lots of good walking with many trails kept open and marked by environmental groups.
There are many footpaths along the coast including one to the Venetian and British-built lighthouses. The 16th century lighthouse is a noted landmark. It has been unused since 1892 when the Victorian lighthouse was built nearby.
Many Fiscardo visitors hire boats to explore the coastline and there are daily cruises to the nearby islands of Lefkas, Meganissi, Skorpios and Ithaca. A ferry runs in the summer to Vassiliki, south Lefkas, calling at Frikes on Ithaca.
Fiskardo has a secluded pebble beach and flat rocks at nearby Emblissi with shallow waters and views across to Ithaca. The beach is small and can get busy in high season. Kimilia is a small beach just beyond Emblissi, about 15min through hilly woodland where there is a small, quiet bay.