Kefalonia has some of the best holiday beaches in the Ionian islands but they are not always easy to get to. Kefalonia is a large and mountainous island and the beaches are widely spread around the long coastline. As a result, Kefalonia holidaymakers tend to stay in the local area and venture out only if they are prepared for a long drive over difficult roads. The main beaches are at Lassi, Lourdas and Skala - all on the south-west coast and widely spread apart. Other beaches such as Myrtos and Antisamos are very beautiful but they are relatively remote and often difficult to reach. Beaches on the Pali peninsula grow more popular each year but again, they are relatively isolated and reached only by ferry or a long road trip. Kefalonia picked up 11 Blue Flags in 2011 for its clean beaches.
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Ditch water hardly comes duller than the island capital of ARGOSTOLI. Once bursting with stylish Venetian mansions and elegant bell towers, incendiary bombs were dropped by the Luftwaffe in World War II and then a 1953 earthquake reduced what was left to a wasteland of rubble.
And a bit of a wasteland Argostoli remains; a cement inspired mishmash of lifeless streets. The sober building cubes might be termed 'utilitarian' by the more generous visitors; most will call them what they are - squat, ugly and drab.
The harbour promenade at Argostoli has been laid with mosaics to resemble waves in a spirited attempt to brighten up a vista of seaside cement and a large flagged square provides focus for the town centre. Neither has much charm. Relief from the cement slabs of Argostoli town square is provided each evening by scores of children who use it as a soccer pitch and adventure playground.
Around the edges of Argostoli square are outdoor cafes and tavernas serving mainly Italian food of a high standard, if on the pricey side. If you don't mind the children and the surrounding traffic noise, this is the only place to be in Argostoli at night.
Shoppers can try an evening stroll up a traffic-free shopping street of Lithostroto but they will find only modern department stores and shoe shops. There is more shopping atmosphere in Llandudno. Afternoon siestas turn Argostoli into a ghost town.
Places worth visiting include the Historical and Cultural Museum, some say the best in Greece, which is filled with memorabilia of a pre-earthquake city when Argostoli was sophisticated, fashionable and a noted centre of culture.
A British-built stone causeway across the lagoon connects Argostoli to the rest of the island. There is some long-standing animosity between the people of Argostoli and those who live Lixouri across the bay. Lixouri inhabitants have never forgotten that Argostoli was preferred in a vote for the island's capital city.
The south-west coast is the main beach strip of Kefalonia with sandy bays from the Fanari headland, near Argostoli, in the north to the huge sand beach at Skala in the south. The main beach areas are at Lassi, Lourdas Bay and Skala with small coves in between. There are beaches on other Kefalonia coasts but they tend to be rather isolated and scattered.
If you plan to visit several Kefalonia beaches during your stay then the south-west is where you should base yourself as roads are good and you can drive easily from one resort to another. Other resorts demand long and tiring drives over the central Kefalonia mountains.
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FANARI is the coast road, also called Romantic Road, that runs from the Argostoli to Lassi. First out of Argostoli is MAISTRATO beach, a tiny shingle bay with a small taverna. On the headland north of Argostoli is KATOVETHRES where there is a restored water mill near the site of the famous swallow holes where the sea disappears underground to resurface on the other side of the island. Nearby, the picturesque isolated Fanari lighthouse turns out to be just a replica of a rotunda built by the British in the 1820s.
There are several shingle coves along the shoreline at Fanari but its a clamber over rocks to reach them and there are no facilities. Near Lassi is a sandy cove at KALAMIA — named after the bamboo that surrounds it. Access is by the dirt track next to To Psito taverna and there is a cantina and sunbeds.
Just before Lassi are small coves of pink sand, sea caves and rocks at GRANDAKIA. Access is down a dirt track and a snack bar provides sunbeds. It's a good sandy beach with a gentle slope into the sea and much favoured by locals who want to escape the Lassi crowds.
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LASSI is a ribbon stretch of tourist development with a sandy beach nearby. There is no village at Lassi, just a narrow stretch of road flanked by tavernas, rent-a-car outlets, tourist shops and the odd mini-market. The candy coated kitsch architecture - lamp-lit fountains and glass bridges - are typical and give Lassi an air of downmarket Disney.
Lassi is popular for the string of very fine beaches. The inventively named MAKRYS YIALOS (Long Beach) and PLATYS YIALOS (Wide Beach) are the best beaches Kefalonia with fine soft sand and gently sloping shorelines making them great for families with children.
Beach hotels demand an early arrival to nab the best sunbeds and Lassi is not resort for those who don't like crowds. The beaches can get packed in the high season. There are the usual watersports and a few rocks to add interest and passing ferries can send waves washing over those pitched too near the shoreline.
Lassi has little in the way of nightlife beyond a stroll along the main road or drinks on the terrace of the impressively ugly Hotel Mediterranee. Prices have risen steeply in recent years and cheaper nights out can be found in Argostoli at a more digestible price.
The White Rocks Hotel commandeers a splendid beach at TORKOPOTHIRO - just walk through hotel grounds to reach it. To the south is the tiny hamlet of MINIES with a mini market, taverna and good beach, although it is rather near the airport runway. On the end of the runway is the long pink sand beach of SPASMATA separated from Minies by a rock outcrop.
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To the south of the airport the area around SVORONATA is a step back in time. This peaceful village is a mile or so from the airport and very spread out with a few tavernas, a mini-market and a garage. The airport is no problem as flights are so few and there are none at night. The main attraction is several very good beaches nearby and, if those don't satisfy, it's not far to the popular beaches at Lassi.
Nearest is AMMES (Blue Flag) beach, small, narrow and sandy - rarely crowded and with a small cantina. It's noted for strong sea currents. Further south beyond the cape is Al HELIS, a tiny secluded bay with pinkish sand. There are no beach facilities and access is down steep stone steps. Around the headland to the east is a narrow sandy strip at MEGALIPETRA where huge rocks lie offshore.
Beyond the rocky headland is AVITHOS (Blue Flag) or AVIATHOS, the furthest and the best, with a long south-facing beach of soft white sand, clear shallow seas and a taverna set in the cliff. The road to Aviathos beach is through olive groves and the beach itself protected by sloping sandstone cliffs. The gently shelving beach offers safe swimming for families. The islet out to sea is DIAS topped with a tiny white chapel. Naturists tend to favour the rocky end of the beach and so do turtles, so take care not to disturb their hidden nesting sites.
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Around the headland is the massive bay of Lourdas which combines several beaches along its length. As well as the big and popular beaches at places like Lourdas itself there are many small coves with beautiful, quiet sands that have escaped the crowds.
Before reaching Lourdas proper there is the small harbour at SPARTIA where there are sandy coves each side of the small quay, one with rocks encrusted with fossilised shells and some particularly interesting snorkeling to be found offshore.
PESSADA is the local port for the Zakynthos ferry and there is no organised beach here, only a small cove of flat rocks with a small sandy strip reached down some steep steps.
Pessada is a pretty village set in a flat plain, ideal for walking. There are fine views of the Livatho coastline adnd the slopes of Mount Ainos. Ferries to Skinari, on Zante, run twice daily in the summer. The local Divino Winery has guided tours and wine-tasting.
The turning from KARAVADOS leads down to the small bay below at AGIOS THOMAS where there is the tiniest of sandy coves but some impressive volcanic rock formations that make for good sunbathing and some interesting snorkeling.
LITHERO marks the start of Lourdas proper but this part of the beach, which remains relatively empty for much of the season, is only accessible down a rough track from the attractive hillside village of VLACHATA.
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TRAPEZAKI is much favoured by those bored with the Lourdas beach itself. You can get to it from the steep, but good, road down from the village of Moussata.
Trapezaki is really two sandy beaches split by a small marina, with a beach bar that opens in the high season. Both Trapezaki beaches are narrow but there is plenty of shade from trees along the shoreline.
The waters are also relatively shallow and the sands at Trapezaki are long enough to ensure they never get crowded. The road to the beach is very narrow with no passing places so a one-way traffic system operates in the summer.
Well sheltered by the mountain behind, the summer here almost feels tropical and, being a little off the beaten track, Trapezaki can be very relaxed and peaceful despite interest from a number of major holiday companies. There are plenty of paths and tracks for around here those who enjoy walking. Expect the going to get pretty tough though in the surrounding steep hillsides.
Car hire is needed here, although there is a bus service back up the hill that leaves the beach at about 5pm each day.
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Beneath the towering Mt Aenos a side road drops from the main coast road down to the sea. Here you find the fast developing LOURDAS village with more tavernas and cafes opening every year as the place is so popular with travel firms.
Also called LOURDATA, the village square has an enormous plane tree and the start of a two kilometre nature trail into the hillside and Mt. Ainos above. The road from Lourdas village threads downwards to the sea past apartments and chalets hidden away in the pines and scrub.
There is a long and killing trek back up from Lourdas beach for sun-soaked holidaymakers. Most hire a car, which bring plenty of traffic along the narrow lanes. Lourdas beach is sharp, white grit laid out in a great long 5km swathe as far as the eye can see. It must rival Afandou in Rhodes as one of the most boring in the Mediterranean.
The eye-glaring Lourdas beach is edged by a grim and grey cement sea wall topped with a dirt track - and that is about it. A few tavernas have sprung up along the Lourdas shore offering some respite from the flat and barren beach.
Beyond the headland, south of Lourdas, is the cape at KANASTAS which can be reached by following a rough track from the nearby monastery. Kanastas is a small beach of sand and pebbles with no facilities. Further east still is a dirt track leading down a steep road from the village of Thiramona to the quiet sandy beach at KORONI.
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KATELIOS, also known as AGHIA VARVARA sits on the south-east coat of Kefalonia and has two decent beaches. There is a small fishing harbour at the western end and local tavernas have an authentic feel, although you will pay through the nose for fresh fish. The main Katelios beach is about 200m long backed by eucalyptus, and pine.
The beach shelves gently enough into the sea, although parts can attract large gobs of seaweed. The narrow strip of sand turns to stone and shingle at one end. In recent years a large number of cement apartments have been thrown up behind the sands and there are now a dozen or so tavernas, a couple of bars, two mini-markets and a cash point.
To the east is POTOMAKIA beach where the loggerhead turtles nest. There are guides who will take you to see them from June to September. Visitors that go without guides are discouraged. There is a trail of blue ribbon to guide visitors past the nest sites to the next beach at KAMINIA, a pleasant spot with good sandy beach, a cantina and shallow water.
Further walking leads to MOUNDA beach and some pleasant sandy bays that reach towards the cape and even more turtle nesting grounds. Overlooking Mounda beach is the village of , and RATZAKLI which is being opened up by tour firms.
Shallow waters make coves along this part of the coast ideal for families, although you must stay near the shoreline and away from the turtle nesting sites. Visitors in the turtle nesting season must leave before dusk as the turtles lay their eggs at night.
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The huge sand and shingle beach at SKALA or SCALA is approached from the town down steep, pine shaded tracks hidden behind a large public drinking fountain.
The sands at Skala are long and deep, sweeping right around the headland for around four kilometres. There are the usual sunbeds (expensive), watersports and pool bars nearby for quick refreshments. Sharp sand, stone at the water's edge and a steeply shelving beach don't make this ideal for children but the deep sands more than make up for it.
There is a turtle nesting beach around three kilometres from Skala resort and certain restrictions apply, which will suit the visitor looking for peace and quiet. They also suit naturists who tend to congregate around the rocky headland. They also get the best of the Skala sand which shelves more gently into the sea here before it gives way to flat underwater rocks.
Skala resort has become hugely popular in recent years and has turned belly up to meet the demands of the cheap ticket tourist trade. There are around 30 tavernas mostly serving chips with everything and a scattering of music bars as well as the usual souvenir shops. Most of the bars and shops can be found in the main street or just off it.
Skala village pleasures are comfortably low key. An an open-air nightclub on the outskirts on the Poros road is the liveliest attraction. There are well-preserved Roman mosaics at the Roman villa - look for signposts - and plenty of island excursions start here.
A walk to the old Skala hillside village, demolished in the 1953 earthquake, used to be popular but new villa developments, complete with tennis courts and taverna, have converted the ruins into infinity pools.
There is only a smattering of resorts along Kefalonia's long east coast with Poros in far the south and Fiskardo on the northern tip of the island. The others are in Sami bay and these are more ports than beaches. This part of the island though has some splendid scenery and, with the island of Ithaca offshore, shouldn't be missed. The north has plenty of mountain scenery but little else than a rugged coastline, the exquisite resort of Assos and the magnificent beach at Myrtos.
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The coast road north from Skala gives easy access to a few stony coves, most notable being HEROULAKI and KAPRI, although none are anything special. Neither are the beaches around POROS which is more noted for the ferry connection to mainland Kilini. Poros town is pleasant enough however, with a fine marina and good selection of tavernas.
The Poros town beach, known as ARAGIA, is a 600m stretch of shingle and sand, close to the shops. There are sunbeds to hire on the beach and the usual bike and car hire places in Poros itself. Another pebble beach is across the small river bridge at Poros and here are more sunbeds, motor boats for hire and pleasant tavernas.
You will need a motor boat to get to the few pebble-dashed coves on the coast road north of Poros. The best are at MAKRIA PETRA (Greek for long stones), surrounded by thick wooded hills and KOUTSOUPIA, again a thickly wooded and secluded pebble beach.
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Once a tranquil, rustic hideaway, a new track was carved out of the hillside down to the photogenic beach at ANTISAMOS to accommodate crews and equipment to shoot movie scenes for Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Since then Antisamos has become a big attraction with a large beach taverna and car park built behind. Cars can now make a relatively easy hairpin descent to the dramatic horseshoe bay at Antisamos with its beach of brilliant white stones.
This was once a magical spot, just south of the port at Sami, with a deep sea bay framed by tree-carpeted slopes and backed by small fields of grazing goats. The movie has put paid to the tranquillity of Antisamos beach. Today a growing tide of visitors enjoy the noisy music bar and ranks of expensive sunbeds. Antisamos beach is still the same, a long strand of white stones dropping sharply into a stone floored sea bed.
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North of Antisamos and off the coast road a dirt path leads down to the picturesque pebble bay at PALIOURAS and beyond that a narrow ribbon of pebble and rock that bring you to SAMI. The former capital of Kefalonia is now a large ferry port and fast-growing holiday centre.
Sami town was wrecked by the 1953 earthquake and rebuilt with wide streets and cement homes. The Danes built wooden houses for the earthquake survivors and many are still in use. Like Argostoli, Sami has as long and scruffy cement-paved seafront promenade. A succession of pavement tavernas relieve the view.
Sami may have a slightly shabby air but it's still a good holiday base and it is near the spectacular Antisamos beach and both the Drogarati and Mellisani caves. To the east of Sami are ruins of the old city wall.
Some narrow shingle and sand strips are found at either end of the promenade but you must a drive around a housing estate to get there. The coast road north of Sami leads to KARAVOMILOS which has a narrow shingle beach and attractive water mill.
The village is noted for the pond where water that entered the swallow holes at Katavothres, near Lassi, finally surfaces before running into the sea. There is also a large camping site nearby, about 1km from the village of Sami.
Further north still are a succession of attractive pebble coves collectively known as AGHIA PARASKEVI, and most can be reached down short dirt tracks off the main road.
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The pretty little fishing harbour of AGIA EFIMIA (aka Efemia, Effimia or Evfimia) is sited a few kilometres north of Sami. Popular with package tour operators of late it is still mercifully free of over-development.
The harbour at Agia Efimia is one of the departure points for boats to Ithaca and the mainland port of Astakos. Agia Efimia is also popular staging post for yachting flotillas and tavernas often sound to the howls of Hooray Henrys. A small selection of tavernas, mostly lined up along the harbour wall, serve good food.
Agia Efimia suffers from a lack of beaches; three tiny coves around the resort itself and more scattered along the coast. Although attractive and with good swimming they are all stone and shingle and very small.
The biggest, Paradise beach (from the taverna of the same name) is just 20 metres long and found at the bottom of two flights of stone steps. Another secluded beach is behind the cemetery but the stones here are ankle-breaking in size.
The road north out of Agia Efimia turns inland and, although there are many tiny coves of pebble and shingle between Agia Efimia and Fiscardo access is by boat or foot only. The most popular are HAGLANA, GORGOTTA and AGIA SOFIA. South from Fiscardo the nearest are FOLD, EVRETI and KAKOGILOS.
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Touted as a must-see village on the tourist trail, FISKARDO or FISCARDO can be a disappointment. The building were virtually the only ones on Kefalonia to escape the 1953 earthquake and are picturesque by virtue of being the only old ones left.
Fiscardo is now so popular it's like a mini-Mykonos. A favourite on the day trip circuit - by bus and boat - Fiscardo can heave with visitors at any time but in July and August they descend in swarms while wealthy boat owners toss about on their oversized yachts. In high summer you must kill for a waterside table.
For those staying more than an hour or so there are small shingle beaches tucked away on either side of Fiskardo village but they are hard to find, unmapped, unsignposted and without facilities. EMBELISSI is probably the best with fine sand turning to shingle. There is some shade and rocky coves to explore.
KALAMAKI can be reached by boat and has fine views to Lefkas while the pebble beach at DAFNOUDI is reached through a narrow gorge near the village of Antipata.
A couple of kilometres down the west facing coast is ALATIES, reached along narrow lanes from the crossroads at Manganos. It's a tiny beach with just a little sand but the smooth rocks are ideal for sunbathing and there is a taverna above.
Further south is AGIA IEROUSALIM which has a tiny bay of sand and shingle with a summer cantina. The area escaped the 1953 earthquake and, like Fiskardo, you can see some impressive Venetian houses along the narrow lanes.
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The north-west coast of Kefalonia is a rugged wilderness but for the single coastal resort of ASSOS. Some places have an almost unreal beauty that stops you in your tracks and Assos is just such a place. No beach to speak of, just a few small tavernas perched on the quayside overlooking a small, enclosed bay. But this beautiful Greek hamlet oozes a perfectly placid charm.
A spectacularly steep and winding road snakes down into Assos village tucked inside the narrow neck of a peninsula that ends at the foot of a huge rock outcrop topped by the ruins of a Venetian castle. The 1953 earthquake reduced the original Assos village to rubble, but French funds helped to rebuild it in a style largely sympathetic to the landscape - although more recently erected houses tend towards the pink and white of toytown Disney.
There is a narrow pebble/sand beach near the village square but more attractive and deserted coves can be found each side of the peninsula if you have a boat.
Astonishingly, Assos was the capital of northern Kefalonia for a few short years after 1593 when the castle was first built. Today the fortress is in a state of disrepair but it's worth a visit for the spectacular views alone. It is a steep and tiresome walk to the top as cars are no longer allowed. There is a domed archway entrance and around 2km of walls as well as the ruins of the governor's residence, a barracks and a church.
It was once used as a local prison and formed the backdrop for almost every sunset scene in the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Assos is also the spot where around 1,500 Italians were butchered by Germans in September 1943.
The local bus runs once a week into Argostoli but there is a local taxi. There are boats for hire and a caique tour to Myrtos in the summer. Car hire is recommended if you are staying any length of time in Assos.
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Here is the beach all the brochures boast of, the island's postcard pin-up of MYRTOS. Brace yourself for a perilous descent down an incredibly steep road to a long ribbon of white stones backed by pale yellow, vertical cliffs. It's a gear-screaming journey both down and back up the stupendously steep hill.
Myrtos has won many awards including best beach in Europe. The scene is breathtaking from the hills above but it falls strangely flat on the hot stones below. The stones drops very sharply into the sea and on windy days the waves can be rough, with many reports of swimmers being swept away. A small cave at the southern end offers marginal interest and the northern end of the beach is favoured by naturists.
A basic cafe and sunbeds arrive on the bleached west-facing stones in high summer. Pale cliffs, white stones and turquoise sea can combine to turn the entire beach into a slow roast oven. One tip - don't use the porta-loo parked on the beach unless you are desperate.
To the south of Myrtos near the village of Agonas and the start of the Pali peninsula is the long and little frequented beach of AGHIA KYRIAKI. It's mostly pebble with some sand. There is a small marina with boats for hire and a fish taverna and also a summer beach cantina.
The PALI or PALIKI peninsula lies on the north side of Argostoli Bay and could almost be another island. The large and relatively remote Pali peninsula juts out from the west coast of Kefalonia and its isolation means that resorts tend to be less well known, although they are just as good as those in other parts of the island.
Regular ferries between Argostoli and the port of Lixouri are the best way to reach the peninsula as the road loops in a long arc northwards then south again and it is a long drive from Argostoli. Access by road is through the villages of Kardakata or Agonas.
There are several beaches to be found on the south coast of Pali. Most of them are sandy, very pleasant and without the crowds that can cram the beaches in the Lassi and Skala areas.
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Starting on the more inhospitable north coast the delightful AGIOS SPYRIDOS or SPIRIDON is set in a horseshoe bay of sand and shingle. Once a noted smugglers' cove it now, thanks to its isolation, attracts those looking for peace and quiet. The blue church of Ag Spyridon perches on high rocks to the west and completes the picturesque view across Atheras bay. A couple of beachside tavernas supply the basics and there are sunbeds and umbrellas.
There are no roads along the precipitous west coast and the next resort at PETANI can only be reached by driving direct from Lixouri along steep, winding roads. It has shades of its more famous neighbour at Myrtos, being mainly white stones and shingle - 600m long and around 50m deep - set against sheer cliffs of white rock. There are patches of sand, although the shoreline is steep. It hasa couple of summer cantinas on the generally uncrowded beach, which benefits from Blue Flag status.
Near Petani is another pebble beach at AGHIA ELENI, not so fine, but backed by olive groves and still worth a visit. To get there take the signposted rural road from the village of Damoulianata.
Someone has carved 200 stone steps out of the cliff at PLATIAS AMMOS which was once accessible only by boat. You need a strong stomach going down and stronger legs to make it back up. But you get some fine white sand and a little shingle. The shore drops very sharply into the sea and currents here are notoriously strong so it's a beach for strong swimmers and certainly not for children.
LAGADAKIA is a small and charming pebble beach below a lighthouse. It has no facilities but still attracts a fair number of people. And another of the lesser known delights of Kefalonia are the twin beaches in VATSA BAY. Lesser known because they are notoriously difficult to find, but well worth the effort.
Fine sand beaches called AGIOS NIKOLAOS and AKROTIRI are split by a rocky outcrop and at the far end a stream flows into the sea where colourful caiques tie up to the jetty. Two tavernas are open in the high season along with a beach cantina.
Reached by the same road is the village of KOUNOUPETRA and the nearby red sand beach at MANIA, once famous for the huge 'moving' rock that often wobbled precariously. It is now stationary, put in its place by an underground tremor, and is now just another rock. It's still a pleasant enough beach though and shallow waters make it good for families. Both beaches are reached by road after the Mantzavinata turnoff.
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Just east of Vatsa Bay is the popular and singularly named beach of XI or KSI. It is a flat and rather scruffy beach of shingle sand backed by high white cliffs that has the advantage of being both very long at 4km and relatively quiet.
There is a large hotel right on the beach with the usual sun loungers and crowds but, heading east back to Lixouri the crowds thin out. Underwater rocks lie offshore but the seas are shallow and safe for children.
Several good roads to the beach pass through olive groves and vineyards and the coast benefits from an annual clean-up by volunteer students. There are plenty of hotels and apartments along the shore and water taxis will take you to VARDIANI islet offshore.
To the east of Xi and found down a road that turns off before the village of Soullari is a huge stretch of red sand known as MEGAS LAKKOS. There is a snack bar and sunbeds in high season.
Around the headland are a couple of small, secluded red sand beaches at AGIOS GIORGIOS and AGIOS YIANNIS. You can get to them by following tracks from the village of Soullari but there are no facilities there.
LEPADA beach partly makes up for the drabness of nearby Lixouri. Golden to reddish sand nestles in a sheltered cove bounded by attractive rocky outcrops that make ideal spots for snorkeling.
There is a beach bar, sunbeds and boats for hire. Along the beach is a cave and the abandoned monastery of Aghia Paraskevi. The cave was once used as a church and a monk founded the monastery in 1688.
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The second largest town on the island, LIXOURI lies on a peninsula across the water from Argostoli and is best reached by one of the regular ferries. Lixouri is what tourist brochures kindly call a working town.
Actually, Lixouri is not much more than a suburban sprawl of houses with the odd square added in a half-hearted attempt to give the place a cosmopolitan air. Virtually destroyed in the 1953 earthquake, Lixouri was rebuilt quickly and without character.
Sleepy and drab, it has little more than Argostoli to offer the visitor. The shops have fewer trinkets on show and you will find more genuine Greek products here, so its worth a visit if you are looking for some traditional Greek presents. The Lakovatos Mansion is worth a visit if only to see a rare example of one of the very few elegant Venetian houses to survive the earthquake in Lixouri.
North of Lixouri are a few nondescript beaches although they all have splendid views of the coastline opposite and the Agis Dinati mountains above. RISATA is little more than a narrow strip of stone. There is a thin stretch of sand and shingle at ANDRONIKIKOS running parallel to the road and at LIVADI more sand and shingle. The village though has fine views over the bay to the mountains.
