KEFALONIA is one of the larger Greek islands in the Ionian chain that runs down the Greece west coast from Corfu in the north to Zante in the south.
The Hollywood blockbuster movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin was set on the island and its success triggered a Kefalonia holiday boom.
Visitor numbers ballooned and Kefalonia islanders were not slow in puffing up prices. In the most popular resorts taverna and bar prices hit levels usually found in holiday honeypots like Santorini and Mykonos.
Kefalonia is now one of the most sought-after of all Greek islands with most major tour operators concentrated along the south-western coastline where hotels and apartments are within easy reach of the airport and where the best beaches predominate.
Forest-carpeted mountains give inland walkers some spectacular views but car hire is a must as Kefalonia is big and public transport relatively infrequent. Kefalonia's beach resorts are also scattered widely and visits often demand a long and tiring drives over tortuous mountain roads.
As well as magnificent scenery and some excellent beaches, Kefalonia also boasts some unusual attractions such as the spectacular caves at Melisani and Drogorati that attract thousands of holiday visitors each year.
Kefalonia is renowned for its magnificent mountainous backdrops, stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Holidays to the Greek Islands are often most cherished for this combination of sunshine, warm waters and beaches set against truly wonderful scenery.
Kefalonia was once blessed with splendid Venetian buildings but almost all have been destroyed; first by wartime bombs and then by a devastating earthquake in 1953. Many homes have been rebuilt in a cement bunker style.
Kefalonia is a perplexing mix of old and new. A few picturesque villages are matched by some desperately dull holiday resorts and some impressively monotonous towns.
The main holiday beach resorts and hotels in Kefalonia are found in the south-west, at Lassi, and in the south-east at Skala. Quieter holiday spots lie to the east and north.
The popularity of Kefalonia holidays may have pushed up prices, but nothing seems to deter the droves of visitors that opt enthusiastically for Kefalonia when it comes to choosing a Greek island holiday.
Kefalonia has an international airport that takes charter planes and also daily flights to Athens. There is only one terminal for all flights so delays can be a problem.
Kefalonia has decent ferry links notably to Italian ports but there are no direct ferries from Piraeus. Sami is the main port for boats to the other Ionian islands.
Kefalonia is a big island and public transport is relatively poor. Resorts tend to be far apart and driving can be difficult.
The south-west coast is the main beach strip of Kefalonia with the main beach areas are at Lassi, Lourdas and Skala.
Other Kefalonia beaches tend to be small and isolated but they can be spectacular. There are few resorts on the coast but the island of Ithaca lies just offshore.
Some resorts demand long and tiring drives over the central Kefalonia mountains. The west coast Pali peninsula is isolated and resorts tend to be less well known.
Kefalonia lies on the west coast of Greece with Lefkas to the north and Zakynthos to the south with Ithaca to the east. It has about 45,000 residents.
Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands at 688 sq km and vast tracts of forest cloak a rugged limestone landscape, with ten peaks topping 5,000 ft.
Mild, wet winters account for Kefalonia's verdant mountain forests and for its lush, fertile plains.
