Kefalonia holidays | tourist travel guide to Kefalonia Greece

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Aenos, Alexanders, Captains Table, Gondola, Grillo, Mandolin. Patsaurus

Buses: 22281, 22276
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Argostoli Kefalonia

Ditch water comes no duller than the island capital of ARGOSTOLI. Once bursting with stylish Venetian mansions and elegant bell towers, the Germans first dropped incendiary bombs in World War II then a 1953 earthquake reduced what was left to a wasteland of rubble.

And a bit of a wasteland it remains, a cement inspired mishmash of lifeless streets and about as interesting as an East German railway yard. The sober cube buildings might be termed 'utilitarian' by more generous visitors, but most will call them what they are - squat, ugly, dreary and drab.

The harbour promenade has been laid with mosaics to resemble waves but manages only to enhance the vista of seaside cement. A large flagged square provides focus to the town centre but again is without much charm. Relief from the cement slabs is provided each evening by scores of children who use the square as an adventure playground and park.

Around the edges of the square are outdoor cafes and tavernas serving mainly Italian food, and reasonably good if on the pricey side. If you don't mind the children and the surrounding traffic noise, this is the only place to be 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 . Don't make the mistake of visiting in the ghostly afternoons when the siesta shuts virtually everything.

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 it was sophisticated, fashionable and a noted centre of culture.

A flat stone causeway across the lagoon, built by the British, connects Argostoli to the main roads for the rest of the island. There is much animosity between the people of Argostoli and Lixouri across the bay. Lixouri inhabitants have never forgiven or forgotten that Argostoli was chosen to be the island capital.

Argostoli Kefalonia holiday reviews

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Fanari Kefalonia

FANARI is the coast road that runs from the Argostoli to Lassi. It is also called the Romantic Road, as it passes though pine forests with many fine views. First out of Argostoli is MAISTRATO beach, a tiny shingle bay of little note 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 is a picturesque isolated lighthouse that 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 here but you have to clamber over rocks to reach them. There are no facilities on any of them. Before 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 sun beds on the beach.

Just before you reach Lassi there are small coves of pink sand, sea caves and rocks to be found at GRANDAKIA, an area ideal for snorkeling. Access is by a rough dirt track and a snack bar serves basic food and provides sun beds. It's a good sandy beach with a gentle slope into the sea and much favoured by locals who want to get away from the Lassi crowds.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Aqua Marina, De Veronica, Ionio, La Calma, La Gondola, Monte Nero, Nefelis, Olive Press, Patheus, Phaedera, Sunset, Sto Psito, Tatra

Best drinking:

Eden, Exclusive, Garden, So Simple, Syrtaki, Trentis, Zorbas

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Lassi Kefalonia

LASSI is one of those tourist ribbon stretches that develop wherever there is a sandy beach nearby. There is no village, just a narrow stretch of road flanked by tavernas, rent-a-car outlets, tourist shops and the odd mini-market.

Fortunately the tavernas are not at all that bad despite some candy coated architecture, a kitsch glass bridge and several gaudy lamp-lit fountains that help to give the place an air of downmarket Disney.

Prices have risen steeply in recent years but are still reasonable enough. Those seeking a cheaper night out can take a taxi to Argostoli for decent meals at a more digestible price.

Lassi has little in the way of nightlife beyond a stroll along the main road to the tavernas and bars. Many enjoy drinks on the terrace of the impressively ugly Hotel Mediterranee which overlooks the beach.

What Lassi has very much in its favour is a string of very fine beaches along this stretch of coast. The inventively named MAKRYS YIALOS (Long Beach) and, further south, PLATYS YIALOS (Wide Beach) are the best beaches on the island, with fine soft sand and gently sloping shorelines that make them great for families and children.

The proximity of beach hotels demands an early arrival to nab the best sun beds. This is a resort for those who don't mind large crowds. The packed beach can give Lassi the air of a tacky seaside resort in the high season.

There are the usual watersports and some rocks near the Mediterranee Hotel to add interest. Passing ferries send occasional waves washing over those pitched too near the shoreline.

Hotels like the Mediterranee dominate some parts of the beach. The White Rocks Hotel in particular has commandeered TORKOPOTHIRO beach and to get to it you must walk through the hotel grounds.

To the south of Platys Gialos is the tiny hamlet of MINIES with a mini market, taverna and good beach that is usually shunned by visitors as it is rather near the airport runway. But planes are few enough for this not to be a problem. Right on the end of the runway is the long pink sand beach of SPASMATA separated from Minies by a rock outcrop.

Lassi Kefalonia holiday reviews

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Svoronata Kefalonia

To the south of the airport the area around SVORONATA is a step back in time. This undeveloped, peaceful village is only a mile or so from the airport and very spread out with a few tavernas, a mini-market and a garage that seems permanently closed.

The airport is no problem as flights are so few and none at night. It's main attraction is that it's in striking distance of some very good beaches and if those don't satisfy, it's not too far from popular Lassi.

Nearest is AMMES beach, small, narrow and sandy - rarely crowded and with a small cantina that provides refreshments. It's noted for strong sea currents so stay close to the shore when swimming.

Further south beyond the cape is Al HELIS, a tiny secluded bay with pinkish sand. There are no beach facilities and access is down a flight of steep stone steps.

Around the headland east is a narrow strip of sand at MEGALIPETRA with access down a dirt track with some massive rocks lying out to sea.

Around a rock headland is AVITHOS 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 offering refreshments and umbrellas. The road to the beach is through beautiful gardens and olive groves and the beach itself protected by sloping sandstone cliffs.

A perfect location for snorkeling, the gently shelving beach offers safe swimming for families. The islet out to sea is DIAS now topped with a tiny white chapel. Nudists favour the rocky end of the beach and so do turtles, so take care not to disturb their nests.

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Lourdas Bay Kefalonia

Around the headland is the massive bay of Lourdas which combines several beaches along its length. As well as the big and popular ones at places like Lourdas itself there are many small coves with beautiful, quiet beaches 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 among the rocks.

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 by some steep steps.

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 starts of Lourdas proper but this part of the beach, which remains relatively empty for much of the season, is accessible down a rough track from the village of Vlachata.

Trapezaki Kefalonia

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.

It is really two sandy beaches split by a small marina, with a beach bar that opens in the high season. Both beaches are narrow but there is plenty of shade from trees along the shoreline.

The waters are also relatively shallow and the sands are long enough to ensure they never get crowded. The road to the beach is narrow with no passing places so a one way 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, it can be very relaxed and peaceful despite interest from a number of major holiday companies.

There are plenty of paths and tracks for those who enjoy walking. Expect tough going though in the surrounding hillsides.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Adrinas Palace, Alexia, Discovery, Greco, Klimatis, La Mer, Lorraines Magic Hill, River Island, Tricolore, Spiros

Best drinking:

Astra, Bar Seven, Muses

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Lourdas Kefalonia

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 LOURDHATA The village square has an enormous plane tree and the start of a two kilometre nature trail. The road threads downwards past apartments and chalets hidden away in the pines and scrub.

There is a long and killing trek back up from the beach for sun soaked holidaymakers. Most hire a car which means an almost endless stream of traffic on the narrow lanes. The beach itself must rival Afandou in Rhodes as one of the most boring in the Mediterranean.

A sharp, white grit is laid out in a great long 5km swathe as far as the eye can see. The eye-glaring grit is edged by a grim and grey cement sea wall topped with a dirt track - and that is about it. A few of tavernas have sprung up along the shore offering some respite from the flat, barren boredom of the beach.

Beyond the headland south of Lourdas is the cape at KANASTAS which can be reached by following a rough track from the monastery It is a small beach of sand and pebbles with no facilities. Further east still is a dirt track leading steeply down from the village of Thiramona to the quiet sandy beach at KORONI.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Blue Sea, Cozy, Elliniko, Garden, Lighthouse, Mythos, Ostria, Persas

Best drinking:

Galini

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Boat rental

Katelios Kefalonia

Before the headland that leads to Skala is the growing resort of KATELIOS, also known as AGHIA VARVARA which has two decent beaches.

There is a small fishing harbour at the western end and local tavernas do have an authentic feel although you will pay through the nose for fresh fish.

The main beach is about 200m long backed by eucalyptus, pine and rose bay bushes. The narrow strip of sand turns to stone and shingle at one end where there are rocks to add interest.

It shelves gently enough into the sea, although parts of the shoreline do tend to attract large gobs of seaweed in places so you must choose your spot carefully.

Quite a number of charmless 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 and guides will take you to see them from June to September. Visitors that go without guides are unwelcome as they could disturb the nests.

You can also follow a trail of blue ribbon to the next beach at KAMINIA, a pleasant spot with pleasant sandy beach, a cantina and shallow water.

Further walking brings you to MOUNDA beach and some pleasant sandy bays reaching towards the cape where there are even more turtle nesting grounds.

Shallow waters make these coves ideal for families, though you are advised to settle near the shoreline and away from the turtle nesting sites at the back of the beach and encouraged to leave before dusk in the turtle season.

Katelios Kefalonia holiday reviews

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Aeolos, Apostolis, Aquarius, Arcontiko, Flamingo, Galera, Kaliva, La Luna, Manor House, Mi Abeli, Nouvaro Garden, Ostria, Paspalis, Paradise Garden, Pines, Pitharia, Scandinavia, Socrates, Sunrise, Zorbas

Best drinking:

Captain's, Loft, Maribou, Nero, Nine Muses, Old Village, Vestos

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Mountain bikes
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Skala Kefalonia

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 are long and deep, sweeping right around the headland for around four kilometres. Sharp sand, stone at the water's edge and a steeply shelving beach don't make this ideal for children.

There is a turtle nesting beach around three kilometres from the town 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 sand which shelves gently into the sea before it gives way to flat underwater rocks.

Skala itself is now turning belly up to the tourist trade with prices reflecting this - it is not cheap. There are around 30 tavernas mostly serving chips with everything and a scattering of music bars.

Village pleasures are comfortably low key. A walk to the old village is popular — allow three hours, with printed guides readily available from kiosks and shops.

Skala Kefalonia holiday reviews

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Poros Kefalonia

The coast road north from Skala gives easy access to a few stony beaches in various east coast coves the most notable being HEROULAKI and KAPRI though none are anything special. Neither are the beaches in POROS which is more noted for the ferry connection to mainland Kilini than for any intrinsic merit. The town is pleasant enough however, with a fine marina and good selection of tavernas.

The town beach, known as ARAGIA, is a 600m stretch of shingle and sand, close to the shops down some dirt tracks .There are sun beds to hire on the beach and the usual bike and car hire places in Poros itself. Another pebble beach is found across the small river bridge and here are more sun beds, 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, though neither has any facilities.

Poros Kefalonia holiday reviews

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Antisamos Kefalonia

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 for the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

Since then it 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 this dramatic horseshoe bay with its beach of brilliant white stones.

Before the movie release this beach was 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.

There were no sunbeds and just a small ramshackle beach taverna at one end. The only drawbacks were a few flecks of black tar from passing boats and ominous cluster of shotgun cartridges scattered liberally beneath a 'No Shooting' sign.

The movie has put paid to the beach's tranquillity. Today a growing tide of visitors enjoy the noisy music bar and lie on ranks of cramped and expensive sunbeds. The beach is still the same though, a long strand of white stones dropping sharply into a stone floored sea bed. The magic has gone, though it is still a passingly pleasant spot.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Dolphin, Karnagio Grill, Mermaid, Riviera, Teresa

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Cash point

Sami Kefalonia

North of Antisamos, 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 the outskirts of one of the main island ports at SAMI. The former capital of Kefalonia is now a large ferry port and fast-growing holiday centre.

The town was wrecked by the by the 1953 earthquake and has been rebuilt with wide streets and prefab cement homes. In fact, it feels strangely like an English resort town. Producers used it as a substitute pre-war Argostoli for the Captain Corelli movie mainly because its deep harbour was ideal for warships needed in the film.

Like Argostoli, it has as long and scruffy cement-paved seafront promenade. This one is at least broken by a succession of fairly pleasant pavement tavernas where you can watch painted fishing boats bobbing in the harbour. A few have tried to cash in on the Hollywood connection; there is now a Corelli bar, for example.

Despite its obvious potential as a tourist resort, the town has a shabby air but it's still a pretty good holiday base, being near the spectacular Anti Samos beach and the Drogarati and Mellisani caves.

Around Sami are many deserted villages destroyed in the earthquake. The Danes built wooden houses for the survivors and many are still used. To the east are ruins of the old city wall. As far as beaches go there are some unattractive, narrow shingle and sand strips at either end of the promenade that are difficult to find. You must a drive out of town and around a housing estate to get there.

The coast road north of Sami leads past 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.

Further north are a succession of attractive pebble coves collectively known as AGHIA PARASKEVI, and most are accessible down short dirt tracks from the main road.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Captain Correlli, Finakas, Katerina, Maki, Pergola, Paradise, Perasma, Pergola, Posidon, To Steki

Best drinking:

Galios

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Boat hire
Diving

Aghia Efimia Kefalonia

The pretty little fishing harbour of AGIA EFIMIA (aka Efemia, Effimia or Evfimia) is found a few kilometres north of Sami and is a big improvement on it.

The village has become popular with package tour operators of late but is mercifully free of over development. There is a good selection of tavernas with many lined up along the harbour wall. The harbour is one of the departure points for boats to Ithaca and the mainland port of Astakos.

The big drawback is the beaches; three around the resort itself and more scattered along the coast to Sami. Although attractive and with good swimming they are all stone and shingle and on the small to minute side.

The biggest, Paradise beach (from the taverna of the same name) is only around 20 meters in length and can be found after a descent down two flights of stone steps and a scramble over the rocks. Another secluded beach is behind the cemetery but the stones here are large and ankle breaking.

There are good walks to be had though and this is a fine place to relax and watch the world go by. Just as well, as bus services are generally poor and if you want to explore the rest of the island you will need transport.

The resort is also popular staging post for yachting flotillas and it can be difficult to stomach the Hooray Henrys and Squeaky Sophias when they descend en mass to wreck the silence with much honking, hooting and squealing at the otherwise tranquil taverna tables.

The road north of Agia Efimia turns in from the coast and into the mountains and access to beaches is normally by boat. Tiny coves are either pebble or pebble and shingle and there area dozen between the two resorts of Agia Efimia and Fiscardo, the most popular for visitors from Agia Efemia being HAGLANA, GORGOTTA and AGIA SOFIA. South from Fiscardo the nearest are FOLD, EVRETI and KAKOGILOS.

Agia Efimia Kefalonia holiday reviews

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Fiskardo Kefalonia

Touted as a must-see village on the tourist trail, FISKARDO or FISCARDO is something of a disappointment for some. Having escaped the 1953 earthquake the buildings are termed picturesque by virtue of being the only old ones left on Kefalonia, rather than through any intrinsic merit. The resort has lately turned into a sort of mini Mykonos.

Fiskardo is best visited out of high season. In July and August Italians swarm in by the boatload and swamp the 200 or so regular residents while wealthy boat owners toss about in the harbour on oversized tubs. In high summer you must kill for a waterside table.

The waterfront is awash with gaily painted houses and the narrow streets away from the cobbled sea front are lined with tourist trinket shops. Fiskardo is a favourite on the day trip circuit - by bus and boat - so it can heave with visitors most days.

For those staying more than an hour or two 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 of the beaches with fine sand turning to shingle. There is some shade and rocky coves to explore. Tar from passing boats can be a problem and a large ill-placed pylon manages to spoil the view.

KALAMAKI can only be reached by boat and has fine views to Lefkas while the pebble beach at DAFNOUDI can be reached by boat or 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 are interesting rock pools caked in sea salt. The beach is reached by stone steps from the taverna above.

Further south and even more off the beaten track is AGIA IEROUSALIM which has a tiny bay of sand and shingle with a taverna that opens in the summer. The area escaped the ravages of the 1953 earthquake and, like Fiskardo, you can pass some impressive Venetian houses along the narrow lanes.

Fiskardo Kefalonia holiday reviews

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Assos Kefalonia

The northwest coat of Kefalonia is a rugged wilderness but for the single resort of ASSOS. Some places have an 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 the 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 village to rubble, but French funds have helped rebuild it in a style largely sympathetic to the landscape -though more recently erected houses tend towards a pink and white toy town Disney.

Today it has around 85 regular inhabitants. 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. It 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 to hire and a caique tour to Myrtos in the summer. Car hire is recommended though if you are staying any length of time.

Assos Kefalonia holiday reviews

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Myrtos Kefalonia

Here is the beach all the brochures boast of, the island's postcard pinup 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.

Myrtos has won several awards including 'Best beach in Greece' and third 'Best beach in Mediterranean'. A basic cafe and sun beds arrive in the high season along with the crippling waves of heat as the bleached west-facing stones, pale cliffs and turquoise sea combine to turn the entire beach into a slow roast oven.

The scene is breathtaking from the hills above but falls strangely flat and breathless when you park yourself on the hot stones below. The pebble beach drops very sharply into the sea and on windy days the waves can be big and rough. There are many reports of people being swept away and drowned here.

A small cave at the southern end offers marginal interest otherwise it is a case of bedding down in the pebbles and trying to get comfortable. The northern end of the beach is favoured by naturists, sunning themselves on the rocks.

The biggest drawback comes at the end of the day when you ponder a gear-screaming climb back up the stupendously steep hill. 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 although there is a sandy area about a third of the way along. There is a small marina with boats for hire and a fish taverna with cantina on the beach handling the sun beds.

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 to complete the picturesque view across Atheras bay. A couple of beachside tavernas supply the basics and there are sun beds and umbrellas for hire.

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, though the shoreline is steep, and a 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 to reach PLATIAS AMMOS which was once only accessible by boat. It was worth the effort, though you need a strong stomach for the descent and stronger legs to make the ascent. 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 the lighthouse and has no facilities, though it 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.

The fine sandy 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 and a cantina usually opens on the beach itself for snacks and drinks.

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 regularly wobbled precariously on its underwater foundation. It now stationary, put in its place by an earthquake and now basically just another rock out at sea. It's still a pleasant enough beach though and shallow waters make it good for families. They can be reached by road after the Mantzavinata turnoff.

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Xi Kefalonia

Just east of Vatsa Bay is the popular beach with the singular name 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 long (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.

There are several good roads to the beach passing though 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 there are water taxis 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 sun beds are available 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.

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, sun beds and boats for hire. Along the beach is a cave and the abandoned monastery of Aghia Paraskevi. The cave was used as a church and a monk founded the monastery in 1688.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Dolphin, Karnagio Grill, Mermaid, Riviera, Teresa

Buses
Cash points
Taxis

Lixouri Kefalonia

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.

It 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 it 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. Trouble is, the delightful mansion serves only to enhance the despairingly drab outlook of the modern port.

North of Lixouri are a few nondescript beaches though 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.

Lixouri Kefalonia holiday reviews

Kastro Agios Giorgis

Between the resorts of Argostoli and Lassi are the villages of PERATATA and TRAVLIATA and, above them, the remarkably well preserved Venetian Castle of St George (Agios Giorgis) with coats of arms decorating the massive bastions, one of which conceals a secret tunnel which ran to a lagoon in Argostoli.

The original castle was Byzantine and probably built in the 12th century. The external walls that survive today were constructed by the Venetians in 1504. You can still see cannon placements, observation posts and the remains of a bridge. The castle is usually open in the he summer though sometimes closed for restoration work. Check in the village first.

Beneath the castle walls is the Kastro with remains of houses and panoramic views over the island. There are the remains of churches and a welcome cafe, bar and restaurant. Peratata itself is also home to the gorgeous monastery of Agios Andreas filled with 17th century frescoes and its prize relic, the sole of St Andrew's foot. It also has a notable icon collection.

The road leads to the village of LAKITHRA, where Lord Byron wrote his epic Don Juan. The view over the plain below are astonishing and on a clear day you can even see the island of Zakynthos.

Drogorati Cave

A few euros lighter, and a suicidal descent down some 120 almost vertical steps, you can find yourself in the cool, damp limestone caves of DROGORATI which bristle with stalagmites, stalactites, sodium lamps and camera flashlights.

This is not caving in the raw but the homogenised tourist version, with souvenir shops to help you on your way. The main cavern remains impressive despite the visitor trappings and is even big enough to host the occasional orchestral concert.

Melisanni

At nearby MELLISANI boatmen ferry visitors around an underground lake which has a collapsed roof, virtue of an earlier earthquake.

The underground lake is approached down a long and dark tunnel. Light pouring in from the hole above, and the brilliant aquamarine water below, make for an eerie blue experience.

But the boat ride is very short and highlights are few. Guides are reduced to pointing out the likeness of odd stalactites to the shapes of various zoo animals.

Other Kefalonia holiday highlights

Near Argostoli are the KATAVOTHRES or swallow holes where water disappears into underground caverns to emerge on the other side of the island. The water funnelling in and out at each end has been used for generations to power waterwheels. How seas water should continue to flow is really quite baffling and the phenomenon is extremely rare. After all the water should simply find its own level and stop flowing. But flow it does from one end to the other with waterwheels at both ends.

Both KALIGATA and DOMATA are known for good church interiors as well as the local wine.

Around the mountain at AGIA DYNAMI are found goats with silver teeth - a result of minerals that stain the animals' mouths. Not that you can get anywhere near the creatures to take a look.

MARKOPOULIS clings to the side of Mount Ainos and is undistinguished but for the annual ritual of hundreds of harmless tiny snakes that appear around the church every summer. Each August 15 they head for the icon of the Virgin in the church and vanish. A bit like the island's tourists really.

The KORYIALENO FOLK MUSEUM, in the centre of Argostoli, features local costumes, furniture and embroidery, as well as paintings, maps, jewellery and local crafts. The museum also houses a library and Kefalonia's historical archives with rare manuscripts from the 16th to the 19th centuries and many photos of Argostoli before it was wrecked by the island earthquake in 1953.

In the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM of Argostoli are displays of finds dating from Prehistoric to the Geometric times as well as Hellenistic, Classical, Roman and Byzantine finds.