The largest of the Greek Ionian Islands and inspiration for Louis de Bernieres’ classic novel, ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’, Kefalonia enjoys stunning landscapes from soaring mountains and lush pine forests to fertile valleys and glorious beaches. 

The popularity of Corfu and Paxos as holiday destinations was at first not shared by
Kefalonia. Few British had visited it since the 19th century when British merchants settled there and made their fortunes from the currant trade. The island has remained relatively unknown, until a few years ago when it became the location for Louis de Bernieres’ well known book and subsequent film. This introduced the island to a wider audience, an island of dramatic mountains, thickly forested hillsides, pale golden beaches and a vividly coloured sea. Though tourism is beginning to develop on Kefalonia, the sounds most likely to reach your ears, as you relax by your villa pool, are still more likely to be those of goat bells, birdsong and cicadas. To this day, it remains ‘the wild isle’, as it is often called, and while its terrain does tend to be on the rugged side, most of it is accessible and the visitor’s exploration is rewarded by glimpses of protected birds and mammals, by the unrivalled beauty of ancient sites, Venetian fortresses and isolated monasteries, Byzantine churches, caves, colourful fishing villages and secluded coves. Much of the island is covered by pine forest and thickly carpeted with the wild herbs familiar to travellers in Greece – sage, oregano, thyme and rosemary. The entire island is surrounded with superb beaches – dazzling pebbles in the north, golden sand in the south, sloping gently into the warm, sparkling sea and very appealing to children.

Some of the island’s beaches rate highly in lists of the world’s most beautiful beaches –amongst them Myrtos. Argostoli, the island’s capital is a cosmopolitan mix of shops, bars and restaurants and a vital ferry link to the Greek mainland, Italy and the Lixouri peninsula. Outside Argostoli, the lovely coastline stretches from the resort of Lassi south to Skala, scattered with glorious beaches and captivating fishing villages, such as Spartia, Trapezaki, Lourdas and Katelios. At the northern tip is Fiskardo, a colourful and quite enchanting seaside village much loved by yachtsmen. The quayside houses, some of them dating from Venetian times, are now for the most part home to chic boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Assos has a breathtaking beauty of its own, and is built on a narrow isthmus linked to a headland on which stands a Venetian castle. On Kefalonia, there are so many beaches, including just south of Assos the quite wonderful Myrtos beach, that it doesn’t take much effort to find one that is quiet and meets your preferences in every way. As for ‘away-from-the-beach’ exploration, the opportunities are varied and rewarding and will appeal to all age groups.

There is no doubt that you will leave Kefalonia with a determination to return.