Kefalonia (sometimes spelt Kefallinia, Cephalonia, Cephallenia etc.) is the largest of all the Ionian islands. It is green, like Corfu but much more mountainous and not as dependent on tourism.
Choose a location to start your tour of Kefalonia / Kefallinia:
Kefalonia is probably most famous as the setting for the Louis de Berniere's film, "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", which was filmed on the island in 2000. Although it has since really grown as a tourist destination, it easy still very easy to find plenty of quiet or deserted beaches. Kefalonia feels like a working, Greek island; not just a holiday destination. It is incredibly beautiful and vast. A trip into the interior to see the magnificent mountainous scenery is highly recommended: especially as you are unlikely to have to share your view with many other tourists. Having said that, even the coast feels uncrowded, except if you venture onto some of the beaches very close to Argostoli.
We spent a week travelling around Kefalonia in June 2006. We managed to see virtually all of the main towns and resorts of the island, except for the Lixouri peninsula. Apart from the stunning coastal and mountainous scenery, another obvious feature of the island was the newness of the buildings. This is easily explained: earthquakes devastated virtually the whole island, in 1953. Many islanders moved away to other parts of the world to make their fortune and have since come back to help to rebuild the island.
We spent a week travelling around Kefalonia in June 2006. We managed to see virtually all of the main towns and resorts of the island, except for the Lixouri peninsular. Apart from the stunning coastal and mountainous scenery, another obvious feature of the island was the newness of the buildings. This is easily explained: earthquakes devastated virtually the whole island, in 1953. Many islanders moved away to other parts of the world to make their fortune and have since come back to help to rebuild the island.
There are no shabby, dilapidated buildings on the island at all. In fact, the only old buildings are way up in the North, at Fiskardo, which was untouched by the earthquake. By the way, there are still many minor tremors each year: you have been warned!
So, apart from Lixouri, where does this virtual tour take you?
To the other main harbours: Skala (attractive resort), Poros (quiet, pleasant), Argostoli (capital, busy), Sami (busy, very big, not great), Agia Efimia (very new, growing, nice harbour), Fiskardo in the north (the oldest and prettiest).
To beaches: Katelios and Kamenia (very quiet, on the south coast), AntiSamos (very beautiful, used for Captain Corelli), Mirtos (beautiful, famous beach, used for Captain Corelli), Kiriaki, Assos (very small, gorgeous harbour, west coast). Lassi (the busiest beach on the island and most touristy)
We loved Kefalonia for its dramatic beauty, its quietness and its lack of tackiness. Would we go back? Definitely! Tomorrow!
Visitors to VR Kefalonia - Virtual Greek Island tour of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece:
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