Kefalonia
Kefalonia isn’t the first Ionian Island I have visited. In 2016, on the way to the seaside town of Parga, we stopped by Lefkada for the day. I was so amazed by the crystal clear, turquoise blue waters of its beaches and I knew I wanted to see more of these lesser known islands on the west side of Greece.
On this trip, we decided to spend a few days at Kefalonia. I didn’t know much about Kefalonia apart from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - the book and movie based there in World War Two.
We based ourselves in the capital of Argostoli, hired a car and spent the whole time driving to beautiful beaches and pretty towns. Kefalonia is one of Greece’s biggest islands, so I can’t recommend hiring a car enough.
While I have swum at many beaches, I have to say the THE most beautiful beach I have ever seen is Myrtos Beach. The whitest tiny pebbles make the water so blue, it is beyond words. It literally looked photoshopped. The drive to Myrtos was interesting to say the least - we drove through very windy, mountainous rounds and along the way we saw so many goats laying on the road. It was wonderful.
We were there late June, so the tourist season hadn’t really kicked in yet. It was a great time to be there as it was still very warm and the water was beautiful but we could enjoy the beach without fighting for a spot to sit.
Not far from Myrtos is a gorgeous fishing village called Assos. All pastel-coloured buildings and pretty boats on a little harbour - so picturesque. Assos has been dubbed an “Instagram famous” towns because of its charm and I can see why.
About 40km out from Argostoli is Xi Beach. With white cliffs and red sand, Xi beach is unique to say the least! A popular tourist destination, this is a well organised resort area with sun beds and umbrellas for hire along with many accommodation options. Although we drove here, we opted to return to Argostoli on the ferry for something a bit different!
Another highlight for me was visiting the Monastery of Saint Gerasimos, the patron saint of the island. I had the opportunity of going to a Sunday morning service which was quite a spiritual experience.
Kefalonia has many beaches and pretty towns. While we stayed for five days, we could have easily stayed for another five and still not have seen everything. Most beaches are well organised with food, sunbeds and umbrellas. There are various accommodations options to suit most budgets and tastes. The food was so tasty and fresh again with numerous tavernas and cafes. I can see why so many people recommended Kefalonia for us to visit!
WHERE WE STAYED:
Kefalonia Grand Hotel, Argostoli - Loved the interiors of this hotel, all soft linens, greys and white, as an interior designer its inspiring. It was very close to everything in town, but the best thing about the hotel was its amazing staff - they went out of their way to make sure we were happy. Oh and the breakfast was pretty amazing as well!
HIGHLIGHT:
Without a shadow of a doubt - Myrtos Beach. I could have gone back again and again and again. That water is beyond anything I have seen.
IMPORTANT TIP:
Make sure you book a car, Kefalonia is big and you really need to drive to be able to enjoy it!