Quick Guide to Kefalonia

As with our sights sections we have divided the Quick Visit Guide into sections divided around Kefalonia's four towns.

Argostoli and Around

Argostoli is Kefalonia's capital and is a large and prosperous town, perhaps the only true urban environment in the entire Ionian chain. The site of the city is beautiful, and the view from the harbour of Argostoli's protected bay within a bay unmissable. The Bridge of Drapanos, constructed by the British in 1813, connecting the two sides of the bay is of special interest.

The hub of life in Kefalonia centers around Valianou square, the commercial hub of the town with various shops ranging from tourist places to designer chic, and the Lithostroto - the flagstone covered road running parallel to the bay. Life in the city remains rebelliously Ionian and you can sample a feel especially during the afternoon (for Greeks, for the rest it's evening) walk (volta).

Inside Argostoli you should visit the Korgialeneios Library which was originally one of the largest in Greece housing about 50,000 tomes but now also operates as a History and Folklore Museum with a rich collection of local culture artifacts on display. Of special interest is a collection of photographs of before and after the earthquake.

The Archaeological Museum of Kefalonia, well organized and recently refurbished, rivals that of Kerkyra as the best in the Ionian. The museum houses  findings mainly from the Mycenae period (1200 B.C.). The museum is host to Stone Age findings as well dated to about 50000 BC. Important findings from Tzanata - where a royal Mycenaen tomb was found commonly associated with the Homeric hero Odysseus in island folklore - are housed here. Also of note is the mosaic floor of the temple of Poseidon found in Lixouri.

The Focas-Cosmetatos foundation, found on Valianou square, offers a taste of the life of the nobility of Kefalonia. On display is a collection of elegant furniture and various paraphernalia. Of special note is the collection of paintings and lithographs of the Ionian school. Of note are the works of British artists Joseph Cartwright and Edward Lear.

You should spend about a day (or so) touring the lagoon and the nearby ruins of ancient Krani. Start by walking along the length of the bridge of Drapanos, a rare example of Ionian architecture bridge building with characteristic arches. The bridge links Argostoli to the opposite coast and separates the Koutavo Lagoon from the gulf of Argostoli. The lagoon is southeast from Argostoli. On its lush, green banks you can find the ruins of ancient Krani – of note, uncharacteristic of ancient greek island architecture are the gigantic carved stone blocks. On the hill of the ancient city lie the remains of the city’s ancient aqueduct known to the islanders with the popular name Neromana (watermother).The tour of the lagoon is charming as the region is verdant and green – which might be surprising to some as the image of the ‘bald’ and dry windswept islands of the Cyclades is what comes to mind when thinking of greek islands. Eventually you will reach the lighthouse (Faros) of St. Theodoroi, which was destroyed by the 1953 earthquake but was fully rebuilt according to the original architectural plans of 1820. Of interest is the location called Katavothres in the Fanari region (about 2,5 km from Argostoli). The katavothres is a rare geological phenomenon where large quantities of sea water constantly fall in large chasms in the ground. Their full extent is unknown however experiments with fluorescent dyes have shown that water entering here ends up on the other side of the island on Lake Melissani and Karavomylos. Be warned this is a good hike and you should be well prepared (water, comfortable shoes, loose clothing).

Sami and around

Sami is where most people will start their visit to Kefalonia. It is a large and functional port town and the town itself, aside from the waterfront with good traditional tavernas, is of little interest to tourists. However, Sami does make a good base for visit the local sights.

First of, to the historically minded, the ruins of Ancient Sami are nearby with evidence of structures starting from the Mycenaic to the Roman periods. Of note are the remains of the roman bathhouse - an example of fine Roman engineering.

However, most people, including package holiday makers, come to Sami for one reason - it is very close to two beautiful cave formations.

the first Drogarati Cave is a rare geological phenomenon that attracts thousands of tourists and gets quite busy during the summer months. Drogaratis has excellent acoustics and is a concert venue – usually during the summer festivals. Drogaratis is about 5km away from Sami near the village of Haliotata. Do try to come in early to avoid the crowds as being alone, or relatively alone, inside Drogaratis due to its excellent acoustics is a particularly eerie experience.

The second cave is Melissani which was revealed when part of its ceiling collapsed. Various idols, statuettes and tools were found inside the cave. Its name comes from the legend of the nymph Mellisanthe which drowned herself when the god Pan refused her love. Other caves of note near Sami are Aggelaki or Aggalaki, in the village of Poulata as well as the Zervaki caves, near Karavomylos. Both these caves are, at the time of writing, closed to the public. If you are in Sami you should take a short drive to the village of Poulata and visit the church of St. Spyridonas – built in a rather unique architectural style of Byzantine baroque.

Fiskardo and around

A visit to Kefalonia (or Cephalonia if you want the correct spelling) is not complete without a visit to Fiskardo, arguably the most beautiful town on the island. Situated on the northernmost tip of the island on a bed of limestone that protected it against the power of the earthquakes Fiskardo remained relatively untouched and is a true reminder of past days and Kefalonian life.

Built on the site of ancient Panormos Fiskardo is one of the most beautiful places in Kefalonia. The traditional settlement has been declared an area of natural beauty and is a conservation site with strictly enforced construction rules guarding the traditional look and feel. Fiskardo bay is guarded by two lighthouses, one Venetian and one Victorian, while the remains of a building on the headland are said to be a chapel constructed by Robert Guiscard. Fiskardo is 52 kilometers north east from the capital Argostoli. While in Fiskardo you should visit the Environmental and Nautical Museum housed in a neo-classical mansion on one of the hills overlooking the city. Various paraphernalia and information about the loggerhead (Caretta-Caretta) turtle and other environmental issues. The museum is staffed by friendly volunteers who also offer scuba-diving lessons. Of note around Fiskardo are the ruins of a proto-christian basilica church on cape Kavos, the ‘throne of Queen Fiskarda’ a throne-like indentation on the rocks (there are no signs but just ask the locals), and Spiliovounio where there are remains of Mycenaic era walls.  A day is enough to view Fiskardo, however you wont be satisfied and you’ll want more. The magic of Fiskardo will draw you back.