This article will show you the Best things to do in Kefalonia. At the end of this article, we hope you will fall in love with this Greek beauty as much as we all did.
Before we begin, we would like to stress that this article was written with the help of our friend Alex W., a devoted traveling nomad. His experiences gave us many valuable tips, which we now forward to you. Sharing is caring! Isn’t this great? So now, let’s learn more about the best things to do in Kefalonia, one of the most breathtaking Greek islands.
Explore its magnificent beaches.
Firstly, surrounded by an incredible coast, most of Kefalonia’s beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag for their cleanliness. The most famous beach is Myrtos. Which also belongs among the most impressive ones in the whole Mediterranean. Furthermore, Antisamos, Petani Beach, and Makris Gialos are other stunning beaches in Kefalonia worth visiting. Kefalonia beaches can be both organized and secluded. You will find below a list of the best beaches on Kefalonia Island.
Myrtos beach
Firstly, it is undoubtedly one of Kefalonia’s significant attractions. It lies 29 km north of Argostoli, in a beautiful area around huge verdant hills. More impressively, world travel magazines and bloggers have constantly included it on their list of the world’s most beautiful beaches. And ultimately, it has been awarded many times for its cleanness and natural beauty.
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Antisamos beach
The beach is distinguished by its natural beauty, consisting of turquoise waters surrounded by green hills and lush vegetation. It is located 30 km east of Argostoli and pretty close to the port of Sami. More importantly, it is arguably one of the most favorable destinations for swimming and sunbathing in Kefalonia. Lastly, we’d like to inform you that this is the place where “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” was filmed.
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Petani beach
Petani is a splendid beach 35 km west of Argostoli in the beautiful Paliki peninsula. Most importantly, it consists of blue crystal waters and a stunning landscape of massive verdant cliffs reaching the blue sea. The water deepens right away, and there are usually big waves in Petani, so come here early in the morning.
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Makris Gialos beach
It is a lovely tourist resort around a beautiful crystalline bay. It lies 3 km south of Argostoli. In addition, it is one of the most frequented beaches of Kefalonia, famous for its shiny golden sand, azure, and clean waters. Like most island beaches, Makris Gialos boasts a stunning landscape with dense vegetation and tall pine trees, creating an exotic atmosphere.
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Discover its spectacular caves
Melissani Cave
Situated just outside Sami, the Cave of Melissani has a peculiar appeal. And that’s why it is one of the most significant places for tourists to visit in Greece. Surprisingly, a lake inside the cave has trees and forests surrounding it. The roof of one of the halls caved in centuries ago, letting sunlight filter in. The depth of the lake is 20 to 30 meters. When the sun is overhead at noon, the sunlight hitting the turquoise-blue waters creates a magical illusion, and the whole Cave of Melissani suddenly feels lit with blue light.
Note: Read more about this magnificent beauty in our related article.
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Drogarati Cave
About 5 km south of Sami, this large stalagmitic cavern of rare beauty is estimated to be 150 million years old. It is also known as the Concert Cave due to its large chamber, which is 150 feet below ground level. Furthermore, it has excellent acoustics and room for 500 people.
Visit its villages
Fiscardo
This picturesque fishing village is one of the few villages that remained untouched by the major earthquake in 1953. Today, it is known for its cosmopolitan and warm atmosphere.
The main coastal road hosts plenty of shops, taverns, and bars and thrives with summer activity. Traditional Venetian buildings and houses in pretty colors embrace the natural bay, offering the village a unique charm while reflecting the rich heritage of Kefalonia.
Additionally, you can find many beautiful pebble beaches and stunning coves with calm and crystalline waters, ruins of a Palaeolithic settlement, plenty of Byzantine churches, and many other compelling sites. Hence, we strongly recommend a visit.
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Assos
It is a small and charming village located 36 km north of Argostoli, the capital of Kefalonia. Dominated by the ruins of a 16th-century Venetian castle, the town was built on a small peninsula reflecting a beautiful warm atmosphere. Today, it has about one hundred inhabitants and is one of the most charming spots on the island.
The traditional architecture, peaceful landscape, and pebbled beaches compose the natural beauty of Assos. A stroll around the narrow alleys reveals colorful houses with pink and white blooms, lovely paths, and old churches. Little taverns perched on the quayside overlooking the bay attract most visitors. Ultimately, we let you know that Myrtos beach, the major Kefalonia attraction, lies nearby.
Note: Check here if you want to find some affordable accommodation nearby.
Argostoli
Argostoli is the capital of Kefalonia, with a population of 14,000. It stands on the far end of the natural bay, surrounded by mountains and verdant forests. Beautiful Venetian buildings adorned the town before they were destroyed, along with the entire Argostoli and other island villages, by the devastating earthquake in 1953.
However, we recommend you to visit it. If not for no other reasons, then to see Caretta-Caretta turtles. They like to show off in front of tourists. So, this is a perfect opportunity to save some bucks instead of paying for the tour to see them.
Note: Check here for some of the most valuable offers.
Visit some other noteworthy sites
Agios Gerasimos Monastery
The Monastery of Agios Gerasimos is on a mountainside close to Valsamata village, in the island’s center. Here, the island’s protector saint lived as a monk and where his relics are. Furthermore, Kefalonians believe that their saint has miraculous skills. That’s why it is also an important pilgrimage center.
Castle of Saint George (or of Agios Georgios)
The Castle of Saint George is 7 km southeast of Argostoli, above the village Peratata Kefalonia. The Byzantines built the castle in the 12th century. However, the Venetians gave it its present form.
Unfortunately, the castle is in ruins today due to the numerous wars and earthquakes. But in its heyday, this castle was the capital of Kefalonia before Argostoli was made the new capital in 1757.
Drink Ouzo, local wines, and eat the local food
Local products and traditional cuisine in Kefalonia
You must try local products and traditional dishes to get to know any destination better. Like every region and every Greek island, Kefalonia has the conventional products that make it recognizable.
Traditional dishes in Kefalonia are similar to those in the other Ionian Islands. The dominant ingredients are meat, fish and seafood, olive oil, and local cheeses.
Mandola is a traditional candy and is the most famous conventional product. The treat’s name comes from the Italian almond word “Mandorla,” borrowed and integrated into Greek long ago when the island was under Venetian. Secondly, Mandolato is another candy consisting of almonds, honey, sugar, and whipped egg whites. This sweet treat was considered a delicacy accessible only to aristocrats during Venetian domination.
Firstly, the best-known Greek drink is, without a doubt, Ouzo. Therefore, almost everybody drinks it: tourists and locals. And you know why they say, drink and eat what the locals eat and drink and where they eat and drink. So this must be an excellent choice.
Furthermore, we’d like to inform you that Kefalonia produces some of the finest wine in Greece. You can taste and buy wines in some of the island’s finest wineries (click here to check the list of wineries recommended by Greeka). Robola wine, for instance, is a grape variety that grows on the highest mountain in Kefalonia, Enos.
The most famous traditional dish is pies made from spinach and other herbs. You can also try pies with meat or cod, rabbit stew, strapacade, riganada (slices of oregano bread and local feta cheese), and skordalia (potato side dish, garlic puree).
It would be best always to try some fresh seafood when visiting Kefalonia. ©Tripadvisor
Kefalonia’s favorite local food – Skordalia, ©thishealthytable.com
Favorite local candy, made of almonds, Mandola.
Where to eat in Kefalonia?
Although there are numerous places to eat and drink in Kefalonia, the island, fortunately, prevents the creation of resorts with mass tourism. Most places to eat in Kefalonia are seaside resorts, such as Skala, Lassi, Lourdas, Fiscardo, Sami, Agia Efimia, and others. Many excellent restaurants are also in the port towns of Argostoli and Lixouri. Visitors can find local dishes, including the famous Kefalonian meat pie. Ultimately, the best way to find the perfect restaurant is to ask around. You will quickly feel what the ideal place for you is. So, trust your sixth sense.
How and when to travel to Kefalonia?
Kefalonia is one of the most important Greek destinations!
Consequently, it can get quite crowded in the summer. That’s why we recommend visiting it in June or September when the prices are lower and there are fewer crowds. In the end, here are some insider tips for all the young ones and all Instagram lovers. The air is more transparent in the spring, so your Instagram photos will be much better.
Flights to Kefalonia
Kefalonia International Airport “Anna Pollatou,” located near Agrostopoli, receives domestic flights from Athens, Corfu, and Zakynthos all year round. However, the airport also receives flights from diverse European locations in summer.
Apart from using public transport, the best way to quickly reach your destination from the airport is by car or taxi. You can rent a car at Car Rentals or contact the staff at your hotel. They usually connect you to a valuable rental car service. At least it worked for us when we were vacationing in Greece. So, check here if you’d like to find the best prices.
Ferry to Kefalonia
Although there are no direct ferries from the port of Piraeus in Athens to Kefalonia, you can easily reach this lovely destination from many locations on the western part of the Greek mainland, from some islands of the Ionian and Brindisi or Bari in Italy. For more information, check here or here.
Best things to do in Kefalonia – final thoughts
There are so many great things to write about that it is impossible to include them all in one article. However, we hope that we have given you at least a little wanderlust. If you are already packing, our job was well done.
Finally, we invite you to a discussion in the comments below. So, if you have any additional questions or proposals, please write them down.
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Featured photo ©adisa
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