Kefalonia

Kefalonia (Κεφαλονιά) is the largest of the Ionian Islands. Mount Ainos rises to 1,628 metres, the highest point in the Ionian Islands. Its slopes form a national park with forests of Greek fir, a tree named after the island. The island has an airport near Argostoli and ferry links with Kyllini, Patras, Ithaca, Lefkada and Zakynthos.

Myrtos Beach lies below steep cliffs on the northwest coast. Near Sami, Melissani Cave holds an underground lake lit by sunlight through a collapsed roof, and Drogarati Cave has dripstone chambers. Further north, the village of Assos sits below a Venetian castle on a peninsula. Fiskardo, with its old harbour houses, largely survived the great earthquake of the 20th century. Antisamos, Xi Beach and Lassi are among many places to swim. Show more

Argostoli, the capital, was rebuilt after the earthquake, and the De Bosset Bridge crosses the bay beside it. A memorial recalls the soldiers of the Italian Acqui Division killed on the island in the Second World War. The monastery of Agios Gerasimos honours the island's patron saint in the Omala valley, home of the white Robola wine. Kefalonian meat pie and local cheeses appear in village tavernas.