For many seeing and experiencing Greece means Athens and visiting the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea with their whitewashed walls and blue roofs. For us, we wanted to go beyond Athens to experience Greece, yet we also wanted to avoid the crowds – in effect, see it and experience it “local”. We looked west of Athens towards the Ionian Sea, the Peloponnese peninsula and the Ionian Islands.
Among the few Ionian islands, Kefalonia seemed our speed – more chill, less touristy, AND, it had mountains for hiking! We added it to our itinerary and found a stunning villa with a sea view. And while some choose to fly to the island, we rented a car in Athens since getting to some of the more remote spots required a car.
As we approached by ferry, it was clear the island was mountainous. Steep cliffs arising out of the sea almost instantly and dominated by Mt. Ainos – 5,340ft.
We arrived at the ferry terminal in Poros, a small port town on the southwestern side of Kefalonia. Stopping at a local “super” market for a few food items, quoted because it’s not the same as an american supermarket. This one, yes, it’s super because it has nearly anything you want, just crammed into one relatively-small store front, with a number of aisles, jammed with all sorts of wares.
Stocked up, we headed toward our villa, about 40 mins from the ferry. And not just any 40 mins, we got our first taste of driving the roads on the mountainous island. Yes, twisty, windy, and sometimes with little “protection” (aka, guardrails) as the roadway hugged the mountain curves.
None the less, we persisted and were wow’d when we finally arrived at our villa, met the host, and got settled in for the evening.
For our first full day on Kefalonia, we set out to explore, thinking that our first outting should include getting more provisions for the week. We headed for Argostoli, the capital of Kefalonia and main hub of much of the island’s activities.
We had also scoped out a short hike around the Argostoli peninsula, not much more than 4-5 miles, enabling us to see the Argostoli lighthouse with the town of Lixouri across the bay.
With the weather gods clearly in our favor, we decided on a ferry to nearby Ithaca, thought to be the home of Odysseus, and the target of Homer’s return in the Odyssey.
For us, our target was Vathy, the capital of Ithaca, a bucolic village easily accessible by car ferry from Kefalonia. After the short ferry ride, we drove the short distance to Vathy, and settled at a local coffee shop on the waterfront to enjoy the quiet, shoulder season vibe.
Finishing up, we headed out for our planned hike, up into the hills overlooking Vathy, toward Perachori and the Cave of the Nymphs.
While not the sort of hiking we typically do – longer distances, often mountainous – this hike was enjoyable as it brought us through the Perachori village giving us a glimpse of their lives and lifestyle. Olive trees everywhere.
Returning to Kefalonia, we returned to our villa to enjoy a quiet evening.
With continued good weather, we set our sights on Mt Ainos, and the national park – the highest point on the island. With the summit at 5,341 ft elevation, it would have been a daunting hike from our villa only a few hundred feet elevation, fortunately the trailhead was a “short” drive. Short is relative – about 2.5 miles as the crow flies – nearly an hour on the twisty, winding roads we’d come to expect on the island.
Very reminiscent of some of our hikes in New England, with rocky footing, alpine vegetation, and the often mantra of “in the clouds under mostly clear skies” – a nod to low-hanging clouds with clear skies at the higher elevations. We were able to barely see the Ionian sea through small breaks in the clouds.
The summit itself seemed like a Mt Katahdin doppleganger.
That evening, we enjoyed our first of two visits (!) to the Ionian View Restaurant, still in the process of opening for the season, with stunning views from the hills above our villa. Great food, and a great family-run vibe.
Our next day started a bit gray, so we hopped another ferry (yes, ferries are everywhere!) to the village of Lixouri in the AM. It too was sleepy in the shoulder season, and sadly wasn’t quite the “quaint fishing village” we’d expected from our research – a nice morning out none-the-less. And we got a glimpse of an early-season cruise ship from Italy, making a popular stop in Argostoli.
The day was still young and the clouds were beginning to clear, so on impulse, we headed toward Fiskardo on the northern end of Kefalonia. The roads were even more windy – if that’s possible – hugging the mountain ridge terrain, and making the driving a bit tricky as the road made its way northward.
But definitely worth the effort because some of the scenery was just stunning!
By the time we arrived in Fiskardo, the skies had cleared, offering a wonderful experience of a fishing village and a hint of a simpler life and lifestyle centering on the water.
We sat on the water front and enjoyed an outdoor lunch and the peacefulness of the area. After a very short walk around the Fiskardo peninsula, which included some ruins of an early Byzantine Basilica, we headed home, making an intention to stop at Myrtos beach, which we had unknowingly passed on our way to Fiskardo.
Topping the long day/roadtrip, we stopped in at Gentilini Winery to sample some local wine, anchored by Robola, a crisp, citrusy white grape endemic to the rocky slopes of Mount Ainos.
The next day blossomed even more stunning, as all of the clouds vanished, creating blue skies, and enabling us to see from our villa the Mt. Ainos summit, which we visited 2-days prior, in the distance.
With such stunning weather, warm sunshine and low humidity, it was definitely a beach day. Part of our villa choice had been proximity to beaches, so we grabbed our gear and headed to Kanali beach, a short, somewhat steep walk about a half-mile from the villa.
Desolate, perhaps due to the shoulder season time of year, or maybe just the fairly inaccessible walk to get there, it was just the thing for us – warm weather to help us shed some of the winter we’d experienced.
Overall, a very relaxing day, which we ended with a beautiful dinner back at the Ionian View Restaurant out on their deck.
It was time to head on to our next stop – Kalavryta – not before looking back at Kefalonia to enjoy our experiences and new memories
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