Kefalonia   

green flowery island

After the many years at the Cyclades, it was time to see something new. About a report at our travel side we went to Kefalonia. Kefalonia? Where is it asked our friends, even the lady at the check in at the Munich airport did not know it and looked first doubtingly at our tickets. Until a short time ago we however didn’t know neither the name, or were where the island is.
Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands and lies between Greece and Italy, below Corfu. From Germany you can reach the island very easy by airplane via Athens.
When we arrived, it was not love at first glance, because for us it was not the usual Cyclades Greece. The landscape totally green, colorful houses in the Tuscan style and due to the great earthquake in the 50s, there are almost no really old towns and villages with narrow streets and old buildings. But the scenery is magnificent, with our scooter we began to discover the beauty of the island. We found wonderful woody mountains, great and beautiful beaches, lots of olive-, lemon- and orange trees, flower-lined streets, good food and super friendly local people.
We enjoyed it very much here and we can imagine to visit the Cyclades and Kefalonia variantly. Same same but different described it very well.

( Click for large image !)

Argostoli on the south west side, is the largest and the most important place of the island. Close by is the airport and the ferries from Patras and the other islands are landing here.
Beside the market, the pedestrian zone with the usual international shops, the harbor promenade, the bridge over the lagoon and the neoclassical lighthouse at the port entrance, there is not too much to discover. Here it is very tranquil and the taverns and kafenions are well visited by the locals. The main tourist attraction are the turtles which splash in the harbor basin in the morning and are, of course, a popular photo-motif.

Our first island trip went south and then to the east side via Poros to Sami. The route was wonderful to drive, beautiful mountainous with lush vegetation. The roads in the villages are lined with oleander, Bourgonvile and other flowering shrubs. Also the views of the coastline are great.
Our first stop was Poros, it is famous for its "spectacular" entrance to the town. Then we went through a peculiar mountain world with predominantly cypresses on the steep slopes to Sami a nice little place with a lively port, many cafes and restaurants and an impressive church.

 Our second big tour went northwards about 150 km through wonderful landscape. The cliff coast in the west is a unique driving and viewing experience to the sea with all its shades of blue, here is also the famous Myrtosbeach.
On our way to Assos, known for its cute harbor and the castle on the peninsula, we also passed flowering lavender fields, where we had not expected to see those fields here. Assos is a dreamy, sleepy little place, with beautiful little bays, and a nice town center where it goes directly from the Platia into the water, everything is really nice rurally.

Then we went to Fiskardo through great mountain landscape and small villages again. Fiscardo is the only place on the island that has not been destroyed by the earthquakes and where the original architecture of the old captains' houses is preserved. Here it was very crowdy and very touristy, because here are landing the day excursion boats.
The place is actually very nice, many yachts, a promenade lined with restaurants, a little winding streets with small shops, everything very bustling and all made for the day tourists, mostly Italians and therefore it is nippy and expensive.

Much more quiet is it at the east side of the island. Here at the little seaports there are also many Yachts, but the crowds of day tourists are missing. We reached Egia Effimia via spectacular serpentines again and along wonderful bays.

A special highlight, not far from Argostoli, is the most important and largest monastery of Kefalonia "Agio Girassimou" in the middle of beautiful mountain landscape. The crypt and the monastery church are a real jewel, decorated with icons and sacred images, very colorful and impressive. Also the complex itself is very calm and not to crowdy.

On Kefalonia there are many beautiful pebble- and sandy beaches, small bays with wonderful clear water, everything relatively easy to reach and not overcrowds. We always found a quiet spot for us.
Also culinary it was great, many local restaurants with good regional food and oh yes, not to forget the island wine, it is very drinkable and not expensive. But the best and well known wine is the "Robola", a white wine which belongs to the best and most expensive wines of Greece.

more Photos from Kefalonia 2016

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