Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION, EATING AND DRINKING
THE WEST COAST
long established itself as a favourite with the night-time
crowd, holding regular parties and raves to a techno
soundtrack.
May-Sept daily 11am-late.
Kathisma
T
26450 97050,
W
kathisma.com.
Vast
taverna at the north end of the beach, with an equally
extensive menu of
Gree
k staples and some smart
apartments. May-Oct.
€50
ÁÏ NIKÍTAS AND AROUND
Captain's Corner
T
26450 97493.
Near the beach, this
is
the liveliest drinking venue in the village, with a pub-style
atmosphere, a decent selection of drinks, snacks and
mostly rock tunes.
May to mid-Oct daily 10am-late.
Deck
Pefkoúlia beach
T
26450 97070,
W
mydeck.gr.
Buzzing café-restaurant halfway along the huge beach, with
a selection of coffees, cocktails and full meals t
o ch
oose from,
plus some well-equipped studios. May-Sept.
€50
O Lefteris
T
26450 97495.
Simple grilled fish and meat
dishes for €7-8, accompanied by the expected choice of
salads, dips and starters, and washed down with quaffable
local wine.
May to mid-Oct daily 11am-midnight.
Ì
Pension Ostria
T
26450 97483.
A beautiful blue-
and-white building above the village, decorated in a mix of
beachcomber and ecclesiastical styles, with compact but
comfortable rooms
and
a snack bar with terrace. Breakfast
included. May-Oct.
€85
T'Agnantio
T
26450 97383.
Just above and south of the
main street, this place serves excellent traditional cuisine,
much of it oven baked such as
pastítsio
or
hirinó krasáto
(
pork in wine sauce) and nearly all under €10.
May-Sept
daily noon-1am.
ATHÁNI AND AROUND
Ì
Lygos
Hortáta
T
694 85 91 543,
W
amadryades
-villas.gr.
Good local taverna, serving up simple home
recipes such as moussaka or
briám
, expertly cooked and
accompanied by inexpensive barrelled
wine.
Nicely
designed stone villas available too. May-Sept.
€70
Ì
Panorama
Atháni
T
26450 33291.
One of the most
welcoming tavernas on the island (daily 10am-midnight),
where you can enjoy excellent fresh local dishes while
gazing towards the distant sea fro
m the
terrace. Great-
value rooms also available. May-Oct.
€30
Ì
Serenity
Atháni
T
698 18 53 064,
W
serenity-th
.com.
Wonderful new retreat and health spa run by two
Israeli women, beautifully constructed in stone on the
hillside 500m south of the village. The five rooms are
decorated in ethnic style,
and th
ere are chill-out tents and
an infinity pool. May-Oct.
€100
11
KÁTHISMA BEACH
Club Copla
T
26450 29411.
This beach bar-cum-club has
Kefaloniá
KEFALONIÁ
(also known in English as Cephalonia) is the largest of the Ionian islands, a place
that has real towns as well as resorts. Like its neighbours, Kefaloniá was overrun by Italians
and Germans in World War II; the “handover” after Italy's capitulation in 1943 led to the
massacre of over five thousand Italian troops on the island by invading German forces, as
chronicled by Louis de Bernières in his novel,
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
. Virtually all of its
towns and villages were levelled in the 1953 earthquake and these masterpieces of Venetian
architecture had been the one touch of elegance in a severe, mountainous landscape.
Until the late 1980s, the island paid scant regard to tourism; perhaps this was partly due
to a feeling that Kefaloniá could not be easily marketed. A more likely explanation, however,
for the island's late emergence on the Greek tourist scene is the Kefalonians' legendary
reputation for insular pride and stubbornness, plus a good measure of eccentricity. There
are, however, definite attractions here, with some
beaches
as good as any in Greece and the
fine local wines of Robola. Moreover, the island seems able to soak up a lot of people
without feeling at all crowded and the magnificent scenery speaks for itself.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
KEFALONIÁ
By plane
Kefaloniá airport lies 7km south of Argostóli.
Apart from international charters, the only domestic
scheduled flights are to Athens (2 daily; 1hr).
By ferry
Kefaloniá has no fewer than four ports that
provide ferry connections with neighbouring islands and
the mainland. The following are summer schedules, which
are reduced drastically in winter; any services that stop
altogether are indicated by months of operation.
Argostóli
to: Kyllíni (1 daily; 2hr 15min).
Pessádha
to: Áyios Nikólaos (Zákynthos; 2 daily May-Sept;
1hr 30min). Be warned that the pathetic bus service from
Argostóli to Pessádha is no good for connecting with the
boats. You'll have to hitch or take an expensive taxi in most
cases.
