Cefalonia Island Favorites

Favorite thing: well the possitive view is that you have one destination but many images!
you can pick a beach totally different to visit every single day you stay!
you hate sand thers myrtos NW, antisami NE, and scala S for you!
Do you love sandy beaches? theres makrys yalos , platys yalos , lassy for you
you feell like beeing a loner?alls 0ok there is petani at lixuri side for you
are you in a funky moode and you would like nature to give you a nice equally funky backround to place your mentality....Xi beach it there for you...red sand huge +green argile rocks ready to paint you up for a natural spa...for free

And lets not forget Enos mountain!1600+ metrers of pure forest(some of it burned ,unfortunatelly....) but all you funs of trekcing you got it made!...and there is also a more "timid" mountain with trails to kalon oros!i am telling you its your island!

all you who enjoy geological phenomena....there are plenty for you too
numerus caves like drogarati 120 m below surfice, totally safe to access
melissani lake for an amazing romantik cave boute ride.. katavothres rocks...wich suck the water from the one side of the island and take it through under island routes to its other side....and so on

Fondest memory: But you do not have a car?
or not bothered to calculate prehand the cost of renting one!??
OH boy you are in bigggg trouble!

Taxi drivers of the island are a thiving lobie with bus drivers!
the came to an obvious coolision with buses so that the can charge anything they want!
busses have at the most 2 ruts towards the basic atraction sites(none for assos-wich has the only mideval castle in the island !!!
IT is so obvious that they are stealling you, monking you in your face that you wanna cry!

dont think about motor bikes either! you can only use them for a range of 10 to 15 kilometers to say the most!the island is full of the worst roads youve ever seen...right at the slope of the mountain!so either a glazy bus driver will scare you to death trying to over pass you....or you will burn its engine because of the stipnes of the road!

Favorite thing: If you go on a package holiday to Kefalonia, chances are you'll end up staying in Lassi.

Lassi is a purpose-built resort set along the main road from the airport to Argostoli. Doesn't sound too great, does it?

Well fellow travellers, that's where you'd be wrong!

Granted, Lassi is no traditional Greek town/village. But if you've done your research on Kefalonia, you'd know not to expect anything particularly traditional about the island's architecture.

The 1953 earthquake saw to that. Even before the earthquake, Kefalonia's architecture was Venetian - there weren't many whitewashed houses here, oh no.

Back to my point...

Lassi does tend to get a bad press. But it's really rather pretty. It's home to five of Kefalonia's best beaches. Five! It's not even that big a resort... you're spoilt for choice. If you're prepared to put in the extra effort to walk to the end of a beach then you're almost guaranteed to find a deserted spot. And you can't argue with that.

Food food food. One of my favourite things. Lassi has lots of restaurants - some are excellent, some are very good. Some are even family-run, with home-cooked food. There's definitely nothing resorty about them. Best of all, there's not a chip shop or takeaway in sight. Good quality Greek food from good quality Greek restaurants. Yum Yum.

Tourists - there's loads of 'em in Lassi. Is this a bad thing? Again, if you've done your research, you'd expect to be staying in a touristy place. Many simply use Lassi as a base (a rather nice base at that) from which to explore the island - most excursions, car/boat hire outlets and watersports are based in or around Lassi... making life that little bit easier.

Lassi is an excellent resort. Don't expect much culture - but if that's what you want, then it's within easy reach...

*Continues below*

Fondest memory: ...I should mention one last thing - Lassi attracts a nice type of person. There's lots of nice families and nice couples. There's no chav mentality here, and no aggression - which isn't always the case at foreign holiday resorts. Ahem Costa Brava ahem.

So there you have it. The motto of my story? Don't bother with the Rough Guide. The two or three lines they devote to Lassi culminates with a warning about some farm dogs that reside nearby, and how they pose a direct danger to tourists. One mention of beaches, no mention of restaurants, no mention of accommodation... but a mention of farm dogs. It goes without saying that I didn't see a single tourist with teeth marks in their leg.

I rest my case.

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Favorite thing: Beauty beyond measure - the lush greenery of the trees and abundant colour of the flowers - vivid geraniums growing by the side of the sea, crystal clear waters, the azure blue sky, the quickly changing landscapes - as you drive around the hair-pin bends new tiny villages come into view - first a mountain then, round the next corner, the vast sparkling ocean, pastel coloured villas that seem to cling to the edges of the mountains, goats perched high, jays swooping across the road in front of you, the kefalonian Eagle floating high above your head. The quiet sorrow of the abandoned villages destroyed in the 1953 earthquake. The people - mix of young and old, stylish modern beautiful young people and reminiscent traditional senior residents all living side by side in (apparent) harmony.

Fondest memory: Lying on a tiny deserted beach, hearing the waves, feeling the warmth and wondering if anyone would miss me if I just didn't go home ever again.

Favorite thing: Poros is the biggest district of new Elios-Pronnoi municipality. Is a beautiful,colourful village, surrounded by the villages Tzanata, Asprogerakas, Kabitsata and Riza.
It was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1953.
The coastline is about 2km long.
The port of Poros is one of the most significant ports of the island. It links Kefallonia with Kylini.

Favorite thing: Lixouri is located on the Paliki peninsula opposite Argostoli and Lassi. It is second largest town on the island. Completely detroyed by the earthquake in 1953 had to be rebuilt. It is surrounded by mountains and it is built around the port.
The square of Lixouri is full of cafes, bars and restaurants.
Worth visiting is the library and the icon museum (on the coastal side in an old mansion which was survived the earthquake).

Favorite thing: Fiskardo ( old Panormos) is situated at the northern part of Kefallonia and it is famous for its architecture and cosmopolitan port.
It is one of the main tourists resorts of Kefallonia and every summer it is full of yachts.
The name of Fiscardo comes from Roberto Guistardo who arrived in 1085 to conquer the island and he stayed in Fiskardo till he died.
Most of the buildings in Fiskardo come from the Venetian domination.

Favorite thing: Before the earthquakes of 1953 it was one of the islands more significants trade centres.
Agia Efimia was rebuilt after the earthquakes with the help of the French.
In its harbour they anchor ferry-boats and yachts.
Agia Efimia owes its name to the small church of Agia (Saint) Efimia close to the harbour.
The Saint's day is celebrated on the 11th of July with a procession and festival.
Around the plain of Pylaros rise the mountains Agia Dynati and Kalonoros.
On the sideways of the mountains are situates the 24 villages of Pylaros , 12 on each mountain.

Favorite thing: Sami is a small town the second biggest port of the island of Kefallonia (Nisos Kefallonia).
It is the place where I spent my summer holidays since my childhood.
The modern town was rebuilt after the earthquakes of 1953 at the foot of the hills of Agioi Fanentes and Kastro with the help of the British.
Behind the town rise the two hills on which the old city was situated.On of them took its name from the three Saints they were burried here ) Agioi Fenentes.
Lord Byron stayed one night in the hostel close to the church.
Sami is directly connected to the port of Patras with everyday trips. For more information on the timetable check my transportation section.

The town is full of tavernas, especially with sea food, souvenir shops, hotels and has one advantage for those they don't like the noise. It is not overcrowded.

Sami is situated at the eastern part of the island of Kefallonia, became famous worldwide during the summer 2000 because of the film "Captain Corelli's mandolin" which was shot here.