Kefalonia

Welcome to Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands, were you can admire green rocks plunge suddenly into the deep blue waters, picturesque villages and small towns highlighted by old mansions and “humble” farmhouses and the ruins of ancient cities. Kefalonia has been called the island of contrasts. Roman, Venetian, and Byzantine ruins, side by side with famous beaches. The capital Argostoli, is where the sea pours into spectacular swallow-holes and disappears endlessly into subterranean tunnels forming a rare geological phenomenon. Hope to see you soon…

Kefalonia lies south of Lefkada, north of Zakynthos, and west of Ithaki. It has 254 km of coastline and a population of 27,650. The prefecture of Kefalonia includes Ithaki and various neighboring islets.

Kefalonia is a mountainous island with Mediterranean vegetation. Evergreen bushes such as holy and oleaster grow on its soil. Kefalonian fir trees, cypress trees, arbutus, holy, and lentisk thrive on mount Ainos, which occupies the largest part of the island. The flora of the island includes rare kinds of flowers, such as the mauve lilies Paeonia mascula-russi, the Poa cephalonica, the Saponaria aenesia, and the Scutellaria cephalonica. Ordinary flowers such as violets and saponaria also grow there.

Kefalonia is a mountainous island. Woodcutting and animal grazing have been prohibited since 1966 when the 28,000 acres of the mountain were proclaimed a national park. The top of Ainos, where wild horses are said to live, offers an enchanting view to the sea.

The island’s capital, Argostoli, is built in a sheltered bay known as “The Lagoon of Koutavos”. Argostoli contains an arched bridge built by the English in 1813 called “The bridge of Drapanos”. On the bank opposite of Argostoli, one can see the ruins of the ancient city of Krani.

Kefalonian are considered singular, energetic, and ingenious people. They are well known for their intelligence, and they are excellent traders.