Argostoli

4.2/5 rating (37 votes)

Argostoli

Argostoli is the capital of Kefalonia. It has a population of about 10.000 residents and it is the most secular part of the island, both during the winter and the summer. It has many sights within a short distance and it combines serenity with vivid entertainment and a variety of flavors in certain picturesque taverns and restaurants of the area. The city was built in total after 1953 and you may find many points that worth visiting.

Lassi

3.9/5 rating (39 votes)

Lassi

One of the most beautiful areas of Kefalonia is, without a doubt, Lassi. It is a particularly developed tourist destination, with lovely secular or not beaches, tourist shops, luxurious hotels, but with the potential for hiking or biking in lush green areas full of sights.

Where to look first in Lassi? The mesmerizing beaches are breathtaking, every spot being full of people from early on, enjoying the most beautiful and cleanest waters. The beaches are one after the other. From the secular Plati and Makri Gialo to its more “less crowded” ones; Turkopodaro, Gradakia, Mediterranne, Fanari, Maistrato, many small bays with either sand or pebble… The terrain here is literally wonderful.

Further down, you can find anything in the area’s shops, but also taste special flavors in the regional restaurants. Naturally, there is also nighttime entertainment, present in the area during the summer.

If walking or bike riding relaxes you, the Lassi roundabout is an unique route, with a constantly changing flow of imagery, which is bound to calm you…

Assos

3.5/5 rating (12 votes)

Assos

Assos is one of Kefalonia’s most beautiful and picturesque villages. It is located 37 km. from Argostoli and it belongs to the Municipality of Erisos. It was named after the sailors from Assos in the Asia Minor, who used the area as a passing.

The permanent inhabitants of the area aren’t more than 25 residents these days. Still, it is one of the most beautiful places of the island and from Easter onwards, tourists from Greece and abroad swarm the area. The element that makes this sight so special is that the visitor can go back to the age when castles and knights didn’t exist only in fairytales and feel like the hero in his own story, switching between present and past, as the area combines houses which have maintained traditional Ionian architecture during their reconstruction and small taverns which offer a contemporary feeling. Historical signs can be found everywhere, as the residents don’t wish to create a tourist resort, but to also offer generously what makes them timeless.

A visitor can witness one of the most beautiful sunsets from the castle of the area, because due to its location, the view of the sun is as it falls on the waters of the Ionian is majestic. The beaches with blue waters- some of which are accessible only by boat- that are situated around the small stretch of land is one more thing that makes the castle of Assos so famous, providing one more reason for the island to win impressions!

Minies

3.7/5 rating (7 votes)

Minies

Antipata Eryssou

4.1/5 rating (14 votes)

Antipata Eryssou

Generally, Antipata Erisou is located in the area of Erisos in the northern part of Kefalonia. It’s a village on the country road Argostoli-Fiskardo, right before the village Germenata, on the way to Fiskardo. It’s an area that has a view of the western Ionian from almost everywhere. It’s a village filled with old houses that are over 300 years old, as it’s located in the area of Erisos which generally was the only area which was completed destroyed by the catastrophic earthquake of 1953. The village also has many impressive modern homes inspired by European and American architecture, as many inhabitants are immigrants in Europe and America. The village also has many types of accommodation, hotels and villas for renting. There are also restaurants, a café, a pizzeria and a mini-market. The old school, which is quite interesting, is also saved. Also, the Church of the Resurrection in the village square displays particular historical, architectural and religious interest.

Kourkoumelata

3.8/5 rating (29 votes)

Kourkoumelata

Kourkoumetala is one of the most beautiful, superb, picturesque and impressive villages of Kefalonia, even though characterizing it as the most beautiful village in the entire island wouldn’t be an exaggeration! One visit is enough for someone to easily verify this title! It is located 10klm. from the island’s capital, Argostoli, and is a part of the Municipal Department of Livathos. It is a village which is considered to be the capital of this particular area, as it’s located in its heart and differs from the others because of its beautiful view and its excellent infrastructure.

Kourkoumelata has been inhabited since the end of the 15th century and its name originated from the surname “Kourkoumelis”, as the “Kourkoumelides” are said to be the first village residents.

Kourkoumelata can be considered as “Kefalonia’s Ekali”! But as opposed to the impassable of the northern suburbs, one can gaze at the houses’ beauty in this village! It has beautiful buildings, well preserved and well-attended to. One particular characteristic of the village is the variety in the construction design of the houses, which aren’t in the road but instead follow rules of excellent infrastructure. But despite the beauty and tastefulness of the buildings, it’s not the buildings that play the lead role in Kourkoumelata, but the colorful gardens, which are an integral part of the area and are tended to by the villagers with great care. Even the public spaces are impressive, with grass being everywhere and with gigantic palm trees lingering over the central square.

There is a park, a square, a hotel, a building where the Philharmonic of Livathos is based, a majestic, traditional style church, a shrine, athletic facilities and a stadium in the village. Next to the stadium is a big concert hall, a fascinating structure of neoclassical architectural design, which functions as a spiritual-educational-cultural centre. It is a Display Centre of Kefalonian works of art, with parallel activities for informing and educating the audience on issues concerned with our traditional art. An exceptional example to be followed! In the 118th edition of the 1st issue of the Government’s Newspaper (29th April 1977) a Presidential Decree was published about “the approval for composing the Georgios and Mari Vergotis Public Benefit Foundation”. Mrs. Mari, wife of Georgios Vergotis, bestowed the “Educational Centre” to the recommended foundation to be used as a Centre and Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art Museum, with spiritual activities, exhibitions, lectures etc. Cultural events are held there nowadays, helping promote our island’s cultural world and more, thus attributing to Kourkoumelata the impression of its being a progressive Kefalonian village.

The view of the airport and the surrounding areas is mesmerizing, especially during sunset. One can admire it while enjoying his coffee at the local café or from the park with which it borders. We could say that it is a model village that many would like to copy!

The village is one of the island’s sights and there are excursions by coach to Kourkoumelata with visitors from all over the world all year round. It’s worth visiting, as the elaborate buildings, modern road planning, superb polyanthus gardens, flowerbeds, plants, tropical trees, clean roads and spectacular view compose an idyllic environment. Rightfully is Kourkoumelata considered as “the most beautiful village in the Balkans”!

Peratata

4.0/5 rating (9 votes)

Peratata

Peratata is located in the southwestern section of Kefalonia and is part of the area of Livathos. On a hill north of Peratata, is the Castle of Saint George, which dates back to the 12th century. Peratata probably got its name from perno-perama(=pass-passageway) because it is literally a place from which many pass by in order to go from the west to the east of the island and vice versa.

The village is built on the main road and, as logic dictates, it has a mini-market, a bakery, a patisserie, a tavern, a petrol station and other shops. Nevertheless, it does not lack greenery; there are plenty of trees on the edge of the road and the houses have yards, gardens, bright colors and traditional beauty.

Quite a few visitors choose to stay at Peratata during their summer holidays, since access to all the beaches in Livathos and Argostoli is much easier from this point.

Ratzakli

4.1/5 rating (26 votes)

Ratzakli

Ratzakli is located in the general area of Poros and, more specifically, it’s a picturesque village just before Skala. Before the earthquake, the village had quite a few residents, but now there are only a few permanent inhabitants left.

The village’s name derives from the word ratzat which means raisin, as the village produced great amounts of raisins, to a point where exports were made, when it was bustling with life. A characteristic feature of the village is that all the houses have terracotta-tiled roofs, which is explained by other historical facts of the area.

In the recent years, it has known a great tourism development, as quite a few small units have been built, as well as permanent houses of people from abroad who come to reside here. Next to Ratzakli is Kaminia, one of the most beautiful and yet calm, sandy beaches of the island.

Vlachata

3.7/5 rating (10 votes)

Vlachata

Defaranata

3.6/5 rating (15 votes)

Defaranata

 

Fiskardo

3.9/5 rating (45 votes)

Fiskardo

Fiskardo is located on the Northeast tip of Kefalonia. It is surrounded by hills, full of cypress trees and lentisks. It’s 54km. from Argostoli, 5 nautical miles from Lefkada and just 1,5 nautical miles from the coast of Ithaca. In August 1953 Kefalonia took the coup de grace. Terrible earthquakes strike the island and the result is catastrophic. Port projects, water reservoirs, tanks, facilities of electricity and public buildings are rendered useless and, unfortunately, there were victims as well.

A great deal of the rebuilding is set upon the shoulders of the inhabitants, who are unable to cope and many families are forced to abandon the island and head towards urban centers. Fiskardo is the only village of the island where the damage was limited. The houses withstood 3000 seismic tremors and aftershocks which were recorded from August 1953 to April 1954.

Seismologists interpreting this exclusion said that in the subsoil near Fiskardo, there is a fissure which cuts off this part of the island and abates the intensity of the earthquake. Also, the solid limestone subsoil played a part in the preservation of the buildings. The Greek government declared the village of Fiskardo as one of the top eleven traditional settlements with special creative characteristics and architectural form in need of protection.

What is also noteworthy is the fact that the region of Erisos has been characterized as an area of particular natural beauty.

Fiskardo is one of Greece’s most cosmopolitan places and it attracts both the Greek and international jet set. Many celebrities are literally fans of Fiskardo such as Antonis Remos, Ilias Psinakis, Eleni Menegaki, Dimitris Kopelouzos, Marianna Latsi, Gianna Aggelopoulou Daskalaki, Terrence Quick, Nikos Aliagas, Socratis Kokkalis, Steve Kaketsis and many other Greeks. International personalities who are fans of Fiskardo are, among others, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Leonardo Di Caprio, Roman Abramovic, Madonna, Paris Hilton, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Richard Gere, Jimmy Carter, the Emir of Qatar, Oprah Winfrey and many others.

Lixouri

3.8/5 rating (27 votes)

Lixouri

Aghia Efimia

4.0/5 rating (17 votes)

Aghia Efimia

Sami

3.9/5 rating (18 votes)

Sami

Castle of St. George

5.0/5 rating 1 vote

Castle of St. George

The Castle of Saint George is located above the village of Perata. As a settlement it is exactly outside the archaeological site surrounded by the walls of the homonymous castle. The first houses outside the archaeological site were first built the previous century, when the area was recognized and protected as both a sight and a historically significant monument.

Mousata

3.9/5 rating (85 votes)

Mousata

Mousata is located in the southern part of Kefalonia. Its location and picturesque ness impress visitors, much like the neighboring village of Poriarata. Greenery dominates as these villages are situated at the foot of Enos and are full of bushes and olive trees. They are also close to a beautiful, shallow-watered, sandy beach called Trapezaki.

Mousata got its name from the toponym “Amousses”, which the locals translate as “the village’s sand”. Or it was probably named after the sandy material carried down by the stream. What is characteristic of the village is the traditional bakery which bakes fresh and traditional baked goods and distributes them all over Kefalonia.

Pessada

4.1/5 rating (36 votes)

Pessada

Pessada is a small beautiful seaside village located on the southern coast of Kefalonia. The village has a small harbour separated in two estuaries. One of them is used by the locals for fishing and there many fishing boats moor, while in the other estuary moors the boat which links Kefalonia with Zante. The village is cosmopolitan as its inhabitants are considered to have travelled all over the world due to the commerce, whilst the view from the village to Zante, the Castle and Enos is striking.

Pessada has a mini market and a canteen on the harbour but in very close distance from both beaches. It also has two small beautiful beaches, “Ammo” and “Vrisi”.The clear blue water in combination with the ever green environment that surround it offer to the visitor moments of relaxation and recreation. Access to the beaches is easy as there is parking space for the vehicles just above the beach. Then, the route is downhill with a few steps where the view is magnificent.

Editing: Emilia Pavlatou

Information sources: Livathos, Group Livathos of Kefalonia edition, Athens, 1993

Simotata

4.0/5 rating (6 votes)

Simotata

Agrilias

4.5/5 rating (6 votes)

Agrilias

Agrilias is located in the northwestern part of Kefalonia and belongs to the Municipal Department of Erisos, of the Municipality of Kefalonia. The village borders with Magganos, from where the busy road that leads to Fiskardo, Tsamarelata and Halikeri passes by.

All the village houses are post-earthquake. However, many abandoned pre-earthquake houses are preserved to this day in various parts of the village.

What is of interest is the variety of flora in the area. Besides olive trees, many cypress, lemon, apple and oranges trees compose a mesmerizing scenery for visitors.

Germenata

3.0/5 rating (6 votes)

Germenata

Germenata is in the area of Erisos in northern Kefalonia. It is one of the most characteristic of the villages of Erisos, filled with old, stone, pre-earthquake houses. It has actually been characterized as a traditional settlement, with its own special architecture. Germenata is right after Antipata on the way to Fiskardo, on the Argostoli-Fiskardo country road. The village can be also reached by a road which begins at the old, well-known church of Antipata. The village is built on a hill, with a special view of Ithaca and Lefkada. There are quite a few lodgings, both modern and traditional, harmoniously blended into the lush green scenery.

Skala

3.6/5 rating (17 votes)

Skala

Lourdata

3.7/5 rating (27 votes)

Lourdata

Katelios

3.7/5 rating (24 votes)

Katelios

Spartia

3.9/5 rating (13 votes)

Spartia

Havriata

4.2/5 rating (11 votes)

Havriata

Ntomata

4.0/5 rating (29 votes)

Ntomata

Domata is located in the Livathos area, which is blessed with beautiful beaches, lush vegetation and an unparalleled view. The village location and the way it had been built protect it from the wind and offer it a unique environment. The village is picturesque, with small narrow roads and greenery, both on the left and right side of the road.

What is characteristic of the village is the Mother of our Lord Church, where the coffin of the hanged Patriarch Grigorios V of Constantinople is kept. The wood-carved chancel is a 1839 piece and is entirely covered with sheets of gold.

The residents of Domata enjoy their swims at Ai-Chelis beach which stand outs not only because of its calm, clear waters, but also because of its unique greyish sand.

Prokopata

3.7/5 rating (12 votes)

Prokopata

Prokopata is very close to the island’s capital, Argostoli. Access to the village from Argostoli is extremely easy, as immediately after the Koutavos roundabout, the route continues straight on.

In 300 meters one comes across Aghia Varvara church and after going over 2 successive bridges, the visitor enters Prokopata (there is also an instructive sign with the name of the village). The village is located in the valley, exactly under the small hill “Fanero” where it was built before the earthquakes of 1866 and 1953. From the hill, on which only ruins can be found today, there is a mesmerizing view of Argostoli and of the surrounding area, such as Razata.

The eye reaches Ainos and the fields of Saint Gerasimos, who once passed by this spot. On the hill, there are 2 shelters made by the Italians and visiting them on a trip would be quite interesting.

There are also the old church cell and a deserted oil mill. Today, it is a small village with simple built houses that have lovely bloomed gardens and beautiful stone walls. Also, the fact that there are some small alleys, shaded by the trees may be considered picturesque.

Absolute calmness dominates and practically nothing disturbs it. There are 25 houses in the village today, many of which are inhabited exclusively during the summer. Its residents work in the surrounding areas and the village doesn’t even have a convenience store, as it’s very close to the town and everyone goes there for anything they need. One of the most characteristic spots of the village can be considered the church of Aghia Varvara and the little church at the village entrance and is believed to be closely linked with its existence.

Water of the best quality in all of Kefalonia can be found at Prokopata. The maintenance expenses of the spring are covered by the locals through a cultural association. The reconstruction of the village after the earthquakes is attributable to the selfless offerings of the benefactor, Panagis Markesinis.

Today the village residents believe that the name of the village has no connection to reality, as none of them have gone ahead in life in comparison to those who originated from the village, went abroad and have been distinguished. Names that originate from this village are: Papadatos, Markesinis and Zisimatos, the latter having died out.

Vigli

4.2/5 rating (13 votes)

Vigli

Vigli is situated in the northwestern part of Kefalonia in the Municipality of Erisos. It is a lush green scenery with fascinating mountains and small lowland areas which give away each season’s identity by its colorful and characteristic flora.

The great aura of technology and numerous cars haven’t reached this village. It can be characterized as a “hidden village”, as its distance from the Argostoli-Fiskardo national highway is 3,5km., so it is in no way a passing. The serenity and the quietness prevalent is hypnotizing. The most common sounds are the chirpings of various wild birds, the rustling of the leaves and the sound of the cool breeze.

Any visitor can realize that the temperature is ideal because the village is filled with shady places, which combined with the permanent presence of a cool breeze create a special sense of relaxation, a unique present from a blessed nature. It is true that the peculiar geographical position of the village offers winds from every side of the horizon. As far the winter period is concerned, nature displays a wilder form.

An integral part of the village’s authentic beauty is its wonderful view, which relaxes the eye, but simultaneously uplifts the visitor’s mood. The wandering eye will see endless mountains of deep green color. The next movement of the eye will lead it to the unique sea of the Ionian and even further to the peculiar Cape of Atheras. That kind of view can be the source of spiritual inspiration for any type of creation. In this small corner of the world, each day ends beautifully decorated with an intense but every time different sunset.

The village’s vegetation is lush. Nature displays all its aspects, in all its majesty every season of the year. Natural green is a source of oxygen and health. Everybody can enjoy it since it’s easy to wander down one of the many mysterious pathways.

The beach is at a distance of 500m. from the village. There is a traditional path that connects the beach to the village. There is also a blacktop road that leads to the beach, but via another village. We advise that you try the route through the traditional path. The drip after your wandering on the path will be much more enjoyable. The beach is called Aghia Iereousalem and it is basically two pebble beaches, one next to the other. There are many fig trees with lots of figs on the beach and a natural well with plenty of cool water. The general morphology around the beach is truly one-of-a-kind.

Most of the houses have been built after the earthquake of 1953. However, there are still quite a few traditional, pre-earthquake houses and some preservable ones, one of which is almost 400 years old.

Vigli is at a short distance (1 to 2 km.) from the other villages of this area ( Markoulata, Tsamarelata, Halikeri etc.). Its small population offers tranquility to this small village. In conclusion, it is a friendly environment well hidden from excessive hustle and bustle. But, at the same time, a visitor can reach any well-known and populous point of this area and, of course, cosmopolitan Fiskardo, in just a few minutes.

Damoulianata

3.6/5 rating (9 votes)

Damoulianata

Damoulianata is one of the most picturesque villages on the Paliki peninsula and Kefalonia in general, as many traditional houses that remained intact after the earthquake of 1953 are preserved. It’s close to Rifi, in an area with many trees and lush vegetation.

Today, Damoulianata is situated at a lower altitude than the Old village. Back then, its positioning at a higher altitude had been chosen because it functioned as an observatory for its protection from pirates.

The foundations of Saint Ekaterini’s Church along with the old cemetery are preserved in the area of Paliochori. A few meters outside the village as it is today, is the Church of the Virgin Mary, which was built approximately 150 years ago and nowadays is a traditional monument. Its wood- carved chancel is made by Spiros Antipas, father of the fighter, Marinos Antipas.

Two old wind mills, which are under reconstruction and efforts are being made to be activated, are saved in the village’s highest point. Damoulianata has a Cultural Centre, a rural surgery and a Community Library.

Editing: Andriana Karantinou

Kontogennada

3.1/5 rating (10 votes)

Kontogennada

Kontogennada is located in the area of Paliki, close to Petanoi beach. It’s the last village one meets on the route from Lixouri to Anogi. It’s situated in a spot with a panoramic view. From the central square, it’s possible to enjoy the view of the Lassi and Argostoli area, the airport of Kefalonia and even Zakynthos.

It is characterized as a traditional settlement, which means that there are houses of particular traditional architecture, while its history goes as far back as the Mycenean times, as vaulted and carved grave dating back to that period have been found. It’s a central and well- known village, which had about 500 inhabitants in the past. Nowadays, this number of population is reached only during the summer months.

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