Kefalonia, or Cephalonia, is the largest island of the Ionian Islands in western Greece. Thankfully, it’s not overrun by mass tourism yet, you can enjoy all the beauty of this island without crowds.
In this travel blog, we give you 20 tips and must-dos for your holiday in Kefalonia.
Activity #1: Hire a boat without a licence
Our highlight in Kefalonia? That was undoubtedly renting our own boat! And no, you don’t need a boating licence for that.
Many beaches in Kefalonia are only accessible by water. That often means pristine beaches, where you can also be completely alone. No beach bars or sunbeds, just you and the beautiful nature.
You can hire a boat without a licence for a few hours, or for a full day. Moor somewhere and chill on the beach, or explore the coastline.
It’s possible to rent your own boat in many places in Kefalonia. We saw them in Agia Effimia, Samos and Argostoli, among others. We rented a boat in Zola. The coastline of Zola is really recommended with its white rocks and turquoise water. You can also sail to the famous Fteri beach. And best of all, it was nice and quiet here!
👉 We rented this boat without a boating licence
Good to know: is renting a boat not for you, but do you want to go to Fteri beach? In the coastal village of Zola, you can take a water taxi!
Activity #2: Book a sunset cruise
Right at number two of our highlights is the sunset cruise. At 18:00, we boarded the boat ‘Dreamy Cruises’ which took us to the island of Vardiani. There, we enjoyed this beautiful place with an enchanting sunset. You can swim, paddle board or admire it from the boat. Afterwards, enjoy the buffet prepared on board.
Oh, did I mention that there is unlimited wine? Yes, you can drink as much wine (and water) as you like. Soft drinks, beer and cocktails are payable separately. On the way back, you stop at a seal-spotting spot and then sail back to Argostoli with disco lights and music on. A fun night is guaranteed!
Activity #3: Visit the Myrthos viewpoint (and chill on the beach)
No, you can’t (actually) have been to Kefalonia without having seen Myrthos beach!
And yes, everyone has the same photo, but it’s just a beautiful spot not to be missed. In the morning, the white pebble beach is still in the shade, but in the afternoon the sun hits it.
Fancy lying on the beach? Myrthos is ideal for that too. It is a chill beach as far as we are concerned, and it is also fairly large, making it feel less crowded. If you come in high season, the beach bar is open, and you can lie on sunbeds. We went in shoulder season (September), the beach bar was closed, and there were no sunbeds. Ideal as far as we are concerned, the beach looks so much more pristine! If you want to lie on the beach, drive all the way down, there is plenty of parking. Doing it on foot is very long.
By the way, Myrthos is also a great place to watch the sunset. But keep in mind that you will then have to drive back to your accommodation in the dark.
Activity #4: Walk to the castle of the picturesque village of Assos
The village of Assos holds a special place in my heart. Tiny, but oh so cute. After the devastating 1953 earthquake, they clearly did their best to build something beautiful here.
From the Assos viewpoint, you can hike up to the remains of the Venetian castle. This is a walk of about 3 kilometres that takes about 45 minutes. Not counting stops, as the whole way offers stunning views over the village of Assos and the imposing mountains beyond.
Once at the castle, don’t imagine too much. There is still an old wall and some other castle remains. By the way, the estate also served as a prison for 23 years – until the earthquake.
Besides remnants of the castle, you will also find some buildings that look a lot more modern, but are still empty. Most doors are open, so you can take a look inside. Don’t be surprised if a curious goat comes to take a peek 😉
PS. Are you now thinking, nice, I want to spend the night in Assos? I had the same idea, but was very glad I didn’t. Assos consists of about 2 streets with hardly any restaurants or other tourist facilities. This place is nice as a (half) day trip, but then you’ve really seen it.
Activity #5: Stroll through Fiskardo
Fiskardo is one of the few places not destroyed by the 1953 earthquake. You can still find authentic, Venetian houses here. It is a real port town with colourful houses, shops, restaurants and many luxury boats.
Although Fiskardo must be a very nice place, we found it a bit disappointing. We had just come from Assos, which we liked more. So my tip? Visit Fiskardo first and then Assos, or schedule them on different days.
A short but nice walk in Fiskardo is the one up to the Venetian Lighthouse.
Activity #6: Visit a ghost village
Is the weather down or have you seen enough beaches for a while? Then it might be fun to wander through Palia Vlachata, better known as ‘Old Vlachetta’.
This ‘ghost village’ has been abandoned since – you guessed it – the 1953 earthquake. Old Vlachetta has probably been inhabited since 1358. The mountain village eventually housed some 800 inhabitants. It is nice to walk through the streets and among the ruins, there is a special atmosphere.
Activity #7: Eat pita gyros
A gyros dish is heartily delicious and there’s no doubt you will eat it several times during your holiday in Kefalonia. But nothing beats a real pita gyros! At least, we think so.
By the way, it also serves as ideal hangover food for when you drank too much wine on the sunset cruise (see tip 2 above). And yes, we speak from experience.
Enjoy!
Activity #8: Explore the capital of Kefalonia
Argostoli is the capital of Kefalonia, but don’t imagine a metropolis. This ‘city’ consists of barely 10,000 inhabitants, but is a very nice and cosy place to stay or at least visit for a day.
Argostoli was also destroyed in the past and has been beautifully rebuilt. The town has nice streets, houses, cosy bars and restaurants, a beautiful boulevard, and all with a nice view of the mountains.
Maybe it’s personal, but we generally found the restaurants in Kefalonia (and Zakynthos) quite monotonous. Like they had the same menu everywhere. So it was really a relief to stay in Argostoli, as you have more choices here. So, if you want to eat something other than Greek, Argostoli is the place to be. Fancy an Italian meal? We can recommend Aglio Olio!
Some great places to visit in Argostoli are: Vallianos Central Square of Argostoli, the Bosset Bridge, and the boulevard where you can spot the large Caretta Caretta turtles (especially in the morning). The Saint Theodore Lighthouse is a nice place to enjoy the sunset with a drink.
Close to the lighthouse, you will also find the ‘Sinkholes of Argostoli‘. These sinkholes are not so special to see, but are something special. Here, the water ‘disappears’ through the island and flows into the Mellissani cenote you’ll find further down this list. This whole process takes two weeks.
Activity #9: Go wine tasting
Kefalonia is famous for its wine, including the Robola wine. You can taste this wine in pretty much all restaurants and cafés, but you can also visit a winery.
On a wine tasting tour, you will visit a winery and learn about the Robola, Mavrodafni, Muscat, Vostilidi and Moschatela grapes. Afterwards, you get to taste these different wines, along with other local delicacies such as cheese and olives.
👉 Book a wine tasting tour at a winery
👉 Combine a wine tasting tour with the Melissani cave and the village of Fiscardo
Activity #10: Hike to the top of Mount Ainos
Fancy a hike? Then head to Mount Ainos, also the highest point of Kefalonia and surrounding Ionian islands.
Without too many clouds, you’ll get great views of Kefalonia and its neighbouring islands from the mountain.
Activity #11: Sail through the Melissani cenote
Remember the sinkholes in the capital Argostoli? These sinkholes channel seawater to this cave in Sami, 30 kilometers away. That whole process takes about two weeks.
What is so special about this cave? The water here is very blue. And if you come between 11:30 and 14:00, the sun shines into the cave which must give a beautiful effect, as if the boats are floating.
Personally, we had heavy clouds and rainy weather for days, so unfortunately the photos are not that special. But it was still beautiful, though.
You can only visit the Melissani cenote by water. You pay at the ticket office, go down and get into a boat. Likewise, you get some explanations and sail through the cave, which looks bigger than it is.
Activity #12: Visit the Drogarati cave
The Drogarati is a fairly large stalactite cave with many stalactites and stalagmites. Concerts are sometimes even organized here because of their good acoustics.
Would you like to visit both Drogarati cave and Melissani cave? Then buy a combi ticket at the box office!
Activity #13: Chill at Antisamos beach
Do you like beaches with sunbeds? Then Antisamos is a nice beach to go to. There are several beach bars where you can enjoy good food and drinks too.
We can recommend the beach bar Acron, which is located on the left side of the beach (if you are facing the sea). Here you can use the sun beds for free if you consume anything.
Activity #14: Visit the island of Ithaki
The island of Ithaki is very close to Kefalonia, so ideal for a day visit! Ithaki has some beautiful, small pebble beaches and quaint villages.
Take the ferry yourself with your rental car (check with the car hire company if this is allowed) or book an all-in excursion to Ithaki.
Activity #15: Feed stray cats
Many Greek stray cats do not survive the season without tourists volunteering to feed them… If you have a heart for cats, please bring some food…. You can bring food from home, but you can also buy them in any (larger) supermarket.
To anyone staying or visiting Argostoli, I would like to ask you to bring food to this location, just after the long Bosset bridge. These (young) kittens are very timid compared to all the other cats we fed on Kefalonia. And because they are so fearful (and barely allow themselves to be petted), I am afraid that they are actually getting little food. I went to this place several times, and each time the trays of wet food were gobbled down in no time. I estimate that (in September 2024) there are about 10 cats living here. Have you been there? Then please let me know in the comments (at the bottom) if they are still there and how they are doing!
!! Please wait until the cats have finished eating and then throw the empty trays in a rubbish bin. Rubbish attracts vermin, which does not benefit the cats! Sometimes you see empty trays everywhere and it causes more problems than people realize.
Activity #16: Go to the Lixouri peninsula
From Argostoli, you can easily catch a ferry to the Lixouri peninsula. Here you will find, among other things, the extraordinary Xi-beach. Xi-beach is completely different from most beaches on Kefalonia, here you will find orange cliffs and an orange beach!
Don’t feel like taking the ferry or staying in the north of the island? You can also get there by car, it just takes much longer.
Activity #17: Visit the Navagio shipwreck beach on Zakynthos
Not planning to go to Zakynthos but want to see the famous Navagio shipwreck beach? You can do so via a boat trip from Kefalonia!
By boat, you will sail from Kefalonia towards Zakynthos where you will first stop at the ‘Blue caves’, followed by a visit to Navagio beach. There you can see the famous ship up close, without entering the beach.
The ship you see are the remains of the smuggler’s ship Panagiotis. It is claimed that it was used to smuggle cigarettes and liquor from Turkey to Italy and was then pursued by the Greek coastguard. It ran aground on 2 October 1980; the ship has been lying on Navagio beach ever since.
Since May 2024, you are not allowed to enter the beach due to crumbling rocks. Previously, around 6,000 tourists visited the beach every day during high season. Of course, that also caused large parts of it to rapidly disappear. Now you can only take pretty pictures of the beach without people. Not a bad thing as far as we are concerned 😉
Planning to go from Kefalonia to Zakynthos by yourself with your rental car? Then keep in mind that you must have permission from the car hire company to do so, otherwise you are not insured. This usually costs around €30 per ferry trip, so €60 for a return.
Activity #18: Taste Loukoumades
Loukoumades are a bit like Belgian ‘smoutebollen’ or Dutch ‘oliebollen’. It is a typical Greek dessert you must have tasted during your stay in Kefalonia!
Taste them at one of the bakeries, or book a tasting.
Activity #19: Go scuba diving
Do you have a diving licence or want to learn to dive? Around Fiskardo you have some beautiful dive sites with coral, caves and sunken boats.
Activity #20: Stay in accommodation with a sea view
End the day on your own balcony with a Kefalonian wine, and wake up with a sea view? For us, that’s perfection.
We stayed 3 nights in the north and 4 nights in the south. The island is fairly large, so this way we saved a lot of time to visit all the sights.
In addition, Agia Affimia was very nice to unwind and Argostoli was ideal to end the trip. The flat we took in Agia Affimia is currently offline, but we will share as soon as it becomes available again.
👉 Check prices and availability of the flat in Argostoli – (tip: take the room with a sea view!)
Travelling around Kefalonia: hire car or public transport?
Public transport is not very well organised on Kefalonia. If you do not want or cannot rent a car, you will have to do a lot via excursions. We can recommend the excursions offered by GetYourGuide and Viator.
The most ideal way to explore Kefalonia is with a rental car. Personally, we always rent through Sunnycars because you are all-inclusive insured.
Watch our drone video
Enjoy some more of beautiful Kefalonia from the air. Happy holidays!
