Category: Discover Kefalonia

Cephalonia is a paradise for hikers. There are many hiking trails on the island, which means that those who want to explore it on foot will have plenty of choices. Outdoor Kefalonia Activities offers various organized guided tours. ‘Hiking to Fteri Beach’ and ‘Along the donkey tracks to Assos and ’Antisamos – Koutsoupia’ (along a 12.5 km long trail) are just some of them. You can also adjust individual activities to your liking, level of readiness, time, and interests, as well as mix, match, extend, shorten, or add certain activities or extreme options. For more information, you can visit https://outdoorkefalonia.com/. If you like to do these things on your own, visit the website https://www.alltrails.com/greece/kefalonia/walking to find all the information about the most popular hiking trails in Cephalonia, with hand-prepared trail maps and instructions and detailed reviews, and photos by hikers, campers, and nature lovers like you.
Due to the high summer temperatures, we recommend spring and early autumn for this type of activity. Our aparthotel in Argostoli is open all year round. Our location is exceptional, just a few minutes from the city center, with a beautiful view of Argostoli bay. Our apartments are equipped with modern and functional furniture, as well as all the little things you might need while on vacation.

If you get bored of swimming and lying on the beaches and want to try something more exciting, “Outdoor Kefalonia Activities” is the right choice for you. The offer includes unconventional, alternative, and extreme activities such as sea kayaking, jeep safari, mountain climbing, and cave exploring. They are unique and provide exciting and different ways to explore and experience the island. Their goal is to show you how the elements of earth, wind, and water mix, and blend to make up the island’s exotic beauty. Jeep Safari is fun and a great activity for the entire family. You will tour some of the most picturesque areas of Cephalonia in a six-seater Land
Rover Defender, exploring the Ainos National Park combining the history, geology, and culture of the island. This trip can be described in four words: fun, culture, and breathtaking views.
Kayaking is the perfect way to enjoy the beauty and diversity of the Cephalonian coast and have a relaxing and adventurous experience. Coasteering is an exciting activity that combines elements of land and water. It is particularly suitable for adrenaline junkies, but also for less confident but curious adventurers. For more information, go to: https://outdoorkefalonia.com/.

The best way to get to know this beautiful island is to see and experience its untouched nature. Spend the day on hidden beaches, get to know the underwater world, fish with local fishermen, have lunch on board, or simply lie in the sun and enjoy breathtakingly beautiful beaches that can be reached only by water. Let us and our reliable partners organize trips that you will remember forever.

Fteri Water Taxi 
“Water Taxi” offers transportation services by sea and boat trips. It is located in the port of Zola, near the beach of Agia Kiriaki. The family that runs the company comes from the nearby village of Agonas and knows all the secrets of the northwest coast of Kefalonia. They offer scheduled departures and pick-up from secluded beaches, as well as private or group boat trips in Myrtos Bay. Swim on the beautiful beach of Fteri and experience the wild and raw beauty of the island of Cephalonia. Discover the hidden gems on the northwest coast of the island, which is accessible only byboat. The different shades of the sea that merge with the white shores decorated with dark pines make this part of the island truly unforgettable.

Spend the day fishing with “Fishing Trips Kefalonia Dionisios”
Since members of the family have been fishing for four generations, Captain Grigoris and his crew offer their guests an experience that is completely unique. Together, you will bring in the nets that have been thrown into the sea the night before. You will
experience traditional Greek fishing as you sail to private beaches accessible only by boat, including the magical White Rock Beach and the idyllic ancient island of Vardiani, southwest of Argostoli and south of Lixouri. At the end of the tour, you will enjoy a delicious meal prepared from the catch, with a salad made with organic vegetables and homemade olive oil. When you add local wine to this, the excursion becomes truly special, a unique and magical experience in the crystal blue water of Kefalonia. Feel the scents and peace that only the waters of the Ionian Sea can provide!

The Monastery of St. Andrew was founded in 1579 when three local sisters-in-spirit (Benedict, Leontia, and Magdalina) bought the land where the Church of the Apostle Andrew once stood and founded a small nunnery. After taking the name Romilia, Greco-Romanian princess Roxana began her monastic life there in 1639. The rich princess dedicated a large sum of money to the monastery and brought precious spiritual treasures from Mount Athos – the holy relics of the right foot (sole)of the Apostle Andrew, with a hole from the crucifixion. The monastery is also the home of the Church-Byzantine Museum, founded in 1988. It is housed in the old church, the only building that survived the 1953 earthquake. The art treasures found there, dating back to between 1300 and 1900 AD. During the British occupation, at the beginning of the 19th century, there was a conflict between the nuns and the British,
who in 1832 temporarily stopped liturgies in the monastery and defaced its beautiful frescoes because the monastery, as a Greek Orthodox center, had a negative view of the British occupation. The monastery’s treasures and icons, as well as nun Romilia’s office, are now proudly displayed. Constant vigils are held in the monastery, and Holy Liturgy is performed every Sunday.

The Monastery of Saint Gerasimus, 15 km from Argostoli, is considered the religious center of Cephalonia. Saint Gerasimus is revered as the patron saint of the island. His remains are dressed in the saint’s funeral robes and kept in a glass vault. Saint Gerasimus was born in 1506 to the wealthy aristocratic family of Notaras. He became a monk on Mount Athos, later spending 12 years of his life in Jerusalem. He came to Cephalonia in 1555. For the first five years, he lived in a cave near Lassi but later moved to the vicinity of Valsamata, where he founded the Saint Gerasimos monastery. He cared for the poor and served as a sort of charitable institution. Cephalonians believe that he protects them and can heal them from diseases, and many islanders name their children after him. After he died, his body was twice buried and exhumed intact, which led the church to declare him a saint.
Cephalonians around the world still pray to him and worship him. On the day of the feast of Saint Gerasimos, his body is passed over to the sick and injured because it is believed that he can heal them. His body is exhibited several times a year in the monastery church during the liturgy. The protector of the island is celebrated on 16 August, when we recommend that you attend the liturgy and the traditional celebration of panigiri.

Robola is a local grape variety used to produce most of the island’s quality white wines. Robola had been mentioned in historical texts as early as the 12th century and was most likely brought to the island by the Venetians. The largest plantations are
located in areas between 500 and 800 meters above sea level, in the area of the Omala Valley near the Monastery of St. Gerasimus. There is a winery, Robola Wine Cooperative, where you can taste all the wines they produce, any day of the week.
Robola is of protected geographical origin. Other autochthonous species are Vostilids and Mavrodaphni. You can visit the wineries on your own or as part of an organized tour. We recommend Sarris Winery as well as Gentilini Winery. The Kefalonia Wine Tour brings innovation to alternative tourism, offering group and private tours. As you’re tasting Robola and other wines of protected geographical origin, winegrowers, and sommeliers will introduce you to different grape varieties and explain how wine is produced. We organize wine and local cheese tastings for guests in our apartments.

In addition to tourism, the local population is also engaged in agriculture. Thanks to fertile soil and the Mediterranean sun, Cephalonia is a producer of extremely high-quality olive oil, feta cheese, wines, and premium-quality honey. Thanks to the sea, the
island is the largest producer and exporter of fish from Greece. Cephalonia has its own varieties of garlic, peas, lentils, and strawberries. The main diet of the islanders is based on asparagus, small “moropoula” zucchini, green beans, Swiss chard, and
various types of leafy green vegetables. Most produced spices are rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Don’t miss the opportunity to search the market for wild oregano, an indispensable ingredient in Greek salad in this region. Approximately 1,200 families
breed sheep and goats, which produce up to 45 tons of milk per day. This milk is used to produce feta cheese, mizithra, manouri (soft and semi-soft fresh cheeses), kefalotiri, graviera (hard cheeses) and prentza (a mixture of cheeses with thyme and
oil). However, the “king” of cheeses is undoubtedly feta, produced annually in the amount of about 4,000 tons. Four liters of milk are needed for each kilogram of this cheese. Be sure to look for these cheeses in one of the local shops, and try them
with wonderful local wines. For more information, go to: https://kefaloniancheese.gr.

The Assos Castle is located on the northwest coast of the island, near Myrtos Beach which adorns the peninsula of the same name. The fortress in Assos is larger than the castle of Saint George near Argostoli and is one of the biggest in Greece. In 1584, the nobles of Kefalonia submitted a petition to the Venetian Senate to build a new fortress, because the castle of St. George was unable to defend the entire island against Turkish threats and pirate attacks.

Construction began in 1593 and proceeded under the supervision of Ambrosius Cornelius. Two thousand meters of walls follow the contours of the terrain, forming an irregular rectangle covering 44,000 m 2. With its five walls, the castle made the peninsula impregnable. Parts of the walls and the arched entrance gate are preserved. Inside the ruins, visitors can see interesting buildings, such as the church of St. Mark, the house of the Venetian High Commissioner, and a chapel dedicated to the prophet Elijah, which houses a beautiful carved wooden iconostasis.
If you like to hike, we recommend that you spend a day in the village of Assos and that you walk the path to the castle either early in the morning or later in the afternoon, when the sun is not too strong. Bring a hat, water, and sun protection, as most of the route is not in the shade and it will take you about two hours to reach the top. Your reward will be an incredible view of the bay, the village of Assos, the harbor, and nearby isolated beaches!

In the village of Skala, next to the sea, a path leads to a small olive grove where the ruins of a Roman villa from 2 nd century AD were found in 1957. There is a sign that will direct you to the “Roman Villa”. Some of the amazing mosaic floors are preserved and are still in good condition. In the first room, the mosaic depicts Phthonos (Envy), a young man being attacked by beasts, while mosaics in the second room show three animals ready for sacrifice (a boar, a bull, and a ram). The floors are framed with geometric decorative shapes. The villa was most likely destroyed by fire in the 4th century AD. Near Skala, on the road to Poros, there are
the remains of a Doric temple dating from the Archaic period at the end of the 6th century – the beginning of the 5th century BC, the only one on Cephalonia. It belonged to the ancient city-state of Pronoi.

Apart from the museum in Argostoli, we recommend that you also visit the Nautical Museum in Sami, the oldest port on Cephalonia, mentioned in Homer’s “Odyssey”. Wanting to preserve the maritime tradition and the memories of the countless
Kefalonians who lost their lives in the deep sea waters, Sotiris Marketos created a museum. Born and raised in Sami, the son of a sailor, he was fascinated by ships from an early age. He devoted his life and incredible talent to building ships that are now on display in the museum. In the museum, you can see all kinds of vessels of traditional Greek shipbuilding, as well as many other items. The exhibits are made of different types of wood 1.20 to 4 meters long, in accordance with shipbuilding specifications and paying attention to the smallest details of each individual type. The exhibition takes visitors on a 3,500-year-long journey with twenty-four wooden vessels. For more information, go to: https://www.nmsamis.gr/.

Be sure to visit the Sami Archaeological Collection. The exhibition is set up in five rooms, displaying objects from the Early Bronze to the Early Byzantine period. The element of Water and its role in the history of the city is presented in a special way, and the objects show different activities from the lives of people from the area. A special room is dedicated to beautiful Roman mosaics. These were found during various excavations in Sami and come from private and public spaces. They show the techniques and motifs that characterize mosaic art of the Roman and late Roman Sami and depict life in the age of ancient Rome.

The Drogarati Cave is located 3 km from Sami, 120 m below sea level, and at a depth of 95 m. It has a regular temperature of 18º C. In this cave, nature has created a work of art, with thousands of years old stalagmites and stalactites standing all around, like sculptures.

One of the most visited geological sites is definitely the Melisani lake/cave. It is located in the village of Karavomylos, 2 km from the town of Sami, and was discovered in 1951. The natural opening of the cave is vertical and was created when a part of the wall dried out. Another entrance, this one man-made, leads up the stairs and an underground corridor to the interior of the cave, where small boats await visitors to take them on a tour. The sight of salty-sweet water that changes colors as rays of the sun pass through the opening is breathtaking and takes you to another, mythical world. According to legend, the cave was named after one of the
nymphs who drowned here because of her unrequited love for the god of the forest, Pan. The water in the cave comes from the other side of the island. It sinks near Kathavotres, in the vicinity of Argostoli, and, collecting rainwater and underground
water, springs up forming a lake. The lake is located 20 m below ground level, while the depth of the water itself varies from 10 to 30m. The cave is divided into two chambers: one is illuminated by light, while the other is dark and full of stalagmites. In 1962, objects such as lamps, plates, and figurines dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries BC were found during excavation. They depict motifs of the god Pan and nymphs, which is why the cave is often called the Cave of the Nymphs.