Kefalonia: 'I finally visited the island I fell in love with in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - and wasn't disappointed'
The novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin put the Greek island of Kefalonia on the tourist map. Twenty years later, Catherine Scott finally paid a visit and was not disappointed.
Ever since reading Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and then seeing the Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz film, I had wanted to go to the Ionian island of Kefalonia.
It only took two decades for me to fulfill that dream but it was worth the wait.
Kefalonia, or Cephalonia as it is also known, is the sixth largest island in Greece and is the biggest of the Ionian islands.
What struck me first about the island was how green it was with lush hillsides dropping down straight into the crystal clear blue/green water.
And then there are the beaches – on the east most are pebbly and on the west sandy, so take your pick.
We spent a week on the east coast at the fishing village of Agia Efimia and then two days on the west close to the capital Argostoli at the beach resort of Lassi.
Agia Efimia is a stunning fishing village, only a 15-minute drive away from the town of Sami and the lively beach resort of Antisamos (made famous in Captain Correlli’s Mandolin)
With a small port facing Ithaca, the village has plenty of fishermen’s boats, as well as rental boats/flotilla sailing experiences, ideal for trips around the island.
It feels like a step back in time blending traditional Greece with its slow pace of life, and the more contemporary with luxury yachts calling in on their way to cosmopolitan Fiskardo.
The bay is full of lovely restaurants and cafes where you can sit and watch the world and boats go by sipping on a cold beer and tucking into a all manner of local specialities from the street food inspired gyros to freshly caught seafood.
We are staying in a lovely apartment (if up a very steep hill) over looking the bay with a massive balcony to enjoy the sunsets before wandering back down the hill to select from the large choice of restaurants.
There is a lovely buzz about Agia Efimia, and the bars stay open late but if it is night life you are wanting it might not be the place for you.
It is also a perfect spot to explore the rest of the island.
For the first couple of days we got around using Greeka Travel taxi service – they will also organise sightseeing tours and their advice was invaluable.
We visited the picturesque village of Assos stopping off at the famous Myrtos beach viewpoint on the way. Assos is on a peninsular overlooked by a castle with a small beach with sunloungers and umbrellas.
The following day we decided to hire a small boat and visit some of the many beaches that can only be accessed from the sea.
It is a perfect way to see Kefalonia and neighbouring Ithica from the water and you can stop off and swim in the secluded bays.
However, if you really want to access everything historic Kefalonia has to offer then my advice would be to hire a car (www.kcgtravel.gr)
Although there are some small beaches within walking distance of Agia Efimia they have no facilities and with the blazing summer temperature reaching 40 degrees at time you really need some shade.
No stay to Kefalonia would be complete without a visit to the Cave of Melissani – situated just outside of Sami and one of the most significant places for tourists to visit in Greece.
We were lucky enough to have Spyros Galiatsatos, former chairman of the Ionian Tourist Board, as our guide for the day – there aren’t many people he doesn’t know on Kefalonia and he is a font of knowledge about the islands, their history and economy.
His first piece of advice was to visit the caves early before the cruise ships disembark and coach loads of tourists descend and form lengthy queues. You descend below ground and then board a rowing boat.
The cave is B-shaped, with two chambers or halls separated by an island in the centre. The first chamber is sunlit while the second is dark and has many stalactites covered with algae and moss. Even though big in size, they are dwarfed by the huge dome.
The roof of one of the halls caved in centuries ago, letting sunlight filter through. The depth of the lake is 20 to 30 metres.
When the sun is right overhead at noon, the sunlight hitting the turquoise-blue waters creates a magical illusion and the whole Cave of Melissani suddenly feels lit with blue light.
We then visited the Drogarati Cave just a few miles along the road.
The cave was discovered 300 years ago and opened to the public in 1963. It was discovered when a strong earthquake caused a collapse that revealed the cave’s entrance.
Drogarati is impressive with remarkable formations of stalactites and stalagmites and Spyros told us they sometimes hold concerts in the base of the cave due to the amazing acoustics.
Other suggestions from Spyros which we would have loved to do if we’d had more time included a visit to Karavomilos Lake, an artificial lake but now a natural habitat for many species of fauna and flora; wine tasting at Haritatos Winery or Gentilini or Sariss Wineries near Argostoli, and weather permitting a hike in Mount Ainos National Park.
We did get chance to spend two days on the west of the island staying at the Lassi Hotel (https://www.jet2holidays.com/greece/kefalonia/lassi/lassi-hotel) – owned by Spyros’s family and now run by his son.
Set in a perfect location on the edge of busy Lassi and close to the airport, it is a spotless hotel with its own pool, vast sea views and walking distance to a pebble beach which was the perfect place for a sundowner. It was also an easy walk into Lassi centre with all the bars and restaurants.
You can also walk to Argostoli and see the famous friendly turtles. I wish we'd had longer to explore Kefalonia and its neighbours further but, as I told Spyros, we would back.