CEPHALONIA | GREEK ISLANDS | IONIAN
WHAT TO SEE & DO IN CEPHALONIA
The largest of the Ionian islands, it has 30,000 inhabitants and the highest mountain (Ainos 1,628 m), which boasts a unique, dense black fir-forest which has been designated a National Park. From its summit, the view is spectacular, while, the Agios Gerassimos monastery is situated in the Omalon valley below.
The island has traditional settlements and a luxuriant green landscape, with forests of pine, firs and plane trees. The inhabitants are well-known for their wit and idiosyncracies.
One of Cephalonia’s main attractions is the traditional village of Fiskardo, in a picturesque cove which in summer becomes a cosmopolitan hot-spot, full of yachts. Also worth visiting is Assos, a small settlement saddling a small peninsula, with a ruined Venetian castle on a peak. The setting is breathtaking, so have your cameras ready.
Another impressive sight is the Drogarati cave with its numerous stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the remarkable Melissani cave, more than 3 km in length. In the section where the vault has collapsed, a kaleidoscope of colours is created during the early afternoon hours, when the sun is reflected in the waters of its underground lake.
Of Cephalonia’s beaches, Myrtos is exceptional, with its white sand and the view of it from the cliffside village of Ano Mera is superb.
