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Kefalonia is one of the most peaceful Greek islands we’ve visited.
Despite being one of Greece’s largest islands (it’s the sixth largest!), it seemed like a world away from Greece’s more popular islands, like Mykonos and Santorini, with a very relaxed feel.
As you travel around the island, you might notice some ruined buildings.
That’s because Kefalonia was devastated by a 7.2 Richter earthquake in 1953.
Remains of houses and villages dotted around the island add to its character and are touching reminders of Kefalonia’s history.
There are even more things to do in Kefalonia than are on this list; however, we’ve reserved them for the post accompanying this one—the eight best things to do in Argostoli.
Things to Do in Kefalonia
Before we get into our list of things to do in Kefalonia, we’d like to talk about travelling around when you are there.
We recommend hiring a car to get around the island.
Some things to do in Kefalonia are pretty remote, so you’ll need some wheels to get there.
Despite the island offering many coach trips to some of these places, we prefer to dictate our own time at these locations instead of being bound by the coach’s schedule.
Driving around Kefalonia is more than just a way to get from A to B.
It’s a pleasure.
Many of the roads are long and winding, and when you get up the hills, you will be rewarded with some impressive views.
We had a car for five days, which offered plenty of time to see all the places we wanted to without rushing.
1 | Find the Turtles
Kefalonia is famous for its turtles.
They are the Caretta caretta turtles, also known as the Loggerhead turtles.
These magical reptiles can be easily found in Argostoli.
For more information, please read our guide to the best things to do in Argostoli, but the harbour is the best place to see them.
The loggerhead turtles are considered an endangered species, and conservation programmes are in place on the island to help them survive.
You can find them elsewhere on the island, but Argostoli is the best place.
2 | Visit Argostoli
Next up is to visit Argostoli, which is the capital of Kefalonia.
It’s a wonderful town and where we stayed during our visit to the island.
There’s plenty on offer in Argostoli besides seeing the turtles.
You can walk over one of Europe’s longest stone bridges, soak up the welcoming evening atmosphere, hit the beach, or even walk to one of the island’s most iconic landmarks – Saint Theodore Lighthouse.
We’ve put a post together about the best things to do in Argostoli to help plan your visit.
3 | Head up Mount Ainos
Kefalonia is a pretty hilly island, and its highest peak is Mount Ainos.
The peak sits 1,628 metres (5,341 ft) above sea level and offers some of the island’s best views.
The hill has its own national park – the Mount Ainos National Park.
From the national park entrance, it takes around 10 minutes to drive to the car park at the top.
You’ll know you are there because of the buildings and masts.
The car park is close to the summit, and despite what social media tells you, the path is well-beaten and easy to walk.
Mount Ainos is a popular spot for the early birds to catch sunrise.
For the rest of us, it’s a great place to watch the sun go down.
4 | Visit the Castle of St George
The Castle of St. George is a former Venetian fortress about a 15-minute drive from Argostoli.
The ruined castle sits atop a hill near a cute little village called Peratata (where you will find a few cafes and gift shops).
The castle was designed to protect the island from pirate raids and invasions during the Middle Ages.
There isn’t much left these days, but it’s cheap to enter, offers incredible views, and is worth a wander around.
Watch out for the goats – we spotted a billy goat hanging out down one of the stairwells.
I think we spooked him when he saw us.
The next thing we know, he’s charging up the stairs at us.
We’ve never moved so fast to get out of the way.
In hindsight, he was probably more terrified of us than we were of him, but in the heat of the moment, we weren’t sticking around to find out!
💷 Paid
5 | Swim Like a Local
Kefalonia has tons of beaches.
More than we have ever known on any other islands we have visited.
You’ll find tiny bays with lovely, sheltered, peaceful beaches and more popular places like Myrtos Beach.
Myrtos Beach is Kefalonia’s most famous beach, but it’s overrated.
The prevailing winds on Kefalonia come from the north-northeast, which means the calmest beaches are to be found on the south and southeast, which are more sheltered from the winds.
Head down to Skala and Poros for some large yet peaceful beaches.
Avoid Costa Beach in Lassi – it gets very, very busy.
You’ll also find some lovely beaches around northern Argostoli, where the locals set up camp under the pine trees for their afternoon dips.
6 | Visit Assos
Assos is a picturesque village on the northwest coast of Kefalonia.
It’s one of the most famous villages on the island, if not the most famous.
And, in our opinion, it’s the prettiest village on the island.
A narrow strip of land connects the mainland to a small peninsula, where you’ll find a car park and a beach.
If you feel energetic, you can head onto the peninsula to find the ruins of the 16th-century Venetian Castle of Assos, which overlooks Assos.
Assos has a beach, a lovely harbour, tavernas, and cafes.
For the best views, walk up the hill on the north side of the village.
If you are driving, be aware that the car park towards the peninsula can get busy.
We recommend parking further away, walking in, and seeing the rest of the village. There’s a car park on the village’s east side, which might be a better option than driving through Assos.
Assos has a unique look when compared to a lot of the other villages around the island.
It was rebuilt after the earthquake with help from the French because it was a popular destination for French tourists.
Despite Assos’s Instagrammable features, there are plenty of remnants of the damage caused by the earthquake.
The ruined buildings don’t detract from Assos but add to its character.
7 | Visit Fiskardo
Kefalonia’s prettiest village goes to Assos, but our favourite village goes to Fiskardo.
Fiskardo is a charming harbour village located on the island’s northern tip.
The village is centred around its picturesque harbour, where fishing boats and yachts are moored.
The boats, coupled with the endless tavernas around the water’s edge, create a lively yet relaxed atmosphere.
By all accounts, Fiskardo was one of the few places in Kefalonia that wasn’t destroyed by the earthquake.
An obvious indication is that some Venetian architecture, such as the lighthouse and the Roman cemetery, remains intact.
While you are in Fiskardo, head to the harbour’s northern side and walk towards the Venetian lighthouse.
There is a short and pleasurable walk through the pine trees to the lighthouse.
Aside from the things already mentioned, you’ll find boutique shops, bakeries, and even a tiny beach, should you fancy a dip in the crystal clear waters.
8 | Find the Goat Bell Man of Kefalonia
Kefalonia is known for its goats.
You’ll find them all over the place.
It’s suggested that around 10,000 of them freely roam the island.
You will hear the noise from their bells meander up the hillside and hear them before you see them.
We drove past this place loads of times and decided to drive back to check it out.
We’d not seen anyone in—could it just have been an old chap with a goat bell obsession?
It turns out not!
He makes all the bells you see by hand in his workshop, which also doubles up as a garage.
You can buy them, too.
They range from around 20 Euros up to several thousand Euros.
9 | Drogarati Caves
The Drogarati Caves opened to the public in 1963 and have grown to be one of the most popular things to do in Kefalonia.
The caves were discovered around 300 years ago when an earthquake caused part of the rocks to collapse, creating an entrance to the cavern.
When you enter the massive cavity, you will see it’s full of stalactites (the ones that hang down from the ceiling) and stalagmites (the ones that grow up from the floor) that have grown over thousands of years.
These natural sculptures are pretty remarkable and continue (rather slowly!) to evolve as water drips through the limestone and deposits calcium carbonate.
You’ll find the Drogarati Caves offer a nice respite from the summer heat, too, because they are a constant 18 degrees Celsius.
📍 Drogarati Caves, Sami 280 80, Greece
💷 Paid entry
10 | Melissani Cave Lake
Visiting the Melissani Cave Lake might well be the single most popular thing to do in Kefalonia.
The queue would back up this claim.
Everything we read and viewed pointed us towards visiting between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is above the cave, so the water is at its bluest.
We’re not convinced this is the best advice.
We ended up queuing for around an hour and fifteen minutes.
You won’t be in there for more than 15 minutes, and honestly, the queue isn’t worth it.
It’s not that it’s not impressive—the caves are spectacular, and the waters are beautiful—but it’s simply not worth queuing for so long.
After the cave, we went to the next place on our list of things to do in Kefalonia and then returned to the cave to check the queue.
There wasn’t one.
Take the hit and go outside the times social media tells you to – you will thank us.
📍 Melissani Cave Lake, Karavomilos 280 80, Greece
💷 Paid entry
11 | See the Ruins of Old Vlachata
You will notice remnants of the 1953 earthquake all over the island, and one of the most interesting ruins we visited was those of Old Vlachata.
It’s close to the Melissani Caves and easy to access, so we recommend it over the other ruined villages.
Old Vlachata dates back to before the 17th century.
At its peak, the village had around 800 inhabitants whose trades included farming, sailing, and fishing.
There were three churches, several schools and even an olive press.
The village was abandoned when it was largely destroyed in the earthquake.
📍 Old Vlachata, Sami 280 80, Greece
💷 Free
12 | Find the Wine Roads of Kefalonia
You will see signs around the island for the Wine Roads of Kefalonia.
You might think there are roads with lots of wineries on them, but this isn’t the case.
Plenty of wineries are dotted around the island, but there aren’t roads full of them, so we think the signs are slightly misleading.
However, if you are a fan of wine, it’s worth making time to visit some of the wineries around the island.
Thanks to its fertile soil, favourable climate, and indigenous grape varieties, Kefalonia is home to some small but great wineries.
We visited the Haritatos Estate in the east of the island.
The winemakers often produce wines in small quantities, focusing on quality over quantity.
As we found out, it’s not always possible to turn up and expect to be able to taste some wine, so it’s best to book ahead if you want to do some winetasting.
13 | View Myrtos Beach
Myrtos Beach is the famous famous beach in Kefalonia.
However, it’s not the best.
Because of its position on the island, the waters can be choppier than other beaches, such as those in the south.
It’s also quite uncomfortable because of the large pebbles.
If you do visit, we recommend water shoes to help with the discomfort of the pebbles.
Anyway, enough moaning about the beach.
It’s beautiful to look at, and the best place to see it is from the viewpoint to the north.
You’ll get great views of the gorgeous turquoise waters and white pebble beach.
💷 Free
14 | Visit the Sacred Monastery of Agios Gerasimos of Kefalonia
The Sacred Monastery of Agios Gerasimos of Kefalonia is a church dedicated to Kefalonia’s patron saint – Saint Gerasimos.
The newer church is quite an imposing building in the Omala Valley, offering an impressive view if you come over the hill from the Castle of St George.
It is quiet and peaceful on the grounds, and inside the new church, you’ll notice its brightly decorated interior.
📍 Μόνη Αγίου Γερασίμου 281 00, Greece
💷 Free
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