KEFALONIA

The largest of the Ionian Islands, Kefalonia has always been a popular destination, with its award-winning beaches, imposing mountains, enchanting caverns, beautiful villages and exceptional cuisine. It is the most mountainous of the Ionian Islands, blessed with truly impressive natural beauty and boasting a rich culture and history. The movie ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’, starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz, was filmed there, but the island had already long been popular as an exotic destination. According to archaeological findings, the island has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic period, and it is the prime contender for the actual homeland of the Homeric hero Odysseus, to whose kingdom it surely belonged.

The island’s colours are striking. The verdant Ainos mountains, a national park, run the length of the island. The striking azure of the Ionian Sea is dazzling. The combination of these two elements, together with impressive caves (Melissani being the most famous), picturesque villages and settlements with impressive architecture, such as the gorgeous settlement of Assos, which regularly makes it into international magazines, and the rugged mountainous landscapes looking out on the Ionian Sea make the island nothing short of a natural wonder. Kefalonia also boasts striking beaches. One of these, Myrtos, has received over 10 awards for having some of the clearest waters in Greece. The island’s main town is cosmopolitan Argostoli, with its pretty taverns and coffee shops. The island’s triad of prominent settlements is rounded out by traditional Lixouri and picturesque Fiskardo.

Gastronomy

The slopes of the Ainos mountain range, blanketed in pines, olive trees, and cypresses, yield exceptional local products, including the renowned fir honey (elati). In fact, Kefalonia boasts a plethora of unique products and recipes. The island’s main export is cheese. The cheesemaking industry, despite being dominated by small family-run businesses, thrives thanks to superior techniques and high-quality equipment. Most prominent among the island’s cheeses is feta (“barrel-aged Kefalonia cheese”), followed by myzithra, graviera, and kefalotyri. Wine is also produced on the island; Kefalonia is especially well known for its robola. This variety traces its history back to the Venetian period and has been cultivated on the island since the ^12th century, featuring prominently on lists of the best Greek white wine varieties.

Kefalonia’s most popular dish is meat pie, made with a crispy phyllo pastry and stuffed with various types of meat. It is practically ubiquitous, available just about everywhere on the island. Somewhat less well known, however, is just how popular the local pies are overall. In fact, they have featured prominently in the local cuisine throughout the island’s history. Artichoke pies, cheese pies, and the unique fish pies made with salted cod are just a few such examples. Much of the island’s cuisine is dedicated to dishes based on the locally raised livestock. The Ainos mountain range provides an ideal environment for flocks of sheep and goats, which feature prominently in many local recipes. Some of the local dishes worth sampling include veal prokado (cooked with garlic and cloves), vinegar-cured game and rooster in red sauce. Tsigaridia (wild greens fried with green onions and leeks) and skordalia (garlic dip) also feature prominently in the local cuisine. As for confections, mandola is a popular offering.

How to get there

Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands and is easily accessible by ferry from the ports of Patras and Astakos or by air.