Kefalonia

Xi beach is definitely one of the most famous beaches in Kefalonia. What makes Xi beach in Lixouri a unique place in Kefalonia island is the strange color of the sand that is completely red. It is a long drive from Argostoli, about 40 km, and 10 km from Lixouri. The particular name of Xi beach comes from the letter of the Greek alphabet, .as the shape of the beach looks exactly like the shape of this letter.

The beach is made of fine sand with an amazing clear sea that is never too deep, also several meters far from the coast. Xi bay is divided into two different parts; one more wild and relaxing, and the other one more organized for the tourists with deck chairs, umbrellas, traditional Greek restaurants and a water sports center for the most adventurous types. The shallow waters and the gentle waves create the ideal environment for the children. Around the area one will find many taverns and small shops. The beach is easily accessed by car or public buses from Lixouri and Argostoli.

Myrtos Kefalonia: Myrtos is without a doubt one of the most important poles of attraction in Kefalonia. It is located 30km north of Argostoli, in a beautiful area around huge verdant hills. Myrtos beach has gained worldwide reputation and has been constantly included in travel magazines among the most beautiful and picturesque beaches in the world. It has been awarded many times for its cleanness and the natural beauty.

The beach has a semi-circular shape surrounded by impressive white rocky cliffs with lush vegetation on top of them creating a spectacular setting. The lush green area, the abrupt terrain, the white pebbles and the crystal waters compose a stunning scenery. The beach is well-organized at the most part with umbrellas and sundecks while a small part remains completely unspoilt, ideal for total isolation.

The natural beauty of Myrtos is the trademark of Kefalonia and one of the most photographed places in Greece. It is affected by the strong winds. The western coast of Myrtos offers spectacular sunset views. visitors have direct access to a wide range of facilities and a nice sack bar offering cold drinks. Myrtos is easily accessed by all means of transport. While descending the beach, you will enjoy some amazing views from above.

In the northern part of Kefalonia lies a beautiful village, Assos, belonging to the municipality of Erisos. The village is built like an amphitheatre around the peninsula, surrounded by pine and cypress trees awaiting the visitor to discover it.
Prepare your camera because the scenery is absolutely unique. It is a traditional village which has retained the traditional Ionian architecture for the most part.

The astonishing attration of this village is its castle, which along with that of Agios Georgios is the most important of Kefalonia. It was built in the late 15th century to protect inhabitants from pirate raids. Great battles were fought here, in order to defend the islad of Kefalonia. In the early history the castle was used as a prison from the Greek government.

During the first exploration in 1951, an ancient lamp, which is now on display in the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli, was found there. The excavations of 1962 were made by S. Marinos and produced few but important relics of a former Minoan culture on Cephalonia. Oil lamps, plates and figures show the god Pan and several nymphs. This is, why the cave is sometimes called Cave of the Nymphs. The lake was named after one of the nymphs, the nymph Melissanthi.

Lake Melissani has an absolute invisible specialty, which sounds pretty strange. The lake water is brackish, a mixture of sea water and sweet water. The cave is about 500m from the sea, and the water level is a meter higher than sea level, and the brackish water rises from a 30m deep cave system on one side of the cave and flows silently to the other end of the cave, flowing through narrow crevices into the sea.Here the water from the Katavothres on the other side of the island reappears. This was discovered by dye tracing experiments in 1959.

The cavern, once two big chambers, caved in several thousand years ago. Today the cave has the shape of a B, with two big water filled halls and an island in the middle. The first hall has a big oval opening to the surface, where the sunlight shines in. When the sun is directly overhead, its rays strike the ultramarine water, lighting the cave with blue light. So the best time to visit the cave is on a sunny day at the middle of the day. Nevertheless, a visit at the morning or in the evening has its own atmosphere. The boats seem to hover on a lake of blue light.

Fiskardo is a village and a community on the Ionian island of Kefalonia,Greece. It is part of the municipal unit of Erisos. It is the northernmost port of Kefalonia, a short distance from Ithaca. Fiskardo has a small and diminishing fishing fleet. The coast around Fiskardo is mainly rocky with numerous pebble-beached coves. The port serves ferry routes to the ports of Frikes (Ithaca) and Lefkada. It is 5 km north of Vasilikades, 24 km north of Sami and 32 km north of Argostoli. The community of Fiskardo consists of the villages Fiskardo, Evreti, Katsarata, Matsoukata and Tselentata. Fiskardo is also the name of the two kilometre long bay in which the port is located. Fiskardo and the dense forest in the surrounding area have been declared areas of great natural beauty and are protected under Greek law. In recent years a small tourist industry has developed, centred on luxury villas in the area around the village. Unlike most of Cephalonia, Fiskardo escaped from destruction by the 1953 Ionian earthquake and it has kept its original architecture. In Fiscardo lived the poet and writer Nikos Kavvadias (1910-1975).