Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia

Ithaka outside the Greek west coast is known to attract the rich and famous. I once read Madonna and Guy Ritchie, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have spent their vacations here, but we didn’t spot anyone of them during our stay on this pretty Ionian island. But we did visit the world’s largest natural harbour in Vathy, hoping to catch a glimpse of the owner to some of the luxurious yachts anchored along the waterside.

Even though the capital Vathy has a few bars and nightclubs it is thanks to the nature and culture, people visit Ithaka. Because of the island’s small size and rather poor accessibility - ferry and fast boats depart from Kefalonia, Lefkas and Meganisi though - you will not find any crowds of tourists here as on the neighboring island Lefkas. As a result, many celebrities see the Ithaka as a perfect hideaway.

Stroll around the village center, past whitewashed houses, taverns, cafés and shops where local artists sell their work. Spend the afternoon at Vathy’s own beach or join a boat tour to discover the more secluded beaches on the island. Don’t forget a diving-mask. The water around Ithaka is perfect for snorkeling. Lunch at one of the taverns serving traditional Greek food and try Rovani, the island’s special sweet rice, for dessert.

A 45-minutes boat ride took us to the neighboring island Kefalonia, known from the movie “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” starring Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz. In hope to attract more tourists a few restaurants on the island have names as Captain Corelli’s Bar or Captain Corelli’s Restaurant. But skip those and head for Kiani Akti, in Kefalonia’s main city Argostoli instead. The tasty meze dishes are satisfying, but most guests probably opt for Kiani Akti because of its terrific location on the pier.

Wherever you choose to lunch, don’t miss the island’s own produced wine Rompola or the flavoursome honey-and ewe’s milk cheese.

We spent most of the time in the village Fiscardo - visited by Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Bruce Springsteen and the Italian fashion family Prada - on the northern tip of Kefalonia, and on the attractive Myrthos Beach five minutes from the village Agia Efimia. Check out the small cave at the end of the beach. And don’t hurry. There is a reason why Myrthos is the most photographed and visited beach on Kefalonia.

Our base for the trips to Ithaka and Kefalonia was Nidra on Lefkas, a tourist resort on the island’s east coast, easy accessible from Preveza Airport thanks to the bridge from the mainland. Apart from Ithaka and Kefalonia, we enjoyed the excursion to Skorpios, a private island owned by the shipmaster Ari Onassis.

Island Hopping Tips

For information on ferry schedules in the Greek archipelago, visit Greek Travel Pages, Greek Islands and Ferries.gr. Island-hopping is a terrific introduction to Greece. Despite the increasing tourism you can find empty beaches and quiet surroundings - for example at Paxos - and people in search of the opposite have lots of islands with busy nightlife to choose between. A good idea is to focus on one island group and have your base on any of these islands or, if appropriate, on the mainland. You can either book your island-hopping holiday with a set itinerary through a travel agent, use the regular ferry services as the locals, or take small boats with only a handful of passengers. If you are a skilled sailor and prefer ultimate freedom, why not rent your own boat?

We focused on the Ionian Islands and because of their proximity to the coast, we opted for a hotel in Parga (the first week) and on Lefkas (the second week). By living on the mainland we could hop back and forth between the nearby islands and didn’t need to worry about accommodation. Boat connections are best during high season, July and August, but at the same time hotels and B&Bs charge less before and after the busiest months.

I recently read a magazine that had made a list of the ten calmest islands on Greece. Paxos, one of the Ionian Islands, came on the first place. I wasn’t surprised. The island has around 2,300 inhabitants and is well known for its slow pace and peaceful atmosphere. Coming here is a pleasant change from the hectic tourist spots on other Greek islands. We travelled to Paxos by boat from Parga on the mainland, but boats also depart from Korfu 14 kilometers away.

When you approach Gaios, one of the three main villages, remember to keep your camera at hand as the boat enters the inlet and passes the islands of St Nicholas and Panayia. If I knew about the view I wouldn’t have left my camera in our hotel room in Parga. In Gaios town, follow the narrow alleys and explore the local shops before stopping for a meal at one of the cozy taverns or coffee bars. And don’t act surprised if you find yourself sitting next to some Hollywood star. Since the British actor Peter Bull moved to Paxos in the 60s, the island has attracted many British and American celebrities.

If you appreciate serene islands you will also love Antipaxos, 15 minutes by boat from Paxos. During the summer, boats depart frequently from Gaios, Lakka and Loggos. Board the earliest morning ferry from Gaios to make the most of the magnificent beaches Voutoumi and Vrika. 

We returned to Parga in the evening, but if we hadn’t already a booked hotel room we would definitely have stayed on Paxos. It’s not an island you want to leave in the first place.

Narrow walks like this are a common sight in Parga, an idyllic town in north-western Greece. We were there a couple of years ago and lived in hotel Della not too far from the beaches Valtos Beach, Krioneri and Piso Krioneri.

In the morning, we sat in Della’s own private garden and ate breakfast surrounded by olive groves and bird twitter. The almost bitter flavour of the Greek yoghurt, the sweet honey on a slice of white bread, the boiled egg and the cold orange jucie made me smile satisfied after each meal during our seven days stay.

Della doesn’t have a pool, but the nearest beach is only 800m away. To reach the road leading to the beach, you must follow a short curved trail among the olive trees. Even though Della - unlike other hotels in Parga - doesn’t have pool or a restaurant I can’t think of any reason to not choose this hotel. Many restaurants in the area offer tasty traditional Greek food and the sea is only a 15 minutes walk from the hotel.

One day, we went by boat to the neighbouring Antipaxos. We swam and snorkelled in the clear blue water, savoured appetising Greek salads and relaxed on the beach.

The day trip to Antipaxos was the best time of the week. Fancy a swim?