Greece - Korina Miller [570]
Helpful Asteria Holidays ( 26450 51107), at Porto Spilia, is in the know for all things relating to the island.
Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Meganisi ( 26450 51240; Katomeri; d incl breakfast €100; ) Bright rooms with sea and country views from their balconies are enhanced by this pleasant hotel’s generous-sized pool and terrace. It also has a good restaurant. Follow signs once you get to Katomeri.
Decent dining options include Taverna Porto Vathy ( 26450 51125; Vathy; mains €7-14), the undisputed favourite fish taverna (fish by the kilo) cast out on a small quay in Vathy; Tropicana ( 26450 51486; Spartohori), which serves excellent pizzas in Spartohori; or Laki’s ( 26450 51228; Spartohori; mains €5.50-9.50), a classic taverna, also in Spartohori.
Getting There & Away
The Meganisi ferry boat runs about six times daily between Nydri and Meganisi (per person/car €2/13, 25 to 40 minutes). It calls at Porto Spilia before Vathy (the first ferry of the day stops at Vathy, then Porto Spilia).
A local bus runs five to seven times per day between Spartohori and Vathy (via Katomeri) but it’s worth bringing your own transport on the car ferry.
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KEFALLONIA ΚΕΦΑΛΛΟΝΙΑ
pop 39,500
Kefallonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands and is big hearted with it. It boasts rugged mountain ranges, rich vineyards, soaring coastal cliffs, golden beaches, caves and grottoes, monasteries and antiquities. The 1953 earthquake devastated many of the island’s settlements and much of the island’s architecture is relatively modern in style. Enough untouched traditional villages and individual buildings survive, however, to make exploration worthwhile. Kefallonia also has a reputation for fine cuisine and great wines.
The capital is Argostoli and the main port is Sami. Other high points include the picturesque village of Fiskardo in the north of the island.
Getting There & Away
AIR
There are daily flights between Kefallonia and Athens and connections to Zakynthos and Corfu. For details Island Hopping. Olympic Air ( 26710 41511) is based at the airport.
From May to September, many charter flights come from northern Europe and the UK to Kefallonia.
BOAT
Domestic
There are frequent ferry services to Kyllini in the Peloponnese from Poros and Argostoli. One ferry links Sami with Astakos via Piso Aetos on Ithaki. In August there are direct ferries from Sami to Astakos on alternate days.
Strintzis Lines (www.ferries.gr/strintzis) has two ferries daily connecting Sami with Patra and Vathy or Piso Aetos.
There are ferries between Fiskardo and Frikes on Ithaki and between Fiskardo and Vasiliki on Lefkada. Information and tickets for these routes can be obtained from Nautilus Travel ( 26740 41440; Fiskardo), on the Fiskardo waterfront.
From the remote port of Pesada in the south there are two daily high-season services to Agios Nikolaos on the northern tip of Zakynthos (an alternative is to sail from Argostoli to Kyllini in the Peloponnese, and from there to Zakynthos Town). Getting to and from Pesada and Agios Nikolaos without your own transport can be difficult (and costly if you rely on taxis). To get to the ferry point in Pesada from Argostoli, you can catch one of two daily buses (in high season only and except Sundays). On Zakynthos, there are two buses per week to and from Agios Nikolaos to Zakynthos Town (via villages).
One ferry a day runs between Argostoli and Kyllini (three hours, €14) and up to five run between Poros and Kyllini (1½ hours, €9.90). One ferry a day runs between Fiskardo and Frikes (55 minutes, €3.80) and between Fiskardo and Vasiliki (one hour, €6.90). Sami has two daily connections with Vathy (45 minutes, €5.60), Patra (2¾ hours, €16.90) and Piso Aetos (30 minutes, €2.80) and one daily with Astakos (three hours, €10). In summer there are two ferries a day between Pesada and Agios Nikolaos (1½ hours, €7).
For more information, Island Hopping.