Greece - Korina Miller [573]
Hotel Ionian Plaza ( 26710 25581; www.ionianplaza.gr; Plateia Valianou; s/d/tr €96/125/169; ) Argostoli’s smartest hotel has a marble-decorated lobby, stylish public areas and well-appointed rooms with balconies.
Eating
There are numerous cafes around the edges of Plateia Valianou and along Lithostrotou.
Ladokolla ( 26710 25522; Xarokopou 13; dishes €1.90-7; 1pm-1am) Forget table-top conventions, this is the ‘Table Top’ in every sense, where piping hot chicken, pork, lamb, kebabs, pittas and souvlaki are delivered without plates and onto very clean disposable covers. They’ll bring a plate for anything saucy, but this is cracking down-to-earth noshing, hugely popular locally and with lively service.
Grill House (gyros €2.20) Cheap and cheerful fast food among the pricier cafes on Plateia Valianou, next to Hotel Aeon.
Patsuras ( 26710 22779; Antoni Tristi 32; mains €5.50-12) A local favourite on the waterfront road, with a great range of authentic Greek dishes and plentiful helpings.
Captain’s Table waterfront ( 26710 27170; 1 Metaxa; mains €5.50-24.90) plateia (3 Risospaston) The seafront arm of this popular eatery offers reasonable traditional dishes. The more upmarket arm is just along from the central square.
Arhontiko ( 26710 27213; 5 Risospaston; mains €6.50-8.80; lunch & dinner) Top Kefallonian cuisine is on offer here, with starters such as a soufflé of spinach, cheese and cream, or shrimps and saganaki (fried cheese). For mains try exohiko, pork stuffed with tomatoes, onions, peppers and feta cheese. Even the house wine matches a good bottled vintage.
You can pick up a range of self-catering supplies from the waterfront produce market and from bakeries and supermarkets nearby.
Drinking
The Plateia Valianou area has several breezy music bars and cafes that fairly bounce by late evening. Popular venues are Le Sapin Noir, Bus Club and Stavento.
Return to beginning of chapter
SAMI & SURROUNDS ΣΑΜΗ
pop 2200
Sami, 25km northeast of Argostoli and the main port of Kefallonia, was also flattened by the 1953 earthquake. Its exposed long strip is made up of tourist-oriented cafes, but beyond this it’s an attractive place, nestled in a bay and flanked by steep hills. There are several monasteries, ancient castle ruins, caves, walks and nearby beaches that reflect the region’s rich history. All facilities, including a post office and banks, are in town. Buses for Argostoli usually meet ferries, and car hire is available through Karavomilos ( 26740 23769). Sami’s tourist office ( 9am-7pm May-Sep) is at the northern end of town. An informative website is www.sami.gr.
Sights & Activities
The Municipality of Sami has published a simple brochure called Walking Trail, which outlines enjoyable walks through the local area. The brochures are available from the tourist office.
Antisamos Beach, 4km northeast of Sami, is a long, stony beach in a lovely green setting backed by hills. The drive here is also a highlight, offering dramatic views from cliff edges.
The rather overrated Melissani Cave (admission incl boat trip adult/child €7/4; 8am-8pm May-Oct), a subterranean sea-water lake that turns a distinctive blue in sunlight, is only worth visiting when the sun is overhead between noon and 2pm. It’s 2.5km west of Sami. The Drogarati Cave ( 26740 22950; adult/child €5/3; 8am-8pm Jul-Aug) is a massive (natural) chamber with stalactites. Its fragile infrastructure seems to be suffering erosion from too much human pressure.
About 7km from Argostoli, on the road to Sami, a side road leads south into the heart of Robola grape country where a visit to the Cooperative of Robola Producers (Click here) is worthwhile. Near the winery is the Moni Agiou Gerasimou dedicated to Kefallonia’s patron saint. The monastery is cared for by nuns. There’s a pile of wraps outside the chapel and, out of respect, bare arms and shoulders, at least, should be covered before entering. Inside the chapel is a famous cave where Gerasimos escaped from the rigours of