I am back after an unplanned extended break with a travel post for you today. I spent two weeks experiencing summer in Kefalonia, and I am sharing my adventures with you. See the beautiful places on the Ionian island, including Svoronata, Argostoli and Fiskardo!

August 2019 was the last time I travelled abroad. Who would have known what was to come in 2020 which would change many lives and plans, including many travel plans? Alas, here we are in 2022 when we can now travel. My family and I were finally able to take our much-awaited trip, spending two weeks of summer in Kefalonia.

I thought I would share my travels with you in this post. Come explore Kefalonia and hopefully get some inspiration to visit this beautiful Island.

I’ve also included a travel vlog at the bottom of this post with a bit of a snapshot of what we got up to. So…let’s get travelling!

Summer in Kefalonia

Kefalonia is one of the seven Ionian Islands on the West of mainland Greece, including Corfu/Kerkyra and Zakynthos/Zante. Kefalonia is the biggest island of the Ionian and the sixth largest island in Greece. It is a beautiful island, full of lush greenery as well as picturesque beaches. Hello, clear turquoise water! Not only does it have wonderful beaches, but also beautiful towns. This is including the capital of Argostoli and the affluent town of Fiskardo. Just ask Madonna, and she will speak of the beauty of Kefalonia (she owns a villa on the island).

If you are a movie buff, then head to watch Captain Corelli’s Mandolin; as this was filmed around the island. The scenery is just beautiful!

Svoronata, Kefalonia

There are lots of places that you can stay on the island, with many resorts on offer. Previously I have stayed in the resort of Skala, however for this summer in Kefalonia; we stayed in the beautiful Svoronata.

Svoronata is in the southwest of the island, approximately 9km from the capital Argostoli. It is also quite near to the resort of Lassi, and also close to the airport. Even though it is within close proximity to the airport, it is relatively peaceful. Ideal for a quieter resort or holiday break.
There are several tavernas to choose from for your evening meals. However, if you are looking for vibrant nightlife with many bars then this would not be the place for you. So, definitely, a great place to relax and unwind.

Svoronata has a few beaches within close walking distance, and all are beautiful. If you have issues with mobility or walking long distances then, unfortunately, as with many Greek beaches, this can be a problem. Most around the area have steep-ish slopes or steps to access them. The beaches vary in texture, with some being more pebbles and others being sandy. All of the beaches in this post have been awarded a blue flag. They also have a lifeguard on duty too.

Avithos Beach  

Avithos beach was the first beach we visited and came across it on a ramble around the local area. This one is a bit of a further walk and takes you past a local winery on the way. Be careful when walking to this beach as there is a steep slope. There are also loose pebbles so your footing can be a bit precarious. Although we did not stay for long on this beach, it was absolutely beautiful.

The beach is sandy with crystal clear waters, and although narrow is quite long. There are sunbeds and umbrellas to hire too, as well as a beach bar. We only stayed for a frappe at the beach bar, and I wish we had visited a few more times. I guess a reason to return to Kefalonia? On the way, onto the beach, there are two tavernas as well.

Ai Helis Beach

Ai Helis beach is a bit of a closer walk to where we were staying. You can access the beach from two sides, one of which has steps down to the beach and the other a steep slope. Like the previous beach, it is a sandy beach with turquoise waters but is on a larger scale. There are sunbeds and umbrellas to hire, as well as a beach bar for drinks and snacks. On the slope to the beach, there is a taverna that specialises in seafood too.
If you enjoy a bit of sport, this beach has a volleyball court to show off your skills.

Ammes Beach

This was my favourite beach out of the ones we visited. Like the others, it is sandy with crystal turquoise water. There are plenty of sunbeds to choose from, with some being a bit more premium and comfortable. This is a walk downhill from Svoronata into the Ammes area. There is a snack bar for drinks and snacks on the beach. As well as this, there are a few tavernas and snack bars just before entering the beach. Just to note, there are toilet facilities in the form of portaloos on this beach.
This beach we found was the best for watching the planes land on Kefalonia, as it is directly under the landing path. I am no plane spotter, but it was enthralling to watch! Also, this beach is best in the afternoon as the waves become choppier and larger. Perfect for having fun in the sea.

Paliostafida Beach – Lassi

This beach is one of many along the coast in the close resort of Lassi. We visited this on a day out to Lassi and although isn’t the best beach in Lassi was still nice. Again, a sandy beach with some pebbles and beautiful clear water. On the day we visited there was a tonne of seaweed, which made swimming or even paddling in the sea a bit more difficult. Think of one of the bad guys in Scooby-Doo covered in seaweed and you won’t be far off the mark of what it was like. 😂

Summer in Kefalonia – Where We Stayed

As stated above we stayed in Svoronata for our two weeks in Kefalonia. Booking through Jet 2, we stayed in the lovely Barbara Studios.
These are family-run studios and apartments with a pool and pool bar. Located on the main street and close to the local bus stop, and minimarket. They are in a wonderful location to explore the local area, and beyond.
You can describe Barbara studios as basic, but they were clean and perfect for what we needed the rooms to be. The family who ran this were great and make you feel welcome. They even gave us a little gift when we were leaving which was a lovely touch. The food was delicious and freshly made, would highly recommend their Greek salad…delicious!

The studio I stayed in was fairly spacious with a double bed made up of two single beds. The amenities were great too, with a fridge and mini hob to cook on within the kitchen area, and a coffee machine too.
The only downside to the room was no balcony but a shared terrace with three other rooms. This wasn’t a massive problem, however, the rooms were fairly shaded due to their location. This means you have to place on the lights even during the day. Like I said, not a problem as most of the time we were out and about rather than staying in the room.

Summer in Kefalonia – Exploring Kefalonia

A good thing about spending two weeks of summer in Kefalonia is having the time to be able to relax and chill around the pool or on the beach; as well as explore the island. Now, I am a fairly confident driver, however, have never attempted to drive abroad. Given that the roads on Kefalonia can be narrow and windy, as well as driving on the other side of the road, we didn’t hire a car. Instead, we used the local bus to explore, as well as booking in a day trip.

Local Buses

Now, the local bus is brilliant to explore the neighbouring towns to Svoronata, costing €2 for a single journey. The bus stop was near to our apartments, known as the Ai Hellis stop, taking you to Lassi, Argostoli and the airport on a round trip. From Argostoli, there are further buses to other parts of the island. Just to note, some services are only twice a day. We used the local bus to visit Lassi for the day and visit the beach mentioned above.
We also took the bus to the capital of Argostoli for an afternoon–evening exploration. Unfortunately, the last bus from Argostoli to the Ai Helis stop was 9 p.m. so we were unable to stay later into the night. I believe a taxi costs approx. €20 from Argostoli back to the Barbara Studios.

Argostoli

We couldn’t visit Kefalonia without visiting the capital of Argostoli. Argostoli has a small port within the bay and is surrounded by mountains and forest areas. Unfortunately, the town was hit by a major earthquake in 1953 which destroyed the town, including the Venetian buildings. The town has since been rebuilt and has a cosmopolitan feel to it.

Along the waterside, there are a plethora of tavernas, all serving delicious food. We stopped at one called Momento; and were lucky enough to enjoy the meal at the water edge as the sun began to set. If you are lucky enough you may just see a few of the local turtles popping up to say hello. They are especially prevalent near the fishing boats moored up and we were able to spot one swimming amongst the fish.

Another place to visit on the waterside is the Drapano Bridge, also known as De Bosset Bridge which links the two sides of the bay together. With the bridge crossing the bay a lagoon has been created. Apparently, the loggerhead turtles favour this lagoon, so there is another chance to catch a view of the turtles here too!

Now Argostoli is a great place to shop, with many shops lining the main street. At the time we visited, most were closed for an afternoon break but began opening early evening. So, if you are wanting to shop, make sure you time it well.
As well as many shops, Argostoli also has several churches. All are very beautiful and Greece is well known for their beautiful churches, so if you get a chance do have a look inside. You will be amazed!

Fiskardo

During the holiday we went on one planned excursion to the beautiful town of Fiskardo. Now, Fiskardo is a haven for the rich and famous, with many a celeb visiting here. I didn’t spot any famous people during our time there, unfortunately.
Jet 2 offers a variety of day trips, and we chose this one as it includes a boat trip over to the neighbouring island of Ithaka. Here you can swim at Polis beach before carrying on the journey up to Fiskardo. Before stepping foot on the boat, there is a fairly long coach drive from Svoronata to the little harbour town of Agia Efimia. This harbour town looks quaint and ideally, we would have loved to have been able to spend a little time exploring here too.

Now Fiskardo itself is beautiful, with a waterside full of yachts and tavernas. There are also eateries and cafes tucked away on the back streets of the harbour. Heading slightly back from the harbour also means you can get a better deal on food, as they are slightly cheaper, but still serve delicious food.

If you are into history, there are also the ruins of a Roman cemetery, just away from the harbourside, up the hill. Carrying on from here will lead to the small beach, as well as some fancy villas and apartments.

Summer in Kefalonia – Round-Up

For the majority of the trip to Kefalonia, we either relaxed around the pool or on one of the many beaches. There are lots more places that we would have loved to visit, however, we did not want to be constantly exploring. If you are looking to have a trip to Kefalonia, then I would fully recommend the places we stayed and visited, as well as visiting Myrtos beach and the Melissani cave. These are two places that I would love to visit should we go back to Kefalonia in the future.

All in all, if you love Greece or even want to experience Greece then Kefalonia is an island you should visit. It is a totally different type of island to Mykonos too, so gives you another side to Greece. That is a round-up of how we spent two weeks of summer in Kefalonia.

Check out the video below for a full round-up of what we got up to too!

Have you visited Kefalonia before? Is there anywhere you would recommend visiting on the island? Let me know in the comments below!

Summer in Kefalonia – Travel Vlog

Here is the travel vlog of our time in Kefalonia. Don’t forget to like the video if you have enjoyed it, and why not subscribe to my channel to keep up with all of my creative and crafty antics on YouTube.

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