It’s oh so @JoBooth_travel
quiet T
he sky was azure. The sea was cobalt. And the island
was green, with a white fringe, just at the edge. And from the deck of our boat, this was all we could see.
Finding a deserted cove in
Kefalonia isn’t hard. We’d buzzed just a few minutes down the east coast from Fiskardo, our boat bumping over the small waves, and anchored in a tucked-away bay. Hiring a boat is the most glamorous way to explore the island but, even by road, it takes just minutes to leave crowds behind. In Kefalonia, finding your own special secluded spot is as easy as pie.
w SELL: PERFECT PEACE The largest of the Ionian islands, Kefalonia’s position just off the northwestern edge of mainland Greece keeps it lush and green,
and its geology has kept it rugged and hilly – and quiet. A devastating earthquake in 1953 destroyed most of the island’s settlements, and four-fifths of the 125,000 inhabitants left. Today, the population is still only 35,000. Which means there’s plenty
of space. There are a few busier resorts, such as Lassi and Skala, with lines of hotels and tavernas, but nowhere is huge or heaving, and nightlife tends to be of the over-by-midnight, family-friendly variety. The island is pockmarked with tiny hamlets, perched in the mountains or set right by the sea. The fact things are spread out does mean car hire is almost imperative, unless clients really are set on not leaving their hotel. This is not somewhere to come looking for ancient ruins, and it’s not the most picturesque Greek island when it comes to buildings
Kefalonia is dotted with tiny hamlets, perched in the mountains or right by the clear, blue sea
– the earthquake put paid to many historic structures and so the look tends to be modern and boxy – but the natural beauty more than makes up for it. For a taste of what the island looked like before the earthquake, Fiskardo in the north was left standing and there are some beautiful Venetian-style buildings. Kefalonia’s selling point is its low-key, laid-back atmosphere.
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travelweekly.co.uk 8 October 2015
Finding your own secluded slice of paradise is easy in Kefalonia
This is a place where doing not- very-much is an art form – there are bits and bobs of sightseeing to do, but mainly you’re looking at long days of sunbathing, pottering about in a boat, or taking a short drive to a fishing village to sit outside a taverna eating seafood and drinking white wine. If you’re looking for simple, old-fashioned Greece, it’s still going strong here.
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