Kefalonia

Kefalonia

Ionian Islands · Greece

Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands, off the west coast of Greece, with a rugged mountain interior, national parkland home to wild horses and golden eagles, and a coastline of dramatic cliffs and long sandy beaches. It is a destination for active holidays as much as beach days: the big, quiet bays and light afternoon breezes make it a safe, friendly place to learn to sail, windsurf or paddleboard.

Our Kefalonia properties are on the Lixouri peninsula on the island’s west side, close to the lively little town of Lixouri, with its square of cafes and tavernas, and within easy reach of some of Greece’s best beaches, which are often quieter than the island’s better-known resorts.

• Region: Ionian Islands, western Greece
• Season: May to October
• Flights: about 3 hours from the UK to Kefalonia airport
• Transfer: about 60 minutes from the airport to the properties

Where to stay in Kefalonia

Beach club · Lixouri Bay

Lixouri Bay Beach Club

A small, friendly beachfront hotel with sea-view rooms, family suites and villas, a swimming pool, taverna and its own sandy beach, plus an RYA watersports centre with free use of kit and bikes.

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Private villas · July & August

Villa Club

A private villa with its own pool, a hire car, and the option of adding beach club access and watersports at nearby Lixouri Bay.

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About the island

The island has been inhabited since prehistoric times and has been ruled by Byzantines, Venetians, the British and others before joining the modern Greek state in 1864. Some scholars argue it was the true home of Odysseus, and it is the setting of the wartime novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Despite its size, the island is easy to explore: it takes little more than an hour to drive from the cosmopolitan northern tip at Fiscardo to the wine-growing country in the south under Mount Aenos.

As well as the activities included at the beach club, scuba diving, sea kayaking and water-skiing can all be arranged on the island.