Cephalonia or Kefalonia is a Greek island of the Ionian Sea famous for its abysses. Its size is 935 km2 and the current population density is 36 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is the largest and most mountainous of the Ionian Islands. Its highest point, Mount Enos, reaches an altitude of 1,626 meters.
Argostoli is the capital of the island. It is a pretty picturesque town of 16,000 inhabitants. It comprises more than a third of the inhabitants of the island. The capital lies on the hills that surround the lagoon of Koutavos and is the main port and the island. The area has been inhabited since 1600 and, in 1757, the dominant Venetians of Cephalonia decided to transfer to Argostoli the capital, which until then was the castle of St. George.
Argostoli had a large number of Venetian monuments that were destroyed by the earthquake of 1953. Since its reconstruction, it no longer has its local color or its ancient charm. The Valianou square, which is the central square of the city, is surrounded by cafes and restaurants. The pedestrian street of Lithostroto is the most commercial street on the island. Not far from here, the church of Spyridon has a beautiful carved wooden iconostasis. There are also many museums in the capital.
The lighthouse of Agios Theodoris, near the city, is one of the symbols of the island. It was built in 1829 by the English governor Napier.
Lixouri is the second largest city. It is located 30 km west of Argostoli. It is the main city of the Paliki region, and was built on the site where the ancient city of Pali was located, one of the four main cities of Kefalonia during Antiquity. Lixouri lies in the most flat and fertile area of Cephalonia. The city has 3000 inhabitants, most of whom are engaged in agriculture and tourism.
Plateia Petritsi’s main square is surrounded by many old-fashioned cafés. From this square, a pedestrian street full of shops begins.
Most of the inhabitants of Lixouri are famous for their musical talents. There is also a philharmonic school which is one of the most important in Greece.
Lixouri was almost completely destroyed during the 1953 earthquake but was carefully reconstructed in the traditional style. A walk through the village will lead you to discover ancient churches with beautiful frescoes, an archaeological museum, neoclassical buildings and the famous monastery of Kipoureon.
Lixouri has no beach in the city, but just outside it is Lepeda, frequented by tourists and locals. To get there from Lixouri, you have to follow the sea to the south for a mile and a half. It is a beautiful wide, red and sandy beach, not too different from the Xi beach which is famous and much more crowded.
Xi is located in the south of the Paliki Peninsula, in the Mantzavinata district, near Lixouri. It is a beautiful sandy beach which extends 4 km, famous for its soft and red sand.
Assos is an authentic village located in the north-west of the island, 30 km from Argostoli, on an isthmus, near a Venetian fortress. It is one of the most picturesque villages of Kefalonia. Not far from the village, the bay of Myrtos shelters one of the most beautiful beaches of the island. The sand is white and its turquoise waters.
The cave of Melisani, north-west of Sami, about 5 km from Argostoli, is worth a visit. It is 50 m long and 35 m wide and about 30 m deep. The cave is about 500 m from the sea and the water from the lake is 1 m above sea level. It was revealed when its roof collapsed during the 1953 earthquake.
The lake inside the cave is a mixture of fresh water and sea water. The cave is B-shaped and is in two parts. The ceiling of the cave is opened in one of them, one can see the sky. In the other part, lighted by electricity, the ceiling presents stalactites, some of which have the form of a dolphin. The lake is of a beautiful color changing according to the rays of the sun from turquoise to indigo or violet, with better effect towards noon when the sun gives directly on the waters, with a background covered with stones. The rocks of the walls are light brown to pale pink. Vegetation, including trees, grows to the edge of the lake.