Kefalonia Travel Guide

Kefalonia is a beautiful island, from beaches to the pretty towns there is something from everyone. One of the Ionian islands it is full of stunning beaches, cute towns, history and incredible wineries!

When is the best time to visit Kefalonia?

The high season is between late June to August and it does get busy. If you plant to visit then you would need to book ahead. Our trip was unplanned and in July so we had difficulty finding affordable accommodation and it was beyond difficult to find a vehicle to hire.

I recommend visiting between May and June or in September. These will be the shoulder seasons making hiring a vehicle simpler and better pricing.

How to get to Kefalonia?

Kefalonia has an airport that is close to the capital of Agostoli making it easy to fly there. You can also get there by ferry. We arrived from Lefkada by ferry and landed in Fiskardo. You can also get ferries to the port in Sami which is the main port and town.

Do I need to hire a car on Kefalonia?

You will definitely want to hire a vehicle for Kefalonia. There is a bus system that does go around the island but it is not hugely dependable. We caught it from Fiskardo to get to Agostoli and it broke down on the way. The brakes stopped working while we were on a cliff so that was not the best time. While it all worked out in the end it was a bit touch and go for a while.

You will need a car or a high powered scooter to get around (read my blog on hiring vehicles in Greece to make sure you have everything you need). All that was available when we were there was a 50cc scooter. It was nowhere near enough power to get around the mountains of Kefalonia.

Where to stay in Kefalonia?

The best places to stay in Kefalonia are:

Argostoli: A main area on Kefalonia with lots of food options. Elite Luxury Apartments is our pick here. It is clean, comfortable and has easy street parking. Elegant Living is another great budget option.

Asos: One of the most beautiful town on Kefalonia. Chromata Assos Villas Kefalonia is a beautiful choice for luxury accommodation.

Fiskardo: Is a gorgeous little fishing village and located right on the marina. It is at the top of the island where the ferry from Zante lands. FiscardoStudios is a great choice here.

Sami: This is one of the more populated areas, there is a ferry port here and lots of budget options, check out the great pricing at Mary’s Studios & Apartment or the mid range Alancia Suites.

Lixouri: This beach area is a great area of Kefalonia. You can take a ferry over there from Agostoli or drive there as it is attached to the mainland. The City Apartment and Belleza Villa are great budget options.

What to do in Kefalonia?

There is so much to do in Kefalonia that 3 days are a minimum. I would try to stay around 5 days to spend your time with less rushing. These are some of my favourite things to do in Kefalonia.

The Beaches of Kefalonia

Kefalonia has some stunning beaches. They are spread out around the island so a vehicle is necessary to visit them.

The most famous beach is Myrtos Beach, it is at the bottom of a cliff. You can get there by bus which will drop you at the top of the cliff. The views are spectacular from the top! We saw this beach on the bus from Fiskardo and managed to snap a pic. While we weren’t able to get back there to swim we plan to on our next visit. Sadly our scooter wouldn’t make the trip.

Platis Gialos Beach and Makris Gialos Beach are very close together and can be visited at the same time. They are stunning and really well located within easy distance of Agostoli and reachable with our little 50cc scooter. I definitely recommend visiting them!

Xi Beach in Luxouri is stunning, very big and lots of room to spread out. It is known to be a great place for holiday makers and families. We took the ferry to Luxouri from Agostoli which cost 3 euro per person and 1.80 euro for our scooter. It is the quickest (about 20 minutes) and easiest way to get to Luxouri as it is a little bit away from the main part of the island. The town is lovely and very pretty.

Eglina Beach is a cute little beach near the airport. We stayed right near by and it was a lovely spot to enjoy in the evening.

Saint Theodore Lighthouse

Saint Theodore Lighthouse is a pretty spot right on the water. It is not your normal looking lighthouse and is designed in a more European style. Sadly it has some graffiti on it but it is still a nice place for a visit.

While you are there you can also check out the Sinkholes of Argostoli which are just down the road,

Take a tour

These are our picks of the best tours in Kefalonia! They make planning so much easier and cover so much of the island.

Kefalonia Highlights Robola Winery, Melissani & Fiscardo

From Kefalonia: Zakynthos Boat Trip with Transfer

Kefalonia: Island Bus Tour with Wine Tasting

Kefalonia: Greek Wine Tasting at Sclavos Winery near Lixouri

Kefalonia North: Road Trip to Myrtos Beach, Assos, Fiskardo

From Argostoli: Kefalonia Shore Excursion Highlights Tour

Kefalonia: Shore Excursion to Melissani and Drogarati Caves

Kefalonia: Assos and Fiscardo Island Day Tour

Go wine tasting

This was our favourite thing to do on Kefalonia! There are some fantastic wineries on Kefalonia and shouldn’t be missed. We spent a whole day visiting them and enjoying the wines, views and meeting the locals that run them. You can read all about our favourite wineries, Gentilini Winery & Vineyards, Sclavos Wines and Orealios Gaea on these blogs.

The church at Luxouri

We stumbled on this beautiful church in Luxouri. It is painted such vibrant colours I had to snap a pic, it is located on the way out of town towards Sclavos wines. This awesome tour will take you to Sclavos Wines and show you more of the island- Kefalonia: Greek Wine Tasting at Sclavos Winery near Lixouri

Visit the I love Kefalonia Sign

These big signs are always fun!

Visit the waterfront of Agostoli and look out for turtles!

Wander along the waterfront and take a stroll over the bridge. Keep your eye out for turtles as there is a colony of loggerhead turtles residing there. We caught sight of a few. Make sure to keep your rubbish on you and place in a bin as we saw a few plastic bags floating around and this is quite dangerous for turtles.

Fiskardo

Visit the cute fishing town of Fiskardo! It is super sweet and in the north of the island. If I had a car I would spend a day working my way up there, visiting Myrtos beach, Assos village and then arrive at Fiskardo for a late lunch or drinks on the harbour. Then work my way back down for a tasting at a winery!

Go shopping in Agostoli

Agostoli has a cute little shopping street, there are some souvenir and clothing stores mixed in with some great cafes. It is a nice way to spend a relaxing couple of hours.

Castle of Agios Georgios

We visited the ruins of the Castle of Agios Georgios which was a great walk in history. The ruins are large and spread out of this Byzantine castle and although no excavations have been carried out it is possible to walk around and enjoy the views from the top. It has a 3 euro entrance fee.

Sacred Monastery of Agios Gerasimos of Kefalonia

Right near the Orealis Galea winery is Sacred Monastery of Agios Gerasimos of Kefalonia making it easy to visit both together. It is a pretty building which was sadly closed when we were there but it is a lovely building.

Extra information

There is a large Lidl and AB supermarket in the middle of the island, we loved finding these as we were self catering most days due to my Coeliac allergy. It is a bit out of the way but if you are looking to stock up on food and drinks these are the places to get to. If you have a car it will be an easy trip.