Welcome to Kefalonia!
Cephalonia or Kefalonia is part of the Ionian Islands on the western side of Greece. It is the largest of the Ionian Islands and the 6th largest in Greece. Its population is estimated to be around 45.000 people who are mostly located in the island’s capital, Argostoli. Their main occupations and source of income are tourism, agriculture and fishing.
Spartia
Apart from the capital of Kefalonia, the island has a great number of scenic little villages scattered all around it. One of them is the beautiful little village called Spartia.
Spartia is located around 7 km south east of the island’s airport and approximately 15 min. driving by car. It’s a little further than Argostoli but only by a few minutes.
It’s less touristic and less organised than other popular resorts like Lassi but that gives it the advantage of being unspoiled and most importantly not overan by people.
It is surrounded by beautiful beaches with crystal clear water (see pictures below). Some of them are Spartia beach (Klimatsias), Pessada beach, Karavados beach (Agios Thomas), Avithos beach and Lourdas beach. Closeby the beautiful castle of St. George can be found as well.
In the village centre you’ll find a small square with a restaurant, a cafe, two shops and the village church. It’s ideal for people who seek a calm and relaxing break away from the mass of the main tourist hot-spots and get a glimpse of how local live.
Geography
Many amazing lakes, rivers, caves, dense forests and wonderful beaches with golden sand and crystall clear waters embellish the island of Kefalonia. The island has a very mountainous landscape. The highest peak is Mount Ainos which has an altitude of 1628 meters. Due to its unique and rare black fir trees (Abies cephalonica) , which cannot be found elsewhere in the Mediterrenean, the mountain has been declared a protected national park.
Must-see
It’s difficult to choose among the variety of beautiful beaches and sightseeing locations the island offers. Some of the places I recommend are the following: Melissani cave, Myrtos beach, the castle of St. George, the castle of Assos and all the beaches on the south coast of the island.