Three Summers: Cephalonia - Ionian Islands

We first visited Cephalonia in June 2011, it was just a short stop during a sailing day from the island of Lefkada where we were staying for a week. Even though that visit to the pretty fishing village of Fiskardo was very brief, just enough time for a wander around the port and some refreshments in one of the tavernas lining the harbour, we loved it and said that we would return to Cephalonia one day. Eleven years later we arrive at the Peloponnese port of Kylini and drive Apollo straight onto a Levante ferry for the 90 minute crossing that delivers us to the port of Poros, Cephalonia.

From Poros we have a 90 minute drive north to the fishing village of Fiskardo and to our accommodation for the next three days. On that day-visit eleven years ago we had no idea that Cephalonia was quite so large, or quite so rugged and mountainous! Our drive to Fiskardo is magnificent, up through the mountain range, back down to the coast at Agia Efimia, only to turn again up through the mountain villages and along the somewhat torturous bends of the top of the sheer Cephalonian cliffs. We stopped to marvel at the view and take a few pictures as the sun set on the sparkling white cliffs and the long white arc of Myrtos Beach far, far below us.

We arrived at charming Fiskardo in the early evening and it looked as beautiful as we remembered it. The tiny harbor is lined with buildings painted all the pastel colours and decorated with the brights of bougainvillea, oleander and orange trumpet. Only thing that seemed to have changed in the past 11 years is the number of people filling the tavernas at this hour. Seems Fiskardo has earned its name as the Saint Tropez of Greece!

We're staying in a lovely studio apartment above Anna-Maria's boutique about 10 steps from the yachts and boats that are moored lining the harbour. We spend our days here swimming at the sheltered pebbly cove nearby that is Emblisi beach, and taking a day adventure of perfect sailing to the nearby island of Ithaca. The blistering days of the Peloponnese seem to have changed a little and we enjoy the relative 'cooler' 34-35° days.

After our days in Fiskardo we drive to the even smaller fishing village of Asos, again up the mountain and an exciting and winding road down down down to the sea. We stay in an apartment with Mrs Linardos who has offered summer time accommodation here for four decades. She and her husband, both from Athens, first visited Asos in 1980 when there was no holiday accommodation for visitors and they had to arrange a room in the home of a local. Much of Asos then was unrestored after being completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1953. Mr Linardos thought it would be a good idea to buy some land and build accommodation for holidaymakers - what a great idea that turned out to be!

The beautiful port of Fiskardo, right at
the north of Cephalonia. Don't miss it,
it's gorgeous.

I love these traditional old
fishing boats, kaiki, that still go out
early each morning or late in
the evening. They're a real cultural
icon that, sadly, are disappearing.

The rocks at Emblisi beach make
perfect sun lounges.

Emblisi Beach, just a small cove
between the rocks. The glorious water
is all shades of turquoise.

Fiskardo - boats, boats, boats.

Boats lining the port of Fiskardo and
the pastel painted buildings

Sailing to Ithaca and swimming in
this stunning sea.

The beautiful island of Ithaca is the home
of Odysseus, the legendary Greek
king and hero of Homer's Odyssey.

Sitting in the shade of the gum trees
on Ithaca.

In 2011 I took an identical photo to this
at the tiny port of Kioni on Ithaca. Seems
that on this tiniest of the Ionian Islands
some things never change.