Kefalonia - Greece - Thomson Simply Travel The Collection Summer 2012 (December Edition)

At a glance Kefalonia The largest of the Ionian Islands, Kefalonia's dramatic good looks and quiet personality have a charm that's hard to resist. efalonia is a relative newcomer to tourism, which is no surprise since the earthquake of 1953 reduced most of the island to rubble. A lot of its Venetian architecture was lost, giving a modern feel to many of its buildings, but that just allows its natural beauty to take centre-stage. Mountains and beaches dominate the island. High peaks in the interior give way to steep cliffs towering above perfect arcs of sand on the west coast. The east coast is just as wild and remote. Travel south, meanwhile, and a long ribbon of villages, coves and sandy beaches unfurl from Trapezaki and Spartia all the way to Katelios, Kaminia and popular Skala, with its mile of pine-backed sands. For sheer drama, take the cliff-hugging road north from the capital, Argostoli. For Thursday and Sunday flights to Kefalonia Unwind... on Kefalonia's beaches. For watersports and tavernas, Makris Yialos and Platys Yialos, at Lassi, are the places to head. Or go beach-hopping along the south coast where you can choose from quieter sands. Sample... Kefalonia's Robola wines, thought to have been around for 700 years. You can taste them at the wine cooperative on the Omalos Plain. Catch... K many visitors, there's an air of déjà vu when they pass above Myrtos. It's all down to its famous beach one of the Med's most photographed strips of sand and the setting for the 2001 film, Captain Corelli's Mandolin. From here, you can carry on to tiny Assos, one of the island's prettiest villages. Perched on a narrow isthmus, it's overlooked by the remains of a 16th-century Venetian citadel. Or follow the slender, tree-carpeted Erissos peninsula to Fiskardo, which escaped the worst of the earthquake's devastation. The candy-coloured, 18th-century Venetian buildings that line the harbour have been transformed into smart restaurants and shops, and it's a favourite stop-off off point for yachts. a boat trip to the Melissani caves and see the electric blue of its underground lake as the sun pierces through holes in the roof. Save time for the nearby Drogararti Caves, too, filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Picnic... in the peaceful grounds of the monastery of Theotokas Themata. Originating from the 11th century, but re-built since the 1953 earthquake, it's hidden on the forested slopes of Aghis Dinati, near the village of Makritotika. Kefalonia 16km Spring of Kalamos 'School of Homer' Ruins Ithaki Cave of Nymphs Fountain of Arethusa Melissani Cave Ruins of Ancient Sami Drongarati Cave Pass of Agrapidies Valsamata Odysseus Kingdom Tombs Skala Ionian Sea Kefalonia Lixouri Lassi Lakithra Lourdas Climate Average daily maximum temperature (ºC) Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep 19 24 28 30 30 28 Oct 23 130

Greece contd… Kefalonia