10 Best Sights in Kefalonia, Greece

A few kilometers' walk or drive from Sami lies one of the island's more famous beaches: a forested bay wrapping narrow white-pebble shores and glistening emerald-blue waters. It got a boost in popularity after featuring in the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin, though it's a tad more active than the usual beauty spots, with a range of watersports on offer. Toward the end of the bay, a rock provides enough seclusion that naturism is generally considered acceptable. How that goes down with those who run the 18th-century-built Agrillion Monastery, atop a nearby hill, is anyone's guess. Amenities: canoes and paddleboats for rent; food and drink; sun beds and umbrellas; parking (free). Best for: watersports; nudists; swimming; families.

While most sun worshippers head to Emblisi Beach, the real find of this area lies a short stroll from the village of Antipata, just a few kilometers from Fiskardo. From there, park your car and follow the signs 800 m to the shore, strolling through sun-dappled cypress forests. This leads to a tiny white-pebbled inlet crested by trees. In the corner lies a small cave in which monk seals have been known to rest, and you'll only ever see a few other people here at most. There aren't any facilities, but that's the point: a wild beach escape away from the masses. Savor it. Facilities: none. Best for: peace and quiet; a great forest walk; swimming.

The British occupation (1809–64) of Kefalonia transformed Argostolion, rebuilding its streets and beefing up the island's infrastructure. The crowning achievement of this is the bridge built in 1813 by Charles Philip De Bosset, a Swiss engineer in the employ of the British Army. Created to connect Argostoli to the village of Drapano, it reaches out across what was the Kouvatos Lagoon, a swampy area of land once rife with mosquitoes and malaria, that separates the Fanari Peninsula from the mainland. Its original wooden structure was recreated in stone in 1842 and has been reinforced over the years due to earthquake damage, yet it remains in service today. Part way across, look out for the "Kolona" obelisk rising out of the water, a gesture of thanks to the British erected in 1813 by the Kefalonian Parliament. Its inscription, "To the glory of the British Empire," was symbolically erased when the Greeks took back control of the island in 1865 and has repeatedly changed over the years according to who controls the island. The walk makes for a bracing, and now record-breaking, stroll since this was named the world's longest (690 m) stone sea bridge in 2018.

Fiskardo derives its name from a Norman Duke and adventurer, Robert Guiscard, who attempted to occupy Kefalonia in 1084. He failed, yet the town rather passively took his name anyway. Today, invaders still arrive in Fiskardo by ship, only these days they're called yachts. Summer sees their ilk far outnumber the traditional fishing boats in the harbor, lending an air of boho chic to the little village and its bustling waterfront of eateries and café-bars. Still, it deserves the attention. Fiskardo remains one of the prettiest stays on the island, with its narrow streets winding past colorful Venetian houses. There's little in the way of museums here, but history surrounds the village. As recently as 2006, a Roman cemetery of 27 tombs was discovered on the edge of the harbor, with its open-air site now easily visited and well-signed. Hiking trails into the hills and forests reveal even more historic relics worth exploring. The town is also a useful port, with ferries to the island of Lefkhada leaving daily during the summer months.

Kefalonia's second-largest town is less businesslike than Argostoli, and its post-quake rebuilding more in line with the old Venetian style, but there's little here to hold the imagination. One of a few buildings in the city to have survived 1953 intact is the Lakovatios library, a grand neoclassical affair that hosts a small free museum. Otherwise, it's a colorful enough port town, mostly used as a jumping off point by tourists en-route to the southern beaches of Xi and Lepeda, or for picking up a boat tour.

The golden-sand beaches surrounding Lassi can be notoriously busy. Access is easy and buses even run here from nearby Argostoli. It's the reason most of the island's resorts are clustered along this stretch of coast, meaning there will always be crowds. Makris Gialos is undeniably beautiful: a rocky collar of tall pine trees encloses the shore, which fades into pale, shallow azure waters ideal for families. Near its southern end, only a few rocks separates the near-identical adjacent beach of Platis Gialos, so you also get two for one. The facilities here are among the best on the island, and phalanxes of sun beds cover most areas not taken up by a volleyball court or bar. It can be quite noisy, though, and when the sun goes down a party atmosphere takes over. Amenities: sun beds and umbrellas; food and drink; lifeguard; showers; toilets; volleyball. Best for: families; watersports; parties; beach cocktails.

Myrtos is the poster child for Kefalonia's shores, and frequently named among the top beaches in Greece. Wrapped in high scrubby cliffs, its semi-circular bowl of white pebbly sand is larger than most others on the island, meaning the huge swathe of umbrellas and deck chairs that dominate its spine still leaves room in the corners for what passes for "isolation" here. Yet, for all its photogenic qualities, with a big reputation comes crowds. There is a canteen on the shore, but queues mean it's often best to pack your own drinks and snacks. The water can also get a little rough, and there is a steep drop off from the shore, so it's not perfect for little ones. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; showers; umbrellas and sun beds; parking (free). Best for: sunset views; panoramic shots from the clifftop.

This T-shaped isle is easily glimpsed from the mainland but may only be visited by boat. A lighthouse, built to replace the old 19th-century tower that was destroyed by Italian bombing in 1942, still stands here along with the ruins of two monasteries dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Trips usually stop to snorkle in the surrounding waters, where the odd turtle can sometimes be spotted, while a rough path on the island also makes for a fine walk. Boats here can be found in Lixiouri and Argostoli.

In 1941, at the height of the Second World War, Greece was occupied by the Axis Powers. During this period Kefalonia was given over to the Italian Acqui Division to run. Two years later, when Italy surrended to the Allies, German troops moved in to seize control and one of the great atrocities of this era played out. Italian general Antonio Gandin offered his troops a vote on whether to join or fight the Germans; they chose the latter, aided by local resistance, but quickly ran out of ammunition. A recorded 1,315 Italians fell in battle, but the worst was to come. The Italian troops had previously been placed under German command, so all soldiers that had resisted were considered deserters and ordered to be shot on sight. Those that had surrended were ruthlessly executed, killed eight at a time in Argostolion's main square, though some escaped by being hidden by sympathetic islanders. A further 5,155 Italians died in the massacre, and 3,000 later perished when the German ship taking the island's Italian POWs to a concentration camp sank. Yet few outside Italy and Greece had heard of this atrocity until the publishing of Louis de Bernieres' novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin, whose tale touches upon the events—though it is widely disliked on Kefalonia for its portrayal of the Greek partisans. A memorial dedicated to the Italian soldiers that fell lies north of the city, near to the lighthouse. A tiny but moving exhibition-museum run by the Italo-Greco Association can also be found next to the St. Nikolaos Church (free; open 9 am–10:30 pm) in the center.

Kilometer-long Mars-red sands sheltered by bright-white cliffs make this one of the most distinctive shores on the island. It's also the most popular, in part due to shallow waters that make it especially good for familes. Its popularity also means that it's well catered for, with a number of excellent restaurants and bars having sprouted on its fringes. Umbrellas and sun beds dot the shore. Good access and a mix of watersports and plenty of families ensure this is one of the noisier shores on the island. It can even be reached by bus from Lixiouri. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: families; after-bathing drinks.