Ionian Islands
Kefalonia
A practical guide to Kefalonia for UK travellers: where to base yourself, whether you need a hire car, the real cost of Myrtos and Melissani, and when to go.
In short
Kefalonia at a glance
Kefalonia is the biggest of the Ionian islands and it spreads its sights out — Myrtos Beach and Assos sit up north, the caves at Sami in the middle, the best sandy beaches at Skala in the south. That geography is the one thing to plan around: Skala to Fiskardo is nearly two hours by car, so where you base yourself decides what you can reach without a long daily drive. Direct flights run from Manchester, Gatwick, Bristol, Edinburgh and Birmingham in season (roughly 3h50), and a week is plenty for one base plus the headline excursions.
Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands, and that size is the thing to plan around. The headline sights are scattered to the corners — Myrtos Beach and the harbour at Fiskardo up north, the Melissani and Drogarati caves at Sami in the middle, the long blue-flag sands at Skala in the south — and Skala to Fiskardo is the best part of two hours by car. So the first decision isn’t which sights to see, it’s where to base yourself, because that quietly decides what you can reach without spending half your holiday on the cliff roads.
For most people the answer is the south. Lassi puts you five minutes from the airport with a run of sandy beaches and Argostoli, the island’s only proper town, a short drive away; Skala is the quieter family option further along the coast. Wherever you land, you’ll want a hire car for the three or four days you actually explore — the KTEL bus leaves Argostoli only a handful of times a day and skips most beaches entirely. Reckon on €35–60 a day in May, June and September, climbing steeply in July and August.
The two things worth knowing before you go: Myrtos is free and spectacular but offers almost no shade and a steep shingle drop into deep water, so it’s a viewpoint-and-a-dip rather than a lounge-all-day beach; and the caves are best at midday — get to Melissani (€8, or €13 with Drogarati) between about 11am and 1pm, when the sun drops through the collapsed roof and turns the lake an improbable blue. Come in the shoulder months and you’ll have warm seas, open tavernas and a fraction of the August prices.
The route
A relaxed week from a single base, using a hire car for the three or four days you actually need it. Drive times are from Argostoli; if you base further north, shave the long northern legs and add to the southern ones.
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Day 1
Arrive & settle
Pick the hire car up at the airport (Argostoli is 15 min by taxi, around €20, or €2 on the seasonal KTEL bus). Spend the first evening in Argostoli watching for loggerhead turtles in the harbour — they genuinely loiter near the fish quay — and eat on the waterfront rather than driving anywhere.
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Days 2–3
South beaches & Argostoli
Do the easy southern beaches — Makris Gialos and Platis Gialos at Lassi, or the long blue-flag sands at Skala. Half a day is enough for the De Bosset bridge and the Korgialenios museum in town. No long drives needed; keep the car for the north.
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Day 4
The caves & Sami
Drive to Sami (about 40 min) for Melissani Lake — go between 11am and 1pm when the sun drops through the collapsed roof and turns the water electric blue (€8, or €13 combined with Drogarati cave). It's a short boat row, not a swim. Lunch in Sami or Agia Efimia.
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Days 5–6
Myrtos, Assos & Fiskardo
The big northern day: the Myrtos viewpoint and beach (around 50 min from Argostoli), the Venetian castle walk above Assos (free, 20–30 min uphill), and lunch on the harbour at Fiskardo. It's a lot of driving — Fiskardo is nearly 2 hours from the south — so make a full day of it.
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Day 7
Slow last day
Drop the car back or keep it for one more beach. Antisamos (the Captain Corelli beach) or a boat trip to Ithaca from Sami if you fancy a second island. Fly home from Kefalonia airport — it's small, so two hours ahead is plenty.
Where to base yourself
Pick one or two bases rather than moving every night.
Lassi
££ mid-rangeThe easiest first base: a string of sandy beaches (Makris Gialos, Platis Gialos), plenty of hotels and apartments, and Argostoli a 10-minute drive away. Five minutes from the airport, which means a little plane noise but a very short transfer. Best for a typical beach week with the car for day trips.
Best for: First-timers, families, beach + airport convenience
Argostoli
££ mid-rangeThe capital and the island's only real town: the main bus and ferry hub, proper shops, a working waterfront and the turtle-spotting harbour. Less of a beach base than Lassi but the most useful if you want one place with everything and good onward transport.
Best for: No-car backup, town life, transport hub
Skala
££ mid-rangeThe south coast's family resort: a long blue-flag beach, low-key tavernas and shops, about 40 minutes from the airport. Quieter and greener than Lassi, good for a settle-in-one-spot beach holiday, but a long haul from the northern sights so plan the caves and Myrtos as a single big day.
Best for: Families, blue-flag beaches, quieter south
Fiskardo & the north (Assos, Agia Efimia)
£££ premiumThe prettiest, most upmarket end of the island: a Venetian-style harbour at Fiskardo that survived the 1953 earthquake, boutiques and good seafood. On the doorstep of Myrtos and Assos. The trade-off is the airport transfer — nearly two hours — and higher prices.
Best for: Couples, scenery, second-week base
Getting around Kefalonia
Hire a car — it's close to essential here. The KTEL bus runs from Argostoli only a few times a day (twice daily to Fiskardo, four times to Sami and Poros) and doesn't reach most beaches, so without a car you're reliant on taxis and pre-arranged pickups. Roads are good but mountainous and winding, especially the cliff road down to Myrtos, so allow more time than the distances suggest. Expect €35–60/day in May, June and September, rising to €55–100 in July–August; book well ahead, as the island runs short of cars in peak summer.
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