Things to Do in Kefalonia: My Favourite Places After 4 Visits
Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia.
I’ve been to Kefalonia four times now, which probably tells you quite a lot about how I feel about this beautiful Greek island.
Trips one, two and four have all involved staying in a villa, which is absolutely how I’d recommend doing Kefalonia. Quiet, private, no kids or strangers in the pool… just glorious peace and relaxation whenever you want it. Trip three involved an all-inclusive hotel which, while perfectly nice, confirmed something I already suspected: I’m a villa girl all the way.
A little note on Greece
As well as Kefalonia, I’ve visited Kos (lovely, but not as lovely as Kefalonia in my humble opinion!) and Athens, which was absolutely fascinating. We visited Athens one New Year, which you can read about here >
In my experience, Greek people are warm and friendly, Greek food is delicious and, when I compare my Greek holidays with those I’ve had in Spain, Greece comes out on top for me every single time. And Kefalonia is particularly special.
It’s green, hilly and mountainous, with gorgeous beaches, turquoise waters and spectacular views around every corner. There’s plenty to see, so I’d definitely recommend hiring a car. You can drive from the south to the north of the island in under two hours, and the driving is part of the experience - lovely scenery around every corner.
Here are some of my favourite places and things to do in Kefalonia after four visits…
Fiskardo
Fiskardo is one of the prettiest towns on the island, and unlike much of Kefalonia, it largely escaped the devastating 1953 earthquake that destroyed many of the island’s historic buildings.
It’s a gorgeous place with a sweeping harbour, colourful buildings, turquoise water, cute gift shops and plenty of tavernas where you can sit, eat, drink and watch the boats come and go.
Even if you’re staying in the south of Kefalonia, Fiskardo is worth the drive. In fact, the drive itself is part of the reason to go - the scenery on the drive north is absolutely stunning.
Turtle swimming in Argostoli harbour
Kefalonia's sea turtles
This was a bucket-list moment for me.
On our most recent trip, we were lucky enough to watch newly hatched baby sea turtles being released into the sea. Watching these tiny turtles make their way towards the water was just wonderful.
You can also see adult loggerhead turtles swimming around Argostoli harbour. Morning is generally the best time to look for them - around 9am to 11am - particularly around the fishing boats.
Wildlife Sense does fantastic conservation work on Kefalonia, so I'd recommend checking them out for information about the island's turtles, conservation projects and how to watch the turtles responsibly.
Mount Ainos
At the top of Mount Ainos, with Zakynthos in the background
We’ve driven up Mount Ainos three times now and it never stops being beautiful.
As you climb, the landscape changes quite dramatically and starts to feel almost Alpine, with forests and mountain scenery replacing the more typically Mediterranean landscape below.
Keep an eye out for the free-roaming goats! I love the sound of their bells.
You can drive all the way up the mountain and park near the top, where you’re rewarded with incredible panoramic views across Kefalonia and towards Zakynthos, Ithaca and mainland Greece.
Skala
Skala is a lovely coastal town with plenty of restaurants, little shops and places to stop for a drink. It has a bit more atmosphere and buzz than some of Kefalonia’s smaller villages, while still feeling relaxed.
There's also a long sandy beach, making it an easy place to spend a whole day.
I particularly recommend The Old Village (Secret Garden) restaurant – where we found wonderfully friendly staff and a huge vegetarian and vegan selection of delicious food.
If you want to stay somewhere with restaurants and life around you rather than disappearing off into a quiet villa in the hills like me, Skala would be a good option.
Castle of Agios Georgios
View from the castle
The ruins of the Castle of Agios Georgios sit high above the surrounding countryside and are lovely to wander around, particularly when the wildflowers are out, with lovely views.
But there’s another reason I recommend visiting: Kastro Café, just outside the castle. We had one of the best meals we've eaten anywhere on Kefalonia here. It appears to have been closed for the 2026 season, so definitely check before making a special journey for the café - but the castle and views are still worth seeing in their own right.
Myrtos Beach
Myrtos is probably Kefalonia’s most famous beach - for me, one of the best bits is actually the road above it.
Just LOOK at that view!
There are several places where you can stop and look down across that incredible sweep of blue water and white beach. It faces west too, making this a spectacular place to watch the sunset.
The beach itself is beautiful, although I have one very important piece of advice: take swim shoes.
What looks like lovely soft sand from above is actually rather coarse underfoot. Walking across it barefoot feels a little like walking on Lego, which somewhat ruins the glamorous Greek-island fantasy.
Melissani Cave
Melissani Cave
Melissani Cave is one of those places that really doesn't look quite like anywhere else.
Inside the cave is a beautiful underground lake, which you explore on a small rowing boat. Sunlight pours through the opening in the roof and illuminates the incredibly clear blue water below.
The boat trip itself isn't particularly long, but it's a beautiful and unusual experience and definitely worth seeing at least once.
Assos
Assos is another pretty little harbour village, surrounded by green hills and turquoise water.
It’s the sort of place that doesn't really require an itinerary. Go for a wander, admire the colourful houses and boats, find somewhere lovely for lunch and enjoy being there.
The drive around this part of the island is beautiful too, so Assos combines really well with Myrtos Beach or a trip further north to Fiskardo.
Why we keep going back to Kefalonia
Beautiful Kefalonia
I have chronic wanderlust. There are so many places in the world I still want to see, so returning to the same destination four times is actually quite unusual for me.
But Kefalonia has something special.
There are mountains and forests, bougainvillea tumbling over walls, tiny villages and turquoise coves. There’s fantastic food, lovely people and wildlife everywhere - from the loggerhead turtles to gorgeous butterflies, birds, goats and even praying mantises.
You can spend one day exploring mountains and villages and the next doing absolutely nothing beside your private pool.
And maybe that’s what I love most about it.
Kefalonia can be an adventure when you want an adventure, and wonderfully peaceful when you don't.
So despite that ever-growing list of countries, islands and cities I still want to explore? …I'd absolutely go back for trip number five.
A few practical tips after four trips to Kefalonia
After four visits, there are a few things I’ve learned that might be useful if you're planning your first trip.
Hire a car. You can visit Kefalonia without one, but I really wouldn't recommend it if you want to properly explore the island. The places I've mentioned above are spread out, public transport is limited and some of the most beautiful views are found simply driving from one place to another. The roads can be narrow, steep and very winding in places – this is a mountainous island – but we've always found driving here perfectly manageable. Just take your time, particularly on the mountain roads, and watch out for goats!
Villa Roz - read my honest review >
Stay in a villa if you can. Obviously this one comes down to personal preference, but having now done Kefalonia both ways, I'd choose a villa every time. I love being able to wake up, make breakfast and sit outside in the sunshine, jump into my own pool whenever I fancy it, and come back after a day exploring to somewhere completely peaceful. We've stayed in villas on three of our four visits and, for me, it's the perfect way to experience the island. Here’s where we stayed last >
Don't be afraid to explore beyond where you're staying. Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands, but it's still very explorable by car. If you're staying in the south, don't decide Fiskardo is "too far"; if you're in the north, don't ignore everything at the other end. Some of my favourite days here have involved simply getting in the car and heading across the island. The journey between the places is beautiful in itself.
Vegan Gyros - delicious
September is lovely. Our most recent visit was in September and we had beautifully warm days and wonderfully warm sea, without the intensity of peak summer. You do have a slightly greater chance of rain as autumn approaches - we had one properly rainy day - but I'd happily visit at this time of year again. Previously, we’ve visited in May which was also lovely - again, shoulder season is my favourite.
Vegetarians and vegans can eat very well. Greek food lends itself brilliantly to vegetarian eating, and we found some genuinely excellent vegan food too. Obviously you'll find more choice in the larger towns and tourist areas, but I certainly didn't spend the week surviving on chips and hummus! Skala was particularly good for choice.
Buy bottled water if you prefer it. The tap water is generally considered safe, but it can taste different from the water you're used to at home (and I’ve heard it could upset your stomach), so we tend to pick up large bottles for drinking and use the tap water for everything else.
And finally: don't try to cram everything in. Kefalonia is a wonderful island to explore, but it's also a wonderful island on which to do absolutely nothing. Leave room for long lunches, spontaneous stops because you've spotted an incredible view, afternoons in the pool and sitting somewhere beautiful with a drink watching the sun go down.
