When I visited Greece, I chose to explore an island that was barely known. Let me tell you it was 100% worth it. Kefalonia is a small paradise on Earth. Follow along as I tell you 9 of the best things to do on the island.
- Go to the beach
- Visit Asos village
- Take a boat ride at Melissani Cave
- Explore the Drogarati stalagmite and stalactite cave
- Rent a scooter
- Do a hike to the Fteri beach
- Watch the sea turtles at Argostoli Marina
- Do some snorkeling and cliff diving at Amandakis Beach
- Watch the sunset at Paralia Petani Beach
Go to the beach
The most important activity when you are on an island in Greece is enjoying the beach and the blue water. Here is a list of great beaches in Kefalonia:
Myrtos Beach (pebbles): the most popular beach in Kefalonia. There are inevitably more people than on other beaches. Honestly, I found other beaches nicer than Myrtos because they were more private. Free access!
Pessada Beach (sand): a small beach that is more private because you need to walk on big rocks to get to it. Free access!
PS: It’s not because it is a quiet beach that having sexual intercourse in the middle over there is okay. You guessed right! I got the chance to live a very awkward moment attending to this exact situation on this beach.
Spartia Beach (pebbles): Easy access and one of the few sand beaches on the island. Not too many tourists. Free access!
Visit Asos village
Asos is a small, colorful village located in the north of Kefalonia. It’s a great place to eat your lunch on a sunny day. The restaurants are a bit expensive (15–30 euros a plate (22-44$ CAD)), but there’s a small pastry shop Rotsis Family Bakery that has some great cheaper options. There’s also a small pebbled beach with chairs and beach umbrellas.
Take a boat ride at Melissani Cave
This is one of the most popular activities in Kefalonia. A lake lies inside the Melissani Cave. The lake makes it possible for tourists to explore the cave by boat. A guide will take you for 15 minutes around the small lake.
The entrance fee for the Melissani Cave is 8 euros for adults (12$ CAD). A combined ticket for this cave and the Drogarati cave is 10 euros (15$ CAD). This cave is located outside Sami’s village.
Honestly, I skipped this activity because there were too many tourists when I was there. I didn’t want to waste my time in line for 2 hours. That’s why I suggested getting there early, so you can enjoy the rest of your day.
Explore the Drogarati stalagmite and stalactite cave
I absolutely loved this activity. This cave is over 100 million years old. Entering the cave, you will see countless stalagmites and stalactites. Every 100 years, they grow 1 cm. It was amazing seeing one of the wonders of nature, a unique experience in Kefalonia.
The entrance fee for Drogarati Cave is 5 euros for adults (7$ CAD). A combined ticket for this cave and the Melissani cave is 10 euros (15$ CAD). This cave is located outside Sami’s village.
Rent a scooter
This may be surprising, but one of my favorite activities was taking a scooter ride. You will see some incredible views while enjoying the wind on your face. You can also rent a car, but I feel like you will experience the full Greek life by renting a scooter. Some of my best memories are on a scooter. If you are lucky like me, you might drive close to a group of sheep!
Do a hike to Fteri Beach (pebble)
This was such a nice activity I did with my friends. It requires more physical activity than the other things I am suggesting, but it was so much fun. Fetri Beach is only accessible by boat or by doing a 1h hike. Here is a quick guide from the beginning to the end of the hike:
1. First, you need to park your car or your scooter at Hike to Fteri Beach (This is the name you need to put in Google Maps)
2. You will see a fence. There’s a path on the left of the fence. Follow it. Here are pictures of the beginning of the trail. The first picture is at the beginning and the last picture is about 4 minutes down the trail.
3. You simply follow the trail. When you see red or green dots on the rocks, you know you are on the right path.
*Be careful, there’s a path on the right going into the forest after 10 minutes of walking. DO NOT TAKE IT. I did, and it is a dead end + very dangerous*
4. The trail will also continue when you are walking on the rocks. Follow it.
5. Soon enough, you will start to go down. You are close to the beach. You will see the inuksuk I made.
6. Good job you made it!! Enjoy the empty beach and the beautiful water.
PS: Don’t be shy to check the reviews on Google Maps. You will find more pictures and videos of the trail to give you a better idea of where you need to go.
Watch the sea turtles at Argostoli Marina
The main marina in Kefalonia is at Argostoli. It’s also where many sea turtles enjoy their days. Your best chance to see them is to go to Wild Turtle Observation Point and walk from there to De Bosset Bridge. The best season to see the sea turtles is in the summer. I was there in June, and I saw 5 of them.
Do some snorkeling and cliff diving at Amandakis Beach
The best spot for snorkeling in Kefalonia is at Amandakis Beach. It’s not actually a beach, but more of a big flat rock with free chairs you can use.
On the left, you will see a small swimming pool ladder that goes in the water. It’s the perfect place to start your snorkeling trip. If you swim to the left, you can do some snorkeling under the natural bridge. It’s the best spot for snorkeling since there’s no current.
On the right, the rock is about 4 meters from the water. It’s a great spot if you want to do some cliff diving. Always jump far from the rock and enjoy your time if you are brave enough!
*IMPORTANT* Before jumping, I highly suggest that you swim, with your snorkeling mask, to the spot you want to jump. Then, go under the water to see if it’s deep enough for you to jump.
Watch the sunset at Paralia Petani (pebble)
The best spot I found to watch the sunset on Kefalonia is at Paralia Petani Beach. It was gorgeous. The access to the beach is free. There’s a restaurant, Erasmias Petani, if you want to eat dinner or enjoy a drink on one of the chairs on the beach. You need to be a client of the restaurant to use the chairs.
