Επίσκεψη
The following information is provided as a convenience to readers. Although efforts are made to keep these details up to date, no responsibility can be taken for any inaccuracies in the content of third party websites or any decisions that may be taken on the basis of their advice.
Flying to Kefalonia
There are daily direct flights between Athens and Kefalonia (airport code EFL, near Argostoli) via Olympic Airways and Aegean Airlines. Both airlines also link London and other cities to Athens, as do Easyjet and British Airways. The Kefalonia airport website lists phone numbers and in the summer months (May - September) there are direct charter flights from London and other cities via operators such as Thomson, First Choice, Thomas Cook, Cosmos (Monarch) and Astraeus. Bookings from UK airports can also be made from agents such as Just the Flight, Cheapflights, Airflights, CharterflightCentre and Lantisworld. Reservations can also be made directly with the resourceful team at Ainos Travel in Argostoli. AirSea Lines of Corfu also provides local flight connections between the principal islands and the mainland of Greece and Italy.
Car ferries to the Ionian Islands
Click on the adjacent map to enlarge. Latest timetables are available from the Greek Travel Pages (type in the port codes below). Car ferries to Kefalonia from the Greek mainland depart from Patras [PAT] to Sami [SAK] and from Kyllini [KYL] to Poros [POK]. For much of the year there is also an evening departure from Kyllini direct to Argostoli [ARG] and Lixouri [LIX], returning the next morning. The operators are Ionian Ferries (Kyllini 26230 92720; Poros 26740 72250) and Strintzis Ferries (Kyllini 26230 92351; Poros 26740 72284; Lixouri 26710 93142; Argostoli 26710 25151; Patras 26102 40000; Sami 26740 22055). There is a regular car ferry service between Argostoli and Lixouri, the main town of Paliki. In July & August it runs every half hour from 06:00 to after midnight; at other times the service is hourly, leaving Lixouri on the hour and Argostoli on the half hour, with the last ferry from Argostoli at around 22:30.
From Sami and Fiskardo [FIS] there is a ferry service to Ithaki (Vathy) [ITV] and Pissaetos [PIS] on the island of Ithaca and from Fiskardo (26740 41440) there is also a car ferry to Vassiliki [VAS] (26450 31805/31555 ) and Nydri [NYD] (26450 92509) on Lefkas. In the summer there is also a daily ferry service between Sami, Pissaetos and Astakos [AST] (26460 41052) on the mainland. Agios Nikolaos (Skinari) [ZAN] in the north of Zacynthos can be reached from Pessada [PES] in the south of Kefalonia; the main service to Zacynthos town [ZAK] is from Kyllini. For all services, at peak times it is wise to telephone ahead with your vehicle registration number (if the telephone number is not listed above, click on the port name). For quick reference, click on a port name below (on either side of the arrows) for the departure times from that port to the other. Ferries to Kefalonia also operate from Bari and Brindisi in Italy.
Patras <--> Sami; Kyllini <--> Poros; Kyllini <--> Argostoli; Argostoli <--> Lixouri; Fiskardo <--> Vassiliki; Fiskardo <--> Nydri; Fiskardo <--> Ithaki (Pissaetos); Sami <--> Ithaki (Vathy); Sami <--> Ithaki (Pissaetos); Sami<-->Astakos.
Coach, bus and rail connections
There is a daily coach service between Athens and Argostoli via the Patras-Sami ferry and an inclusive ticket can be purchased for the whole journey, which takes about 8 hours. Contact details are provided here for the Athens, Argostoli and Lixouri bus stations. For timetables see the Athens long distance bus website or the English guide to Argostoli KTEL, which also lists bus routes on the island itself. There is a rail service between Athens and Patras which provides an alternative connection to the ferry or seaplane connection (Gouvia Marina). Journey time is about 3.5 hours and timetables are provided at the Greek railways site (OSE). Alternatively one can continue by bus from Patras to Kyllini, or by rail from Patras to Lechaina and then take a bus to Kyllini.
Sailing and scuba diving around Kefalonia
One of the most spectacular ways of seeing the island is from the sea. Yacht hire for both experienced and first-time sailors is available from the Lixouri base of Sea Trek in Argostoli Gulf, which enables visitors to sail to the Asteris ambush point and also to see the ancient harbour, the heights of Kastelli and the southern exit of Strabo's Channel from a marine perspective. Daily motorboat hire is available from Mike's Boats at the Argostoli bridge and also at Fiscardo, from where private excursions can be made to Dascalion and Ithaca. Skippered and self-drive power boat hire is available in Lixouri from Ionian Seafaris. Scuba diving can be arranged with the Aquatic World Diving Club in Agia Efimia, who have also assisted the Odysseus Unbound project with marine survey vessels. A comprehensive directory of marine opportunities is available from the Kefalonia Travel Guide while an underwater excursion to Dascalion island and other destinations is provided by Ionian Discoveries.
Sea kayaking, trekking and cycling around Kefalonia
These expeditions can be booked with Monte Nero Activities, who are based near Svoronata to the south of Argostoli. The organisers are familiar with the proposals of Odysseus Unbound and some of their routes include locations that are described in the book. An outstanding but fairly demanding day's kayaking starts at Agia Kiriaki bay, the presumed northern exit of Strabo's Channel below the village of Zola, and then circumnavigates the northern capes of Paliki, arriving in Atheras Bay on the route that Odysseus may have been described as having taken on his eventual return to Ithaca. More modest expeditions can be booked near Argostoli as a way of seeing at first-hand the cape where the suitors may have tried to ambush Telemachos.
Visiting museums and established archaeological sites
The "Odysseus" website of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture has recently been updated. This provides lists of Museums, Monuments and Archaeological sites. Selective inquiries can be made at the interactive cultural map but some pages at present lack contact information. Alternative details are available at the Greek Tourist Organiser entry and at the Argostoli and Paliki civic websites (the latter is in Greek). The Greek Travel pages entry on Kefallonia also provides a useful starting point for inquiries. Further details are provided at the website of the General Directorate of Antiquities and locally at the 35th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.
Visiting the Odysseus Unbound sites
Several of the places described in Odysseus Unbound such as Strabo's Channel, Phorcys Bay, Ortholithos Point and Asteris can be freely visited on Kefalonia and their locations are clearly identified in the book. However, other sites such as Kastelli, Eumaios' Pigfarm, Raven's Rock, Telemachos' Cove and Laertes' Farm are located on private ground and may not be visited without the permission of the owners.
An itinerary for visitors that includes several of the sites described in Odysseus Unbound is provided via this brochure, entitled The Atheras Walk.
Obtaining Odysseus Unbound on Kefalonia
In Argostoli there is a new bookshop called The Bookmark specialising in English books. Brian and Donna Glencross usually stock Odysseus Unbound and they can also arrange for you to pre-order it and other English books before you arrive on the island. The shop is located off Lithostratou Street (the pedestrian street) in a courtyard behind Cafe Metropolis, 26710 27616.
In Lixouri you can usually obtain the book as well as visit guidance from Nestoras Gioulatos at Carpe Diem travel agency (26710 93940), about 200m north of the ferry terminal. The bookshop Solomos (26710 93522) just south of the river bridge on the high street also usually stocks copies.
Weather and webcam
The BBC provides a 5-day weather forecast while for a longer term perspective see the annual climate summary. This north-east facing Lixouri ferry webcam provides a real-time view and also recent still images of the Argostoli-Lixouri ferry and this south facing Lixouri harbour webcam provides a view towards the Argostoli peninsula.
Accommodation and further information
Many websites provide information about Kefalonia but relatively few contain detailed information about Paliki. The Greek Travel Pages provide hotel and apartment listings for all Kefalonia and also Paliki specifically. The property agency Kefalonia Real Estate in Argostoli is familiar with the thesis of Odysseus Unbound and is a useful point of contact for visitors. The travel agency Carpe Diem mentioned above can assist with local practicalities including hotel and villa bookings. Package holidays can also be booked via several companies specialising in the island. Also available is an independent list of hotels in Kefalonia and apartment rentals on Paliki. For a description of local religious festivals throughout the year, click here. Those who are interested in tracing Kefalonian placenames or family names can apply to Kefalonian Roots.