Ithaki

Ithaki (or Ithaca), Odysseus’ legendary homeland, is a small island separated from the mountainous NE coast of Kefalonia by a deep channel. The island is almost cleaved into two parts with just a narrow piece of land joining the two.

All of this makes for some hair-raising driving. Nevertheless, Ithaki is worth the journey. It is small, green, and pretty, with none of the crowds of the larger islands. Vathy, Kioni, and Frikes are the most picturesque villages in Ithaca.

What is interesting about these villages is that they have managed to keep their traditional identity despite the touristic development. Main town Vathy sits at the end of a natural harbour that is well used by yachts. There are picturesque beaches scattered around the island but it helps if you have a yacht to visit them.