Frommer’s Athens and the Greek Islands, 2nd Edition

Greener and shaggier than the Aegean Islands, Corfu and its neighbors adrift in the Aegean Sea can seem as far removed from the rest of Greece in spirit as they are geographically. Corfu, especially, is a world of its own, rich in landmarks and customs of the many cultures that have set their sights on the strategically placed island—a strong essence of Italy and France with an overlay of British formality. Kefalonia, enjoying relative isolation off the western coast of the Peloponnese, seems more caught up in everyday business than with tourism—yes, you might say this is a Greek island the way they used to be. Ithaca, meanwhile, is a rugged and forested get-away-from-it-all sort of place, as well as the legendary homeland of Homer, the most famous Greek of all.

24km (19 miles) W of mainland port of Igoumenitsa; 558km (342 miles) NW of Athens

Corfu often seems to be several islands in one (and even has a couple of names, the other being Kerkyra). Corfu Town, the capital, is attractive and cosmopolitan, showing off French arcades, English gardens, a Venetian flavor, and a hue of Mediterranean ochers and pastels. On the coast, Corfu is ringed with cliff-backed sandy shores and lively beach towns. In the interior, olive and fruit trees surround modest villages and farms. The island’s sands and green mountainsides have inspired the poetry of Homer, the plays of Shakespeare, and more than a few postcards. According to myth, Hercules, Jason and the Argonauts, and Odysseus all found refuge on this hospitable island—and its islanders and their remarkable surroundings will make you feel welcome, too.

Arriving From Athens, it’s easiest to make the trip to and from Corfu by air, on one of four or five flights a day operated by Olympic (www.olympicair.com) and Aegean (en.aegeanair.com). Flying time is less than an hour. EasyJet and several other carriers also operate flights to Corfu from cities in western Europe. Corfu’s Ioannis Kapodistrias airport (www.corfu-airport.com;

22610/8960) is in Kanoni, 3km (2 miles) south of Corfu Town. Bus number 15 runs between the city center and the airport about every hour; fare is 3€. A cab into Corfu town costs about 15€.

Otherwise, it’s a long haul to Corfu from Athens. Four buses a day depart from Athens Bus Terminal A (100 Kifissou, Athens) for the 7-to-8-hour trip to Igoumenitsa, the nearest mainland ferry port. From Igoumenitsa, almost-hourly ferries make the crossing to Corfu Town (about 1 hour and 45 minutes) and Lefkimi, on the south end of the island (about 11⁄2 hours). Ferries wait for bus arrivals. There are also several boat connections from Italy: Blue Star Ferries (www.bluestarferries.com) and Superfast (www.superfast.com) operate ferries to Corfu from Brindisi, Bari, Venice, and Ancona, for overnight trips of about 8 to 14 hours; ANEK (www.anek.gr) sails to Corfu from Bari and Ancona, and Minoan Lines (www.minoan.gr) sails to Corfu from Ancona and Venice.

You Can’t Get There From Here

If you’re planning on hopping from Corfu down to Kefalonia, you’re out of luck—there’s no ferry service between the two islands, and no inter-island flights. To get to Kefalonia, you’ll have to backtrack to Athens by boat and bus and head out again on a separate bus-ferry connection to Kefalonia, which uses a different mainland port, Kylini. Even flying requires a change in Athens.

Getting Around Corfu has a fairly good bus network. Blue Bus runs city service (www.astikoktelkerkyras.gr;

26610/31595) to and from suburbs and towns around Corfu Town, including Kanoni (airport and Mon Repos) and Gastouri (the Achilleion). Routes originate and end in San Rocco square, just west of the Old Town. Green buses (greenbuses.gr;

26610/28900) serve towns farther afield, including such popular beach towns as Pelakas and Paleokastritsa; routes originate at a terminal near the new port at Lefkimmis 13. Service is extensive and frequent—you can see quite a bit of the island without relying on a car.

Roads on the island are good and well-marked, and most major rental car companies and many local ones operate here (see p. 348). Parking in and around Corfu Town, however, is between difficult and next-to-impossible. If you’re staying in a Corfu Town hotel and renting a car, arrange in advance for parking. If you’re driving into Corfu Town from elsewhere on the island, head for parking lots near the new port and New Fortress, where you’ll pay about 3€ an hour.

Visitor Information In summer, the municipality of Corfu Town often installs an information kiosk on or around the Splanada. The island’s many travel agencies also provide info on what to see and do. A good all-around agency for car rentals, accommodation, and excursions is the long-standing Corfu Tourist Services, Nafsikas 29, Corfu Town (www.corfutouristservices.gr;

26610/24023).

Kontaki Bay Resort and Spa

Of the many large resort complexes in Corfu, this one stands out for its beautiful seaside gardens and proximity to Corfu Town—a plus that makes it easy to eat and drink somewhere other than in the expensive on-premises outlets. The most pleasant of the large and attractive guest rooms are tucked into bungalows scattered among pines and cedars. A host of amenities include outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a beach, and every water sport under the sun. Shoulder-season rates are a good value.

Kontaki Bay, 6 km (4 mi) N of Corfu Town. www.kontokalibay.gr.

26610/99000. 250 units. 130€–270€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: 3 restaurants; 2 bars; beach; 3 swimming pools; kids pool; watersports; tennis courts; spa; Wi-Fi (free). Closed Nov–mid-Apr.

Bella Venezia

You may feel as though you’ve been whisked westward across the Adriatic in this pleasant Venetian mansion, full of polished wood and shiny brass and set in a pretty garden. The high-ceilinged guest rooms are pleasantly done in plain contemporary style, while the lobby and bar, full of brocade and paneling, are charmingly old fashioned.

Zambelli 4, Corfu Town. www.bellaveneziahotel.com.

26610/20707. 31 units. 90€–140€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Bar; garden; Wi-Fi (free).

Mayor Mon Repos

Though Old Town is less than a mile away on a coastal walkway, this glamorous adults-only retreat has the air of a seaside resort, thanks to sea views from every room, a pool and sun terrace, and Anemomylos Beach just across the road. A sophisticated yet comfortable bar and its terrace are especially welcome after a day of seeing the island sights.

Dimokratias & Iasonos Sosipatrou, Anemomylos. www.mayormonrepospalace.com.

26610/32783. 110 units. 80€–110€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool; Wi-Fi (free).

Villa de Loulia

A 200-year-old country house full of beams, polished wood floors, and old mantelpieces creates a homey feeling that does justice to the pretty rural setting amid flower beds outside a small village. Popular Peroulades beach is a short walk away, and the noisy tourist hub of Sidari is nearby, but the high estate walls enclose an ideal, orange-scented refuge, made all the better with a large pool.

Peroulades, 39km (23 mi) NW of Corfu Town. villadeloulia.gr.

26630/95394. 9 units. 120€–140€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool; Wi-Fi (free). Closed Oct–Apr.

Casa Lucia

Corfu Town and the east- and west-coast beaches are within an easy drive of this charming rural compound of cozy stone bungalows, fashioned from an olive mill and set amid rolling olive groves in the center of the island. Each unit has a nice terrace and kitchen, and several are well suited to families, with one or two bedrooms; they surround a hibiscus-scented garden and pool. A car is fairly essential for a stay here.

Sgombou, 12km (7 mi) NW of Corfu Town. www.casa-lucia-corfu.com.

26610/91419. 9 units. 55€–100€ double. Amenities: Pool; gardens; Wi-Fi (free). Closed Nov–Mar.

Family Hotel Penelope

A low-key beach hotel is a rarity in Corfu these days, but the Vlachopoulos family has the concept down pat, with attractive, airy, pastel-hued rooms that face olive groves and the sea just beyond their balconies. The surroundings on the quieter south end of the island are idyllic, with a gentle bay, fishing harbor, and beach just down the road. Two nearby seaside villas house five self-catering apartments, and islanders often make a special trip down here for a seafood feast at the family’s Bourkari Beach Restaurant, where hotel and apartment guests can arrange half board.

Boukari Beach, 26km (16 mi) S of Corfu Town. boukaribeach.gr.

69370/28457. 21 units. 50€–70€ double. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; Wi-Fi (free). Closed Dec–Mar.

Levant Hotel

A genteel retreat on a mountaintop next to Kaiser’s Throne ensures magnificent views up and down the coast. Rooms are simply and pleasantly traditional, a swimming pool is surrounded by well-maintained gardens, and the terrace of the bar-lounge is a top spot for enjoying the sunset.

Pelakas, 14km (81⁄2 mi) SW of Corfu Town. levant-hotel.corfu.hotels-corfu.com.

26610/94240. 26 units. 65€–75€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool; Wi-Fi (free). Closed mid-Oct–late Apr.

Menus across the island tend to be international, leaning heavily toward Italian, though many kitchens serve Greek standards, along with some island favorites: sofrito, veal cooked in wine sauce; grilled lamb; and pastitsada, veal or chicken cooked with fresh tomatoes, wine, and spices.

Aegli

GREEK/CORFIOT The Liston Arcade is the atmospheric setting for this elegant old-timer, where bacala (salted cod) and other Corfiot specialties are on offer. Snacks and drinks are served on the terrace throughout the day—the fruit salad is an island favorite.

Liston, Corfu Town. aeglirestaurant.gr.

26610/31949. Entrees 10€–20€. Daily noon–midnight.

Etrusco

GREEK/MEDITERRANEAN Many travelers come to Corfu just to enjoy the cuisine of chef Ettori Botrini, served on a romantic terrace and in a handsome dining room that seem rather fancy for the small-village surroundings. Delicious homemade pastas and risottos make use of local fish, seafood, and game, and tasty lamb and other dishes are prepared to traditional recipes with many innovative twists. Reservations are essential.

Kato Korakiano, about 15km (9 mi) N of Corfu Town. etrusco.gr.

26610/93342. Entrees 20€–30€, set menus 50€. Daily 8pm–midnight.

Taverna Limeri

GREEK At this informal village tavern, make a meal of meze, small plates. The many offerings often include a surprise or two, such as pork in cranberry sauce or homemade lamb sausages. Salads, brimming with village produce, are excellent, too.

Kato Korakiano, 15km (9 mi) N of Corfu Town.

694/443-7379. Entrees 8€–16€. Daily 5pm–midnight.

Seafood Village

A west-coast hamlet strung out along a white pebble beach backed by cypress trees, Agni is blessed with three seafood tavernas. Corfiots have their favorites, but all serve freshly caught fish and seafood in friendly surroundings. You may want to come back a few times and try all three: Nikolas Taverna (agnibay.com; 6630/91243); Taverna Agni (taverna-agni.com; 26630/91142); and Toula’s (toulasagni.com; 26630/91350). All are open May through October and serve lunch and dinner, from about 1 to 11pm. Agni is 15km (9 miles) north of Corfu Town.

Venetian Well

You’ll probably have to ask your way a couple times before finding this charming spot in the depths of Old Town, where your efforts will be rewarded with a table in the romantic square ringed with old houses out front or in the candlelit dining room. The many creative seafood pastas and the daily specials are based on the market-fresh ingredients available.

Plateia Krematsi, Corfu Town.

2661/550-955. Entrees 10€–25€. Mon–Sat 7–11:30pm.

Many cultures have claimed the island capital as their own. Ancient Greeks, Byzantines, Venetians, French, British, Austro-Hungarians—they’ve all held the island at one time or another and left behind churches, palaces, sea-girt fortresses, medieval lanes jammed with little shops and taverna tables, and a wealth of ancient statuary and even Asian porcelains shown off in fine museums. The city-center Liston arcade is emblematic of this cosmopolitan island—the name is Venetian and the architecture is French-inspired. Likewise, patrons at the sophisticated cafes here are a polyglot mix of Corfiots and international visitors, many of whom come to Corfu in search of sand and sun and, as a bonus, discover one of the most alluring and graceful cities in Greece.

Note: Many of the sights below can be viewed on a 15€ combined ticket that includes the Antivouniotissa Byzantine Museum, Archaeological Museum, Corfu Museum of Asian Art, Museum of Palaiopolis at Mon Repos, and Paleo Frourio (Old Fortress)—a good investment if you’re spending more than a few hours in Corfu Town.

Antivouniotissa Byzantine Museum

MUSEUM Corfu sustained a long tradition of icon painting, and with Crete (another Venetian possession) was one of Greece’s major centers for the art form. In these galleries, on an upper floor of the church of the Pangia Andivoumniotissa, you may notice the influence of Western artistic traditions on the highly stylized Byzantine forms. No doubt due to the island’s close ties with Venice and proximity to the West, shades of the Renaissance creep in, with naturalistic depictions of saints and sinners, often set against distinctly Italian-looking backgrounds. A wonderful swath of mosaic flooring is from an early Christian church in the ancient city of Paleopolis, the ruins of which litter the grounds of Mon Repos, south of town (see p. 337).

Arseniou 25. www.antivouniotissamuseum.gr.

26610/38313. Admission 4€; 15€ combined ticket (see above). Tues–Sun 8am–3pm.

Archaeological Museum

MUSEUM Medusa, the Gorgon with hair of venomous snakes and a stare that could turn anyone to stone, is the star of this collection of artifacts from the Temple of Artemis in the ancient city of Paleopolis, on the grounds of Mon Repos (see p. 337). The Medusa relief, from about 590 b.c., adorned the temple pediment and is the finest example of Greek archaic art to survive the millennia. Artisans took a bit of liberty with mythical storytelling. Legend has it that Medusa gave birth to her sons, Pegasus and Chrysaor, the moment Perseus beheaded her, but here she is shown with both her head and offspring intact. You might want to compare this touchingly naive rendering with other reliefs you may have seen at the Parthenon in Athens and the Temple of Zeus in Olympia—those works, though only slightly later, are much more refined and sophisticated. A magnificent marble of a funerary lion that crouches near the Medusa Gorgonis came from the tomb of Menekrtes, a 7th-century b.c. Corinthian colonizer of the island; the tomb itself is located inside a necropolis just south of the museum off the beautiful seaside promenade.

Vralia 1. amcorfu.gr/en-us.

26610/30680. Admission 6€ Apr–Oct, 3€ Nov–Mar; 15€ combined ticket (see p. 332). Open daily except Wed, Apr–Oct 8am–8pm; Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm; Sept 16–30 8am–7pm; Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm; Oct 16–31 8am–6pm; Nov–Mar daily 8am–3pm.

Corfu Museum of Asian Art

MUSEUM The Palace of St. Michael and St. George was built for the British Lord High Commissioner in 1819. When British rule ended with the unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece in 1864, the palace became a residence of the Greek royal family. State rooms now house one of Europe’s finest collections of Asian Art—an unexpected surprise on a Greek island—displaying Samurai swords, Noh masks, and Chinese porcelains collected by Corfiot diplomats and merchants in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Exotic trees bloom in the palace gardens that overlook the bay and the sea lanes into the harbor, and a café displays works by local artists. The Greek royal family, whose members once included England’s Prince Philip, used to slip down an iron staircase at the end of the gardens to take a dip in the waters below.

Palaia Anaktora. www.matk.gr.

26610/20193. Admission 6€ Apr–Oct, 3€ Nov–Mar; 15€ combined ticket (see p. 332). Daily 8am–8pm.

Neo Frourio (New Fortress)

HISTORIC SITE “New” is a relative term for this massive fortification that the Venetians erected when they took control of the island in the 13th century. These days the high walls, adorned here and there with the Venetian winged lion of St. Mark, still serve as a barrier, dividing the modern city and new port from the narrow lanes of the Old Town. You can explore a maze of medieval tunnels and battlements within the walls and climb to the ramparts for airy sea views. Stalls of the fish and vegetable market fill the moat every morning but Sunday.

Old Town

NEIGHBORHOOD Old Corfu is wedged onto the edge of a squat peninsula, with the sea to one end, the Neo Frourio to the west, and the Paleo Fourio to the east. Narrow lanes, kantounia, and stepped streets twist and turn past Venetian loggias, Greek churches, British palaces, and French arcades, rising and falling through the medieval Campiello. It’s best to stroll aimlessly through the maze; if you become disoriented, look for the campanile of Agios Spyridion, the tallest structure in town. Just off the southwest end of the Liston arcade, across from the Splanada (p. 335), is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Agios Iakavos, better known as San Giacomo, built in 1588 to serve the Venetian and French inhabitants of the island; it was rebuilt after World War II bombing, but the bell tower is original. Heading south across Dimarchiou Square, the Town Hall, originally a Venetian loggia, has served as Corfu’s opera house for almost 200 years; in addition to the Italian repertoire, many Greek works were performed here for the first time. Head north on Theotoki, then Filamonikis, to the Cathedral of Agios Spyridion, the tallest church on the island, with a domed bell tower. It’s dedicated to Corfu’s patron, St. Spyridon, a 4th-century shepherd from Cyprus who over the centuries has performed several miracles in service to Corfu, including saving his church from total destruction when a Nazi bomb fell on it in 1944. The saint is entombed in a silver casket that’s paraded through the streets four times a year. Just beyond is the heart of the medieval Campiello, where narrow, winding lanes are darkened by the balconies of tall Venetian houses and lined with small shops. To the east, tucked against the walls of the Neo Frouio, is the Jewish Quarter. The thriving community here was decimated in June 1944, when Germans rounded up some 2,000 residents and shipped them off to concentration camps, where most perished. Only 200 Jews, hidden by non-Jewish Corfiots, escaped imprisonment. A 300-year-old synagogue on Velissariou has been restored and houses a collection of torah crowns (usually open Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm; admission is free).

Paleo Frourio (Old Fortress)

HISTORIC SITE Corfu was long defended by two fortresses, the old and the new. Byzantines started building the Old Fortress on a hilly seaside promontory in the 12th century. Corfu Town was once entirely enclosed within its walls, wedged beneath two hillocks that give their name to the island (Corfu means “peak”). Venetians dug the moat that separates the fortress from the Splanada (see below); later, the British tore down most of the Byzantine and Venetian remnants and erected, facing the sea, the Anglican church of Saint George in the style of a Greek temple, fronted by a row of six Doric columns. Views from the heights sweep across the town and sea, with glimpses of the forested hills of Albania to the north. A statue by the fortress’s Splanada-side entrance commemorates Count Schulenburg, an Austrian general working for the Venetians who was the hero of the siege of 1716. With a force of 5,000 Venetians and 3,000 Corfiots, the count repelled a 22-day-long siege by 33,000 Turkish forces. The thick, unassailable walls of the Paleo Frourio were no doubt a factor in the successful outcome, as was the alleged intervention of the ghost of St. Spyridon, brandishing a torch and cross.

Eastern edge of Old Town. Admission 6€, 15€ combined ticket (see p. 332). Daily Apr–Oct 8am–8pm, Nov–Mar 8:30am–3pm.

The Splanada (Esplanade)

LANDMARK An expanse of greenery and paving stones at the eastern edge of the Old Town is one of Europe’s largest squares and the stage-like setting for much of the island’s social life. Corfiots come and go here amid landmarks of the island’s cosmopolitan mix of cultures. Britain’s Prince Philip was christened in the Paleo Frourio (Old Fortress), on the seaward flanks of the square, and cricketers compete on a pitch adjacent to a round columned monument honoring Sir Thomas Maitland, British governor of the island from 1815 to 1821. (He is more favorably remembered for his romance with a Portuguese-Celanese dancer than for his autocratic rule.) The island orchestra plays from an ornate pavilion on warm summer nights. Facing onto the Splanada is the Liston, a beautiful arcade from 1807, when the island was part of the French First Empire of Napoleon. Modeled after the rue de Rivoli in Paris, the gracious portico is lined with sophisticated cafes. The name derives from the word “list”—a sort of social registry of the island’s elite residents for whose pleasure the Liston was built. The writer Gerald Durrell, who was raised on Corfu, wrote that “you would sit a little table just under the arcades or beneath the shimmering trees and sooner or later you would see everyone on the island and hear every facet of every scandal.” We visitors might miss some of the social nuances swirling around us, but it’s easy to imagine that for Corfiots the observation still holds true.

Many shops are clustered in and around Old Town, especially along Theotoki street. Along with standard-issue souvenirs, merchants also sell some well-crafted jewelry and items fashioned from island olive wood. One of the more common items is kumquat liqueur, made from this exotic fruit that the British introduced to the island. Stalls of a fish and vegetable market fill the moat of the Neo Frourio (New Fortress) Monday through Saturday mornings.

Corfu Sandals, Filellinon 9 (

26610/4730), has dozens of styles, all made in Greece, along with bags, wallets, and other leather accessories. Lazaris Distillery & Artisan Sweets Brand Store, Agios Vasiliou 34 (

26610/41102), sells everything kumquat, including creamy liqueurs and candies, along with other sweets and drinks from around the island, and serves cocktails as well. Muses, at Theotoki 22 (www.musescorfu.com,

26610/30708), showcases Greek fashion, jewelry, and home accessories, along with folk dolls and other playful items. Patounis Soap Factory, Theotoki 9 (www.patounis.gr,

26610/39806), makes and sells olive oil soap, as the family concern has been doing since 1891. Spirit of Olive Wood, Filellinon 4 (www.solivewood.com;

266130/2257), fashions local wood into beautiful bowls and other objects. Stella, Kapodistriou Ioanni 62 (

22610/24012), specializes in religious icons; its appealing collection also includes hand-crafted ceramics and sculpture, most from Greek artists.

The Achilleion

PALACE Few palaces are more beautifully located, on a verdant, flowery hillside above the sea, or linked with a more romantic figure, Elisabeth of Bavaria (a.k.a. Sisi), empress of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. That said, in few other places will you encounter such an ostentatious and exuberant excess, or better proof that money alone cannot buy taste. Sisi sailed around the Mediterranean on the royal yacht almost constantly to escape court life in Vienna. She built this palace after the death of her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, and his mistress in an apparent murder-suicide. The estate’s pseudo-classical staterooms and gardens are filled with statues and frescoes of gods and goddesses, with Sisi showing a distinct preference for Achilles, whose tragic death at an early age in the Trojan War she associated with her son’s. The god is depicted riding a chariot across a fresco on the ceiling of the entrance hall and in several statues, one of which towers 5 meters high (161⁄2 ft.). Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany bought the palace in 1907, soon after Sisi was stabbed to death by a terrorist in Geneva. The Kaiser left his own imperial imprints on the palace, including a stone overpass and stairway to the beach below the gardens, known as the Kaiser’s Bridge (designed to ensure the Kaiser would not have to rub elbows with the hoi polloi en route to his daily swim). He also had the base of one of the Achilles statues immodestly inscribed, “To the greatest Greek from the greatest German.” When the ostentation gets to be overwhelming, turn your back on all the statuary and take in the spectacular sea views.

Gastouri, 10km (6 mi) S of Corfu Town. www.achillion-corfu.gr.

26610/56210. Admission 7€ adults, 5€ ages 14–18, 2€ ages 13 and under. Mon–Fri 8am–7pm, Sat–Sun 8am–2:30pm. Bus number 10 from San Rocco square.

Kanoni

NEIGHBORHOOD The view from the verdant hillsides of this residential enclave just south of Corfu Town was once among the requisite stops on the Grand Tour. Captured on millions of postcards, the sweep of sparkling sea and verdant coastline takes in two islets floating in the bay. On Vlaherna, a lone cypress sways above a white-washed convent. Pontikonisi, or Mouse Island, is so picturesque, with its chapel set amid a grove of pines, it’s easy to believe the legend that the islet is really the ship on which Odysseus sailed home to Ithaca, turned to stone by Poseidon to revenge the death of his son, Polyphemus. You can walk out to Vlaherna on a stone causeway and from there take a small launch (2€ each way) to Pontikonisi. Thousands of Corfiots cross over to Pontikonisi on August 6 to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, the only time the chapel is open. You can save yourself the effort of the trip, however—the outlook from the shoreline is much more magical than views from the islands toward the overbuilt coast and airport.

Mon Repos

HISTORIC HOME/ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE This neo-classical villa, set amid English gardens next to the sea, was once the residence of the British high commissioners. Like the Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu Town, Mon Repos went to the Greek royal family when Corfu was united with Greece in 1864. Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh and husband of England’s Queen Elizabeth II, was born at Mon Repos in 1921, though his family was soon exiled from Greece in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish war. The Greek government took over the estate in the early 1990s, and several of its restored state rooms now display artifacts from Paleopolis, the ancient city of Corfu that appears in scattered ruin on the grounds of the estate. A walk across the wooded grounds leads to temples of Hera and Poseidon from the 7th and 6th centuries b.c.; nearby are Roman baths, a Christian chapel from the 5th century, and a Byzantine church. A little beach is below the temple ruins. A seaside walkway leads here from Old Town.

Kanoni peninsula, 2km (1 mi) S of Old Town. odysseus.culture.gr.

26610/41369. Admission to museum 4€, gardens free; 15€ combined ticket (see p. 332). Museum Thurs–Tues 8:30am–4pm; gardens open dawn–dusk. Bus #2 from San Rocco square.

Paleokastritsa

TOWN/VIEWS The ancient city of Scheria, which once allegedly stood on these shores, is where the shipwrecked Odysseus supposedly washed onto shore and was rescued by Nausicäa, who escorted him to her father, Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians. Alcinous welcomed Odysseus into his palace, with its walls of bronze and gates of gold, and dispatched magical ships, steered by thought alone, to take the wanderer home to Ithaca (see p. 336). No physical evidence has ever emerged to place the story here on the west coast, but by virtue of beauty alone, this string of coves backed by cliffs and forests certainly seems like a place where a myth could unfold. In some places, civilization has encroached unattractively onto the spectacular scenery, but the farther you walk from the village, the more appealing the beaches are. Theotokou, a monastery atop a seaside bluff, is a tranquil retreat, with spectacular sea views and a shady courtyard filled with cats and flowers. A small museum here houses a 12th-century icon of the Virgin (admission free, daily 8am–1pm and 3–8pm). The villages of Lakones and Krini, sitting high above Paleokastritsa on an adjacent mountainside, can be reached on a steep, cliff-hugging road; Lakones is 7km (4 miles) north of Paleokastritsa, Krini about 10km (6 miles) northwest. The views are even better from Angelokastro, a ruined medieval castle perched 300m (984 ft.) above the sea, which you can reach on a clifftop path from the southern edge of Krini.

Paleokastritsa: 24km (14 mi) NW of Corfu Town on well-marked cross-island road. Served by green line buses from new port in Corfu Town.

Pelakas

TOWN/VIEWS This hilltop town and surroundings above the cove-etched west coast are renowned for their views over the sumptuous folds of forested mountains plunging into the sea. The most noted viewpoint is Kaiser’s Throne, a rocky summit at the northern edge of town where Kaiser Wilhelm used to ride and take in the vistas. Just below to the east stretches the Ropa Valley, Corfu’s agricultural heartland, a patchwork of fertile fields, vineyards, orchards, and olive groves. The coast near Pelakas is lined with some of Corfu’s most beautiful beaches (see below).

14km (81⁄2 mi) SW of Corfu Town on well-marked road. Bus #11 from San Rocco square.

The west coast around Paleokastritsa (see p. 337) is famously popular for beaches tucked along little bays flanked by cave-riddled cliffs and bluer-than-blue sea. While the main Paleokastritsa Beach

can be mobbed, you can get away from the crowds by renting a pedal boat from one of many beach concessions and poking along the shoreline, where you’re likely to find an inlet all to yourself. The coast below Pelakas (see p. 337) is also lined with golden sands. Pelakas Beach

, a long stretch of sand backed by cliffs (and a large hotel complex) is one the most popular spots on the island, with many sun beds, food concessions, and water sports outlets. The popular resort of Ermones

is 6km (31⁄2 miles) north of Pelakas, and two sandy beaches stretch between the two, popular Glifyda

and, best of all the island beaches, Myrtiotissa

, described by novelist Lawrence Durrell as “perhaps the loveliest beach in the world” (it’s a favorite these days with snorkelers and nude bathers). Travelers with children like Sidari

, up on the north coast, an unattractively overbuilt beach town that does no justice to its beautiful coastal setting, where sandstone formations rim calm waters; and nearby Ayios Georgios

, a laid-back family-friendly resort town 33km (20 miles) northwest of Corfu Town with a long stretch of fine sand washed by shallow waters. On the northeast coast, amid cypress and olive trees, crescent-shaped Kalami Bay

, one of many Corfu settings in Gerald Durrell’s memoir My Family and Other Animals, is still green and tranquil.

You’ll find watersports concessions at just about any beach on the island. The Achilleion Diving Center, in Paleokastritsa and Ermones, offers dives and instruction (www.diving-corfu.com;

6932/729011). Next Holidays arranges parasailing, windsurfing, waterskiing, snorkeling, and other watersports around the island (www.corfunext.com;

6945/265048).

Corfu is good birdwatching territory, hosting more than 300 species, including cormorants, egrets, and migrating flamingos. The marshy shoreline of Lake Korission, 26km (16 miles) south of Corfu Town, is a prime viewing spot. Follow signs to Issos beach, where a footpath follows dunes around the lake.

The Corfu Golf Club, outside Ermones, 16km (10 miles) west of Corfu Town, has one of the best courses in Greece, ranging across beautiful terrain in the Ropa Valley; fees are 55€ for 18 holes, with many discount packages available (corfugolfclub.com;

26610/94220).

Hit the Back Country on the Corfu Trail

Hikers can traverse the entire island on the 220km-long (137-mile) Corfu Trail . Running from Cape Asprokovas in the south to Cape Agias Ekaterinas in the north, the trail crosses the island’s most scenic landscapes, including the west coast, Ropa Valley, and Mount Pantokrator, Corfu’s highest summit. Around the base of the mountain, centuries-old olive groves have been allowed to go wild, creating primordial-looking forests interspersed with oak and chestnut. (A curvy road also ascends Pantokrator, with access to paths along the way, so you can explore the flanks and summits without the stiff uphill hike.) If you’re hiking long stretches of the trail, there’s no need to bring camping gear—you’ll find rooms and tavernas all along the route. For info on the route, check out www.corfutrailguide.com, where you can also download a copy of The Companion Guide to the Corfu Trail, by Hilary Whitton Paipeti, who created the trail some 20 years ago. Anna Apergi Travel (www.aperghitravel.gr; 26610/48713) puts together walking packages, arranges accommodation, and takes care of luggage transfer and other details.

The largest and greenest of the Ionians can seem postcard-perfect, with lush, forested mountainsides and soft, white beaches lapped by turquoise water. All this dazzling scenery, however, is just a backdrop to the island’s real allure: a surfeit of low-key charm. Not as glamorous or popular as Corfu (or many other islands, for that matter), Kefalonia—often spelled Cephalonia—is a place to take in the scent of pine forests, keep an eye out for wild horses grazing in meadows, and find a stretch of soft sand without a beach umbrella in sight. When civilization intrudes here, it does so gently, in the pleasant bayside capital of Argostoli and a clutch of relaxing seaside towns.

Arriving To reach Kefalonia by boat, take a bus or drive to Kylini, on the west coast of the Peloponnese, 290km (174 miles) and about 31⁄2 hours from Athens. From there, ferries make the 1 hour and 20 minute crossing to Poros, on Kefalonia, as often as 6 times a day. Buses (ktelkefalonias.gr) from Athens Bus Terminal A (100 Kifissou) make the direct boat connection several times a day; on Kefalonia, buses meet ferries and continue on to Argostoli. Boats are operated by Kefalonia Lines (kefalonianlines.com). Aegean (en.aegeanair.com) operates several flights a day between Athens and Kefalonia’s Anna Pollatu airport, 10km (6 miles) north of Argostoli. In summer, many charter airlines connect the airport with London, Manchester, and other European cities. Fare for a taxi to Argostoli is about 15€, and a summertime-only airport bus (www.ktelkefalonias.gr) operates several times a day; fare is 3€, payable to the driver.

Getting Around Kefalonia is very well served by bus (www.ktelkefalonias.gr), with service to most holiday resorts and major towns. With some planning it’s easy to see most of the island this way, and schedules are widely posted. The central bus station in Argostoli is on the south end of town just off the waterfront at Tritsi 5. Car rental on the island is relatively expensive, and cars can be scarce during the summer. Reserve well in advance with Greekstones (greekstones-rentacar.com;

26710/42201) or other reliable local companies. Companies on the island require an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) from citizens of many non-EU countries, including the United States.

Visitor Information A fairly extensive online guide to the island is at kefaloniaisland.org. The city of Argostoli operates a tourist info point next to the train station, with limited information about the rest of the island. The office is usually open in summer Monday to Saturday, 9am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm, though hours vary. Kefalonia Excursions (kefaloniaexcursions.com;

267110/0817) and many other companies offer full-day tours of the island, often with stops at the Sami caves, Myrtos Beach, and other highlights, usually about 30€.

Ionian Plaza

A center-of-town location on Plateia Valianou makes this hotel convenient and, given the pedestrian-only surroundings, fairly quiet. Welcoming terraces surround the ground floor lounges, while large guest rooms upstairs are colorful and comfortably deluxe. Their balconies overlook the square and town, with a few even catching a glimpse of the sea.

Palteia Vallianou, Argostoli. www.ionianplaza.gr.

26710/25581. 75€–150€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: Gym, snack bar, Wi-Fi (free).

Natalie’s Hotel and Apartments

Crisp, white-tiled contemporary studios and apartments, all with balconies and kitchenettes, share attractive surroundings that include a stylish, sunny terrace, outdoor bar, and saltwater pool. A back street location provides a nice escape from the hectic waterfront, yet the beach is a short walk away.

Skala. natalieshotel.com.

26710/83586. 45€–130€ double. Amenities: Bar; pool; Wi-Fi (free).

Pension Gallini

These simple but bright, airy, and extremely good-value accommodations at the north end of town in Poros provide all the basic comforts, along with sea-view balconies. Host Effie is on hand with advice for getting around and seeing the island and will probably offer to pick you up at the port.

1 block above beach rd. N of center, Poros. pension-galini.hotelsinkefalonia.com. 40€–60€ double. Amenities: Shared kitchens; near beach; Wi-Fi (free).

Odd for an island, maybe, but Kefalonia’s most famous culinary specialties are meat-laden kreatopita (a hefty pie usually made with beef, rice, and a tomato sauce) and crasato, pork cooked in wine. The island’s vineyards yield some excellent wines, including Robola whites.

Captain Nicolas

GREEK/SEAFOOD What seems like a simple beach café on the sandy Lixouri Peninsula prepares the full regalia of a traditional and expert Greek kitchen. Lamb Kleftiko and moussaka, along with heaping platters of fried anchovies and grilled shrimps, are served on a friendly sea-view terrace.

Vatsa, Lixouri.

26710/92722. Entrees 7€–15€. Daily 11am–midnight. Closed for part of winter.

Captain’s Table

GREEK/SEAFOOD It’s easy to spot this old-time favorite on the waterfront, with a breezy café out front and iced displays showing off a fresh catch that appears in many preparations, including a fish soup that’s the house specialty. An all-day menu includes sandwiches and salads.

You won’t find landmarks, monuments, ruins, or history-rich lanes and squares in the capital. In fact, you won’t find much that predates 1953, when an earthquake leveled most of the island, killing hundreds of islanders. Survivors from ruined villages straggled into Argostoli, only to find the capital in rubble as well. An estimated 100,000 of the 120,000 islanders emigrated from Kefalonia, leaving Argostoli a ghost town. While such a provenance is not promising, today Argostoli is attractive and appealing, stretching along a thumb-shaped bay of the Gulf of Argostoli. The narrow bay is home to the town’s most popular residents (and major attraction), a bale of loggerhead turtles that congregate beneath the stone-arched De Bosset pedestrian bridge. Inland, the vast Plateia Vallianou square is lined with cafes on one side and government offices on the other, and from here pedestrian-only, shop-lined Lithostroto cuts through the heart of town.

Korgialenio History and Folklore Museum

MUSEUM While you won’t see many remnants of old Kefalonia on the island, you’ll find plenty in this quirky collection of furniture, tools, and other artifacts. Fascinating photographs chronicle island life before the quake, and also capture the total destruction and slow rebuilding.

Agios Gerasimos

CHURCH Kefalonia’s holiest shrine, honoring the island patron and rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake, is awash in colorful biblical scenes. The main attractions are glass cases housing relics of the saint, a cave in which he allegedly spent his days in prayer, and a gentle setting in the folds of pine-covered mountains. Many visitors also make the trip 9km (6 miles) south through Robola vineyards for the climb up to the extensive ruins of St. George’s Castle

, near Livathou (

26710/27546), begun under the Byzantines in the 11th century and fortified by the Venetians. Kastro, the little medieval town that took shape beneath the castle, was at one time capital of the island. The castle is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8:30am to 3:30pm, and admission is free.

Omala Plain, Frangata, 15km (9 mi) E of Argostoli.

26710/86385. Free admission. Daily 8am–1pm and 3–8pm.

Lixouri Peninsula

BEACHES The island’s second-largest town, just across the narrow Gulf of Argostoli from the capital, Lixouri itself is fairly unremarkable, but the beaches to its south are spectacular. At Lepeda, just 2km (11⁄2 miles) south, strange rock formations rise from a long stretch of red sand, creating enticing pools. Just beyond, red sands are backed by white cliffs at Xi and Megas Lakkos. At the southern tip of the peninsula, Kounopetra (Rocking Stone), 8km (5 miles) south of Lixouri, has lost its claim to fame: The namesake rock used to move rhythmically but ceased to do so after the 1953 earthquake. The golden sands are still enticing, though, as are those at Agios Nikolaos, another 2km (11⁄2 miles) farther west. It’s a 40km (25-mile) trip around the gulf by land, but ferries (www.ionianseaferries.gr;

26710/91280) make the 20-minute trip across the gulf from Argostoli to Lixouri about every half hour; tickets, bought on board, are 2.80€ for passengers, 4€ for cars.

The southern reaches of the island are mountainous, with lush forests of oak and cypress and farming valleys tucked into the folds of the mountains. Rising above these soothing landscapes is Mount Ainos

, the island’s tallest summit at 1,600m (5,250 ft.). A unique species of fir, Abies cephalonica, flourishes in the mountain’s ecosystem, which has been designated a national park for the tree’s protection. A road rounds the mountain to the top, where there are phenomenal views over the island, other Ionians, and the Peloponnese and central mainland.

Poros

, near the bottom of the southeastern coast 40km (25 miles) southeast of Argostoli, is the island’s main port these days, with boats shuttling back and forth between the town harbor and Kylini, in the Peloponnese. Many travelers move on to Argostoli or settle down on the east coast in nearby Skala

, 36km (22 miles) southeast of Argostoli, or Sami

, 26km (151⁄2 miles) northeast of Argostoli. Both are agreeable if unremarkable low-key resort towns, with good beaches and many seasonal hotels and tavernas. The coast around Sami is especially appealing, with a nice fishing village, Agia Efymia

, sharing the same bay, and an especially beautiful beach, backed by green hills, at Antisamos

. Strung out along a beachfront, Poros makes no pretense to resort glamor, but is a pleasant, albeit rather scrappy, low-key fishing village, farm town, and summertime retreat for Kefalonians and Greeks from the mainland.

The Sami Caves

NATURAL ATTRACTION Subterranean Kefalonia comes to the fore around Sami in two of the island’s most popular attractions. Nature endowed the Drogarati chamber, 4km (21⁄2 miles) south of Sami off the Argostoli road, with a forest of fantastic stalagmites and near-perfect acoustics, so refined that concerts are sometimes held in the cave, where the great Maria Callas once performed. Melissani Cave, 3km (2 miles) north of Sami off the coast road, is even more dramatic. It’s also eerie, given the presence of a weird hydrologic phenomenon—the water that sloshes inside its roofless cavern flows across the entire island from a submerged sea cave near Argostoli. A boatman rows visitors across the lake, with sunlight from the collapsed roof casting multicolored hues on rock and water. The best effects are between noon and 2pm.

Drogarati Cave: Chaliolatta. Admission 5€. Apr 1–19 Wed & Fri–Sat 10am–3pm; Apr 20–30 daily 10am–4pm; May–Oct daily 10am–5pm. Melissani Cave: Sami. www.melissani-cave.com.

26740/22997. Admission 7€. May–Oct daily 9am–7pm (shorter hours in winter).

Setting Out for Ithaca

A 20-minute crossing from Sami, the fabled home of Odysseus, where Penelope patiently awaited the hero’s return, today provides only scant associations with the greatest myth of all time. The Cave of the Myths, where Odysseus supposedly hid gold and copper, is reached by a steep uphill climb off a well-marked road 3km (2 miles) outside Vathy, the island’s attractive little capital. The sleeping hero was allegedly set down on the soft sands of nearby Dexia Beach, and another 3km (2 miles) south is the Fountain of Arethusa, where Odysseus, dressed as a beggar, went to meet his loyal swineherd. Alalkomenai, once thought to be the site of Odysseus’s capital, is 8km (5 miles) west of Vathy. You’ll need a car to get around the island, though Kefalonia Tours (www.kefaloniantours.com) and other operators lead 1-day tours from Kefalonia, with stops at some Odysseus sites as well as Vathy, Koni, and other picturesque spots. Rates (around 45€ adults, 30€ kids) include pickup in Argostoli and at various resorts, along with the boat crossing and a day of touring.

A road follows the west coast north from Argostoli to the island’s two prettiest towns, Assos and Fiscardo. The drive is one of the most scenic in Greece—and if not taken very slowly could certainly be one of the most hair-raising, full of hairpin curves along steep mountainsides, with dizzying vistas of the sea crashing onto rocks far, far below.

A 37km (22-mile) drive north of Argostoli, a ruined Venetian castle overlooks the postcard-picturesque little fishing port of Assos

. Mansions and pine groves surround the pretty, protected harbor, and a steep, view-filled walkway ascends in switchbacks through a scented forest from water’s edge up to the castle grounds. Stealing the show around here is Myrtos Beach, about 12km (71⁄2 miles) south of Assos via steep roads, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece (it’s certainly one of the most photographed), following a turquoise inlet backed by white cliffs and forests.