The close neighbours of Zákynthos and Kefaloniá do, at first glance, share a great deal: history, geographical proximity and cultural influences. However, to listen to islanders talking you would think they were as different as chalk and cheese. The Zakynthians, according to themselves, are friendly, warm and outgoing, while the Kefalonians are aloof, reserved and suspicious; the Kefalonians, for their part, claim to be proud, independent and hospitable. For all these are stereotypes, imbued with a degree of local rivalry, there is a certain truth to all of the claims.
iStockphoto
Iconic Navágio Bay, Zákynthos
Scented breeze
The oft-quoted Venetian saying ‘Zante, Fior di Levante’ (Zante, Flower of the East; refers to the east wind that carried the perfume of the island’s many wild flowers – especially the now-endangered sea daffodils – miles out to sea. The Venetian sailors could therefore smell the island before it came into sight.
Even at the level of the landscape, Kefaloniá is more forbidding and mountainous than green, lush Zákynthos. As for the claim that the Zakynthians are more approachable than their neighbours, it is true that the large wave of emigration and subsequent return of richer emigrés has left a much more socially and geographically fractured society on Kefaloniá than on Zákynthos.
Both islands, however, are beautiful and it is likely a visitor will find as much to admire in the wild, rugged west coast of Kefaloniá as in the cosy lowlands of the Central Plain on Zákynthos. Also strong on both islands is a long, vibrant cultural history, seen in their churches, painting and music.
Geology and Environment
Another shared attribute of the islands is their important and unique natural environment. The sea around the islands is beautifully clean, crystal clear and home to two of the most endangered species to be found in Greek waters: the Mediterranean monk seal and the Mediterranean breeding population of the loggerhead turtle.
Both islands are predominantly made of heavily folded Cretaceous limestones. Geologically they form a unit, separated from Corfu to the north by the Kefaloniá fault zone. On Zákynthos in particular the island’s topography is easily related to the underlying geology. The western mountains are made of relatively hard Cretaceous limestones, while the gentler east is largely made up of Eocene deposits. The Vasilikós Peninsula is a combination of hard Triassic rocks and Plio-Pleistocene marls. Mountainous Kefaloniá largely comprises hard limestones, within which are numerous caves. The heavily folded rocks point to a turbulent geological history, and the islands’ location along the Hellenic Subduction Zone gives rise to numerous earthquakes.
Kevin Cummins/Apa Publications
Melissáni cave lake
As well as being home to several species of mammal (including martens, Martes foina, and, on Kefaloniá, feral ponies) the islands have a number of interesting reptiles. One of the most spectacular is the large but harmless Aesculapian snake (Elaphe longissima), which can grow up to 2m (6.5ft) in length. Birds include house martins (Delichon urbica) and the beautiful golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus). Of the birds of prey, look out for the tiny Scop’s owl (Otus scops) and the much larger buzzard (Buteo buteo).
mce128/Bigstockphoto
The loggerhead turtle
The islands’ flora is stunning, especially during spring. Kefaloniá is home to many rare wild flowers, including Viola cephalonica and Campanula garganica-cephalonica, as well as its own fir, Abies cephalonica. Zákynthos is an equally important habitat for flora and still has populations of the fragrant sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum).
Tourism
On Zákynthos, the first package tourists arrived in 1982, brought by the British company Sunmed and later Club 18–30. This has led to indiscriminate development along the south and east coast beaches of Zákynthos, bringing in its wake a huge annual influx of mostly British package tourists, although numbers have steeply declined in recent years due to the economic crisis. Nonetheless the boom years injected a considerable amount of cash into the local economy, although much of it remains in the hands of the major international tour operators and hotel owners. The tourists also bring unwelcome social behaviour, including bouts of heavy drinking and the occasional fight.
As well as this social disturbance, there has been a huge environmental impact from such a large number of visitors. Prior to the tourist boom the island was extremely poor, with a severely underdeveloped infrastructure. Eager to exploit a steady source of income, locals threw up shoddy hotels and resorts with little regard for their environmental impact, never mind the water and sanitation needs of around 700,000 visitors per year. By the mid-1990s it was realised that action needed to be taken to protect endangered species, such as the loggerhead turtle, and to preserve sensitive areas. After a long, occasionally bitter, campaign by local activists, the Marine National Park of Zákynthos was established in 1999. Over ten years on, there is still friction between ecologists and local businessmen and many of the protective measures that passed in law have not been implemented in practice.
Mythical Origins
According to Greek mythology, Taphios, the son of Poseidon and Hippothoë, established the city of Taphos on the Peloponnese. Under his son Pterelaus this expanded to include the nearby Ionian islands, and so the inhabitants of Kefaloniá became known as Taphioi. The present-day name is said to come from Cephalus – a son of the king of Ileia – and the names of the four ancient cities from his four sons: Kranius, Paleus, Pronessos and Samos.
As for Zákynthos, Homer reported that Zakynthos was the son of King Dardanos on the Peloponnese. He settled on the island – thus giving it its name – and created the fortification of Psophidia, named after the town in Arcadia from which he came. It is possible that this was on the site of the present-day Bóhali.
The history of tourism on Kefaloniá is less invasive. It has, so far, largely escaped the ravages of mass package tourism that have afflicted parts of Zákynthos. The relatively low-key tourist developments that do exist are mainly concentrated in Lássi on the west coast, and Skála in the south. The real boost to Kefaloniá’s tourism industry came in the mid-1990s with the phenomenal success of the book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières. The descriptions of (pre-war) idyllic island life inspired a large number of visitors to come and see for themselves. Generally fairly affluent, these visitors (mainly from Italy and the UK) have encouraged high-end, and therefore more expensive, development. These tend to be visually kinder to the landscape, though this has resulted in some places, Fiskárdo in particular, becoming overly twee.
Kevin Cummins/Apa Publications
Sailing the exceptionally clear waters
Island Life
Though both islands suffer an annual invasion, away from the tourist hordes and outside the peak months of July and August life carries on much as it does elsewhere in Greece. Many people still farmland for olives and grapes, the harvest for both crops taking place during the autumn and winter.
Kevin Cummins/Apa Publications
Taking it easy in Ássos
A number of the local tavernas, at least in the capitals, stay open throughout the winter, and this is the time when islanders tend to go out and enjoy themselves after the hard work of the tourist season. This division of the year does lead to high seasonal unemployment, and some people move to the mainland during the winter. Aside from fishing and agriculture there is little else in terms of industry on either Zákynthos or Kefaloniá – the odd quarry or small-scale food processing – but talk of trying to expand the tourist season, such as offering spring treks to see the islands’ flora, has failed to be organised on a practical level.
One traditional aspect of life that still continues is the singing of kandádes. These are songs performed by a group of male singers with guitar accompaniment. The music itself is a combination of local traditional songs, Italian popular songs and 19th-century operatic arias (a legacy of Venetian rule). It is not at all unusual to hear Neapolitan favourites such as O sole mio in among the Greek offerings. Arékia, also popular, is a similar but more thoughtful solo song genre.