Easily visited from Kefaloniá, the island of Itháki has a history that’s intimately tied up with that of its larger neighbour. Claimed by many, particularly the locals, to be the mythical homeland of the Homeric hero Odysseus, there is little archaeological evidence to support this claim (indeed, it seems as though Homeric Ithaca is likely to lie close to present-day Póros on Kefaloniá). Daily ferries leave from Sámi on Kefaloniá and dock at the tiny harbour of Píso Aetós on the west coast of Itháki.
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Vathý harbour
Twin peaks
Itháki is essentially two groups of mountains linked by a narrow isthmus. On the eastern side of the isthmus is the deep Gulf of Mólou, while on the north coast is the large bay of Afáles.
Like Kefaloniá, Itháki suffered greatly from the 1953 earthquake, causing many people to emigrate (the population dropped from around 15,000 to under 3,000). However, it is a supremely beautiful and unspoilt island with a lovely main town, Vathý, and some gorgeous deserted beaches.
Vathý and the North
Vathý * [map] lies on the island’s east coast, at the head of a deep bay on the Gulf of Mólou. It is a quiet, very attractive town (it still retains surviving pre-earthquake architecture) with a huge number of tavernas set around its harbourfront and an Archaeological Museum (Tue–Sun 8.30am–3pm; free). Ferries depart for Pátra on the mainland.
To the north, the road crosses the isthmus and either heads up to the mountain-top village of Anogí or around the western coast through Léfki. Anogí, only occupied for half the year, has fabulous views as well as the Byzantine church of Kímisis tis Theotókou. Before reaching Léfki you pass a series of small, quiet pebble beaches: Vrýsi, Áspros Gialós, Komninoú Ámmos and Koutoúpi.
The roads from both Léfki and Anogí join at Stavrós, the island’s second-largest town. This sits above the small port of Pólis (a 20-minute walk). There is a small Archaeological Museum (Tue–Sun 8.30am–3pm; free) here, housing local finds. These mostly come from the early Bronze Age to Mycenaean site at nearby Pelikáta, one of the many sites claimed as the location of the palace of Odysseus.
North of Stavrós a road winds up to the hill village of Exogí. On the way up is an excavation known as the School of Homer, in reality a tower dating from the 6th century BC; close by is a Mycenaean tomb. Below is the spectacular bay of Afáles ( [map] with its lovely beach. From the beach at Afáles a rough, but beautiful minor road heads north towards Cape Drákou Pídimia, before doubling back down to the deserted beach at Mármaka.
After the quiet port of Fríkes on the east coast, a favourite yachting harbour, the main road heads around to Kióni , [map], an attractive place and Itháki’s most upmarket resort. Like Fiskárdo on Kefaloniá, Kióni survived the 1953 earthquake, and has capitalised on this in a similar fashion, as evidenced in the prices for accommodation. The coast between Fríkes and Kióni has a number of lovely pebbly beaches. The walk up to Anogí from Kióni, along a clearly marked path, is delightful and takes around 1.5 hours each way.
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Itháki’s main town, Vathý
The Odysseus Trail
The south of the island has a number of sites that are supposedly linked with events in Homer’s The Odyssey. Close to Vathý, up the hill from the beach at Dexá (identified as ancient Phorcys, the landing place of Odysseus), is the Cave of the Nymphs ⁄ [map]. This spot is apparently where the Greek hero, helped by the goddess Athene, hid the cauldrons, tripods, cloaks and cups given to him by the Phaeacian king, Alcinous.
Odysseus, transformed by the goddess into an old man, met up with Eumaeus (his old palace swineherd) at the Arethoúsa Spring ¤ [map], where the pigs were being watered. The spring is in the south of the island, 3km (2 miles) from Vathý, along a steep but well-marked path. Above the spring is the Cave of Eumaeus.
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Venetian windmills near Kióni
On the other side of the island, towards the harbour and pebble beach at Píso Aetós, is the site of Alalkomenes (c. 700BC). This was wrongly identified by the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1878 as the palace of Odysseus, where the hero came to win back his wife, Penelope, from her suitors.
Above Píso Aetós is the village of Perahóri, which is close to the island’s now deserted and ruined medieval capital, Paleóhora.