Argostoli (Kefalonia, Greece)

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Overview

Things to do

Country Info (Greece)

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Argostoli, the capital of Kefalonia (the largest on the island), is not primarily a tourist resort but an attractively laid-out, authentic working Greek town, with small squares and courtyards, and some steep, narrow side streets.

At its centre is a main square lined with cafes and tavernas which is quiet by day but comes alive at night with locals taking their evening stroll.

Popular excursions include the upmarket fishing village of Fiskardo, the dramatic caves at Drogarati, the amazingly blue underground lake at Mellisani and pretty Assos village.

The town also boasts a small port and marina as well as an attractive waterfront with a palm-lined promenade and views of Drapanos Bridge, which links the town to the opposite coast.

Locality:

Situated on a small peninsula jutting N off the SW coast of the island, 1½ mls NE of Lassi and 19 mls SW of Sami (9 mls N of the airport). The town faces Argostoli Bay and the main island, in a natural harbour, on the E coast of the peninsula. Most of the town is flat, but many steep paths lead uphill towards the road into Lassi.

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Those looking for an authentic Greek experience will enjoy this town. It is mostly popular with budget to middlemarket independent or mature travellers looking for a convenient base from which to explore the island.

Not really suitable for families as the beach is some distance from town, and hotels in town don't have pools. Attractions consist of: the impressive archaeological museum; a small cultural museum; glass-bottomed boat rides; sports centre; swimming pool; Katavothres sinkholes to the N of the peninsula.

By night there are plenty of tasteful bars and a few tacky offerings; a couple of bouzouki clubs; occasional performances by the local music school or traditional dancers; a few discos in and slightly outside town, but serious clubbers are on the wrong island.

Local excursions consist of half day: barbecue boat trips to the red-sand beach of Xi on the largely undeveloped Lixouri peninsula; turtle-spotting at the lagoon, a local breeding ground for loggerheads; "Greek night" at a local bouzouki club. For a full day there are is an island tour, including Drogarati Cave, Melissani lake grotto and Fiskardo; cultural tour, including winery, church of St Gerasimos (island's patron) and monastery of St Andreas; coach and ferry excursion to Ithaca or to the classical site and museum at Olympia on the mainland; boat trips to nearby islands of Lefkas or Zante. 2 days: Athens by coach and ferry from Poros.

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Population: 10.668.400
Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French
Currency: euro
Currency code: EUR
Local Times:
Greece - Athens

Country Dialling Code: +30
Voltage: 220V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
2 Parallel circular prongs

2 parallel circular prongs with an earth connector

2 parallel circular prongs with a female earth connector

'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

Greece appeals to different types of tourist, and very few could fail to find somewhere to suit their taste. From bustling Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the belly button of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even, quite possibly, the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini. Greeks are fierce guardians of tradition, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to have fun. In addition, hot sun and limpid seas conspire to make Greece a perfect place to relax. Whether you're supping in a beachside taverna , sipping coffee in a shady plateia or disco-dancing till dawn.

The Olympic Games were spawned in ancient classical Greece, along with democracy and the fundamentals of philosophy, science and mathematics. Modern Greece is better known as a great place to vacation rather than a centre of learning and culture. Today the country attracts by offering simple pleasures: delicious food at reasonable prices, local wine, beautiful beaches, sunshine, quaint villages, a seemingly endless lacework of coastline and little islands full of scenic surprises.

The country exudes traditional charm, particularly on its ever-popular islands, which cling to their stereotypical architecture and way of life despite being often over-run by tourists. Black-clad women still deliver vegetables to island tavernas on panniered donkeys, while bronzed, lined fishermen sit in the sun, drink thick coffee, and play dominoes or dice. The tourist infrastructure has intruded in many respects, but the timeless aspect of whitewashed buildings clustered on hillsides around narrow pebbled alleys has been retained. The myriad islands in the Aegean Sea are easily accessible from Piraeus, the historic harbour of Greece's mainland capital, Athens, by ferry or hydrofoil, offering a unique chance for 'island-hopping'. Many of the larger islands also have airports with connections to Athens or seasonally with major European cities.

On the mainland the city of Athens in the south is sprawling, overcrowded and polluted but nevertheless enthralls visitors, while Thessaloniki in the north is vibrant and modern with a Byzantine flavour. Athens is dominated by its major landmark, the Parthenon: the remains of other wonders of the ancient Greek classical world are to be found mainly on the Peloponnese Peninsula, south of Corinth, the gateway to a veritable treasure trove of history.

Greece and Greeks welcome with open arms the thousands of visitors that flock to admire their national assets every year - no-one leaves without having been warmed, both by the sun and the hospitality.