There are 237 inhabited islands in Greece, each of them just sitting there looking all pretty and waiting for your visit. We've scoped a few out and found our fave – a place where idyllic beaches combine with warm hospitality, and it's just a three-hour flight away. What you waiting for? Here's your Kefalonia lowdown.
Paddle: Sea Kayak
If you want to see Kefalonia properly then travel by water. That doesn't mean spending millions on a gin palace, hire a little speedboat and zip around the coves, or if you're feeling strong, take a half-day sea kayak trip with Outdoor Kefalonia. You'll paddle past cliffs, dip into caves and visit beaches only accessible by water – like this film-worthy beauty pictured above. You can take single or double kayaks: sit in the front of the double and you can sunbathe while your partner does the hard work. This is a holiday after all. outdoorkefalonia.com
Laze: Avithos Beach
You could spend a year in Kefa and still not see all the beaches. The best thing about that is that visitors and locals are spread across numerous stretches, meaning that no single place is ever that busy.
You could spend a year in Kefalonia and still not see all the beaches
The water is calm and the atmosphere peaceful – party beaches these ain't. One of the best – and rarely visited – is Avithos, home to a small bar and not much else. Warning: the beaches are pebbly, so the only pain-free way to exit the water is on your hands and knees, backwards. Prepare to look like a fat crab. discovergreece.com
Sleep: Ionian Sun, Lourdas
What’s that you say? No screaming kids? No tears at dinner time? The Ionian Sun is a newly opened, adult-only boutique hotel on the west coast of the island. Along with an outdoor gym (tempting, sort of) and natural-hued rooms, the hotel is primely located for discovering the island. Be sure to check out the town beach for lilo-ready turquoise water and sunbathing with a Mythos beer. uniquekefalonia.com
