Welcome to Ithaca, Greece’s Ionian Hideaway

Frikes Village

Often forgotten about next to its larger and more popular neighbours such as Corfu and Zakynthos, Ithaca is a small island located next to Kefalonia in the Ionian Island group. It is a peaceful island that is naturally beautiful and the focal point for many stories in Greek mythology. Ithaca is a very green land that makes the red tiled roofs of its buildings stick out amongst the trees, making for beautiful views wherever you go on the island. In this article we’ll highlight this serene island and give you some ideas of what you can get up to and why you should visit.

How to get there
Like many smaller Greek islands, Ithaca doesn’t have an airport. You can fly into Kefalonia and then get a ferry across from there. These ferries can take anywhere between 20 and 50 minutes to reach Ithaca and go from either Poros or Sami. You can fly into Kefalonia from many UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. 

Vathy  
From above Ithaca looks like two islands joined by a thin piece of land in the west. Vathy is the capital of Ithaca and is located on the southern half of the island. It is the only large settlement on this side of the island. Multicoloured buildings line the bay as you enter Vathy, many of these are accommodation ensuring you always have a stunning view across the water. When you reach the centre of the town, you’ll find Vathy’s waterfront bustling with restaurants and cafes which look out at the boats in the harbour. It is a great place to sit and relax whilst the slow rhythm of island life happens around you. Vathy is home to many of the things to do on the island such as the museums of Archaeology and Folklore and the beautiful, whitewashed Church of Saviour Christ. 

Vathy

The Northern Villages
Whilst the main town of the island is in the south, almost all of the villages on the island are in the northern half. These range from picturesque hillside villages to those which hug the end of an inlet and whose buildings climb around it. A popular place to stay is beautiful village of Kioni. This small port has plenty of apartments and studios to stay in and some villas for larger groups further up the hill. Kioni reflects Ithaca’s heritage in maritime exploits and is still a working fishing village. There are some tavernas on the waterfront which serve up tasty local treats.

Sandwiched between two hills is the small port village of Frikes. Its beautiful turquoise waters contrast the steep white hills that are covered in lush shrubbery and make for a wonderful view wherever you look from. There is some accommodation in Frikes, mostly villas and apartments, but as with all these villages in the northern half of the island, you will want a car so that you can explore the rest of the island easily. Nowhere on the island is further than a 30-minute drive, so you can see all of Ithaca in a few days. 

The largest of the villages in the north is Stavros. This hillside village sits amongst the lush green hills and has a few places to stay. Mostly it is a better place to visit for the day and is full of locals, giving it a very authentic Greek feel. There are some great places to get food and you can explore the history of the area at the Stavros Archaeological Collection. 

Kioni

Beaches
Ithaca has many beautiful beaches, the majority of which aren’t close to the settlements on the island, hence why we recommend a car. This does mean though that they are surrounded beautifully by nature. Most beaches in Ithaca are pebbled and this means that the water is brilliantly turquoise and see through. Near Vathy are the beaches of Loutsa, Gidaki and Skinos Bay. Gadaki and Skinos stretch along the bays they inhabit, the beautiful blue water shimmers and they are often quite meaning they are perfect for those looking for a isolated spot to read or sunbathe. Loutsa is the only sandy and organised beach on the island and is perfect for those with kids.  Across the rest of the island there are nice beaches at Marmaka, Polis and Rachi. 

We hope this has given you some insight into what Ithaca has to offer and shown you why it is becoming more and more popular. To find out more about the rest of Greece, take a look around our website or call us on 01156547795. If you know where you’re looking to book, call us, email [email protected] or fill in our contact form with what you’re looking for. Don't forget to follow us on social media to find out the next Destination of the Week and for all your Greek Holiday needs. If you've been to Ithaca, where was your favourite place? What was the best thing you did or do you think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments or on social media, just click the buttons below which take you to our social pages

Archives

August 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021