How We Holiday: Kefalonia, Greece
Sunshine, souvlaki, sandy beaches, sun beds and a significant quantity of wine carafes. Where we stayed, what we ate and what we did.
Last week, we went to Kefalonia for our family holiday. We also took with us Lucas, who is Ella’s boyfriend of many years and who is, luckily, excellent company. Lucas is very handy to bring as we basically do a swap - we take Lucas and Lucas’s parents take Buddy whilst we are gone, a good deal indeed. Buddy LOVES Lucas’s family (sometimes I fear, more than he loves us) and regularly comes home from his week long jaunts with an air of resignation on his face, before lying prostrate on the sofa for two days in protest at being returned. This holiday, he was taken to stay in a cottage in Robin Hoods Bay so he really does live the life; it’s no wonder that coming back to the accusing face of Flo (who has been cattery bound) tips him over the edge.
It is impossible to tell you quite HOW much I love Greece. Everything about it, all of it. I love the weather, I love the landscape, I love the food and I love the people. I love the fact that it’s super laid back and that nothing is a bother. I love that there are multiple islands to visit so that you will never, ever have seen it all. So far, I’ve only ticked off four on my list so there are still plenty to plan in.
Rather fortuitously, my family are also fans so there are no complaints. We had a great week, with barely any arguments and I only cried and stormed off once (a restaurant based heated discussion - always the best - involving A Levels and tattoos). We managed not to offend anyone around the pool area (with the exception of me having to step in when they were calling each other ‘dicks’ during a ball game in front of a traumatised elderly couple). And Joe - who as he gets older, appears to have developed a form of Tourettes when it comes to conversation with new people - only managed to let me down once (a conversation with the jewelry shop assistant whilst paying went from friendly discussion about kids to problems concerning the abundance of spice on the streets of San Francisco in less than 30 seconds. Kill me now).
Anyway, we did, predictably, love Kefalonia although due to reasons detailed below, we didn’t get to see much of it. However. I have put all that I learned in a post below in case you are considering a visit. Our synopsis? It’s a truly beautiful island and we will most definitely be back.
Let’s Start With The Basics. Where Is Kefalonia?
Okay, so Kefalonia (also known as Cephalonia) is on the far West and is the sixth biggest Greek island. It’s well known as being the location for Louis de Bernieres novel, Captain Corellis Mandolin but the island is also rumoured for being the inspiration for Shakespeares The Tempest and the home of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. It’s lush and green, with several areas of outstanding natural beauty including the Melissani Lake and the Drogarati Caves. Argostoli (closest to where we stayed) is the capital and a third of the inhabitants of Kefalonia live there. It has a lovely harbour and a large central square which is stuffed full of eateries where you can people watch. There are plenty of shops to peruse, many of them stocked with artisan ceramics and LOADS of jewelry shops, alongside the typical tourist fare of tea towels and fridge magnets.
We stayed in a bay a ten minute walk from Lassi which is a small village a five minute drive from the centre. There’s beaches and a stretch of traditional tavernas, bars and shops. Our Hotel was a ten minute drive from the airport so very easy to get to and you could walk to Lassi, although the road has no pavements in parts so slightly dodgy when it’s dark. Lassi very much had the feel of Kuta in Bali for me, traditionally touristy in a kitsch way (think cocktails with umbrellas and open roofed bars with indoor palm trees). My kids LOVED it.
How Did We Get There?
Via the joy of Jet2 from Leeds, a forty minute drive from our house. I’ve mentioned before that as someone who has always had to brave the hell that is Gatwick, being a hop, skip and a jump through the country roads of Yorkshire is utter holiday heaven. It took just over three hours - I think that Kefalonia is the shortest travel time when going to Greece from the North of England, as far as I can see anyway. I organised transport to collect us at the airport via Booking.com and it was super simple - they were the first standing in arrivals with a sign. There were six of us plus luggage and so needed van size which cost £30.
We wanted to hire a car for part of the trip so I found a local car hire company online who would deliver it to the Hotel and then collect it afterwards. I used Ace Rental Car who were based close by; I set it all up by email and paid a deposit, then the balance when they dropped it off. We had a Fiat Doblo which easily took six of us and cost 140 euro a day which included all costs (insurance, zero excess etc). Super efficient and a nice clean car that did the job.
Where Did We Stay?
We stayed at the White Rocks Hotel, the result of me googling for days to find the most suitable for our family. I have been asked before on Design Dilemmas about how I book our holidays and I always do it myself, firstly booking the flights so that they’re in the bag. I then generally head to my favourite of all review sites, Telegraph Travel. Wherever you want to go, Telegraph Travel has been there and knows the low down. No, I do not look at TripAdvisor. You may find this naive, but to me, it feels like the travel comparative of Twitter/X (a hell hole of fury and bitterness, IMO), and is almost always people moaning about lack of beach towels, unflushed toilets and wilted salads.
After writing a list of possible areas and locations, my next stop is Booking.com to check out prices. NOTE: The key focus here is to find listings stating FREE CANCELLATION/PAY AT PROPERTY. I do not, repeat, do not want to pay in advance. Ever. The best I will agree to on family holidays is paying the month before. Another reason for doing this is that prices vary across the year; it may be that I go back on to the site two months later and the same property is now cheaper (or more expensive), so the price I nail down when I book might drop. I also might change my mind about which Hotel we want to stay at and this gives flexibility for last minute changes. Once decided, I then try Hotels.com, Expedia, Trivago and Late Rooms to see if they can beat the deal. I told you I didn’t take holidays lightly.
Anyway, I digress. The White Rocks Hotel came with rave reviews from two people who I knew had visited so I booked three seaview rooms and we weren’t disappointed. I got a good deal as I booked in January, plus I have Genius Level 3 on Booking.com which gives a 20% discount on selected Hotels, including this one. The Hotel is set in a beautiful bay with its own small rocky beach and gorgeous views. It has 160 rooms - bungalows (some of which had swim up pools which I kind of wished we had pushed the budget for) and rooms with balconies in the main block which is where we were located. There’s a pool, a beach restaurant and bar, a buffet restaurant and an al a carte on a patio which looks across the bay. It’s neutrally decorated with lots of wood and natural tones and we really liked it. The WiFI was good which thrilled the kids (and Joe who spends a lot of his time lying on a sunbed holding his phone above his head) and everything is easily walkable. It was also really peaceful and although full, didn’t feel overly busy which was exactly what we were looking for.
What Did We Do?
Mostly, we hung out around the pool. With two 22 year olds, a 20 year old and a 15 year old, they were more interested in getting a tan and playing pool ball than they were seeing the sights. As an aside, the sun beds were excellent - I 100% judge a location on the quality of the sun bed and these were top level. In addition, they also had lots of bean bag loungers on the sun deck that were super comfortable. The temperature was in the mid 30’s and it was HOT. Really hot. We had plans to do the coastal walk from our Hotel to Argostoli, but it was simply too hot to walk that far in the heat of the day.
We’d rented the car for three days so decided to go out and explore on the second day. Our plan was to head to Asos, a small picturesque village on the West coast, then head to Fiskardo before spending the afternoon on Myrtos Beach which is renowned for its clear blue waters. We had been warned that the route to take was along the side of the mountain and was very hilly; this had already put the fear of God into Joe who is terrified of heights. Anyway, we forced the kids into an early breakfast and set off. The views past Argostoli are fabulous and it’s not long before you are climbing the road to the hills. And hills, my friends, are what they are. Joe almost collapsed with the stress of driving alongside a two foot high barrier, the other side of which was a sheer drop to the depths.
After 45 minutes, we reached an impasse - a road block due to falling rocks, closing the road to Fiskardo. This was disappointing, but the main drama was that Joe had to do a three point turn that took the car bumper almost over the barriers. By this time, everyone was hot, terrified and had had enough so we decided to head back to the pool. Mission NOT accomplished.
We spent a morning at Makris Gialos Beach which was home to Costa Costa Beach Club - it’s a HUGE beach with loungers and watersports and if you can stand the heat, you can definitely spend the day there. Parking is within the fir trees and is utter carnage. You can rent two loungers with a parasol and waiter service for 40 euros for the day - the closer you get to the front of the beach, the more expensive it gets, going up to 60 euros. Lunch is via a self service cafe and was distinctly average for the price.
To summarise, our exploration was admittedly limited, but would thoroughly recommend Argostoli as a trip. It’s a beautiful place with side streets bursting with shops, bars and restaurants of all sorts and a great place for a wander. Taxis are easy to pick up - there’s a rank on the square - and cost 8 euro from our Hotel to the centre.
Where Did We Eat?
Okay, so we excelled in this area and ate at a different restaurant each evening. Our lunchtimes were spent at the Hotel beach restaurant which did excellent pizza, gyros and salads with fabulous views over the small beach and the rocky island next to the Hotel. All the restaurants that we ate in served house wine by the carafe which is super good value - 500ml was around 6 euro; a full litre around 10 euro and all that we tasted was delicious. Price wise, we were six adults and a full meal with appetisers, main course and drinks came to, on average, around 160 euros per meal. Generally, we’d have a full table of meze followed by a main course before picking up an ice cream from a roadside vendor.
o giros tis plateias, Argostoli Square: My children have a slight obsession with gyros (sliced chicken and pork served with pitta, tzatziki and salad) so they jumped straight on this one as it claimed to serve the best. And, indeed, they were very good. The central square has several restaurants that all blur into each other and there’s a great atmosphere. The service was good and quick too.
Vinaries Restaurant, Argostoli: This was a recommendation from the Hotel and they made the booking for us. We took full advantage of the car as this is off the beaten track but it’s well worth the effort. I could have eaten here every night. Set right by the sea, there’s a gorgeous breeze and they have both fish and meat dishes (handy if you have family who are anti almost ALL fish), with specials daily too. The squid and mussels were fantastic and I had prawn saganaki which was amazing. The bill was higher than some of the other places we visited, but it was worth the extra.
Kefalos Restaurant, Lassi: We walked into Lassi and came across this traditional Greek restaurant which was packed, always a good sign, I think. Joe and I shared a huge plate of fish and the kids ate gyros so all were happy. Average price point plus mini cheesecakes free to end the meal. Yum.
Arxontiko, Argostoli: Another recommendation from our Hotel, famed for its fresh food and local produce. Just off the main square, they found us a table that was almost on the pavement and the service was brilliant. Delicious appetisers and food; Ella had beef stifado which was amazing and I had seafood risotto.
Butlers House, Lassi: We’d passed this a few nights before and it looked interesting so we took the plunge. It’s basically a museum - I know - that is also a restaurant and it was SUPER busy. The food was good and the service chatty and quick - I had beef stifado that was served with a flatbread top and it was delish. The loos are a sight to behold as the entire lower floor is a display of artifacts. We got the feeling it was a local legend.
Esperides Restaurant, Svoronata: Set in an orange grove in Svoronata, a small village close to the airport, this had been recommended by multiple followers. We called to reserve but the orange grove tables were already filled, so we sat at the front of the restaurant which was still nice. If you’re planning on going, definitely call a few days before to get a grove table. Lovely service, great food and a really peaceful setting.
So Simple Bar, Lassi: Not a restaurant, but worth a mention as my kids LOVED this. It’s next door to Butlers House and it feels like being in Thailand - an extensive cocktail list, palm trees everywhere and the Olympics were on the TV. The second night we visited, they had a live band who were brilliant. I also noticed a dance floor so I think it’s probably the place to be if you’re Lassi bound. Pure kitsch fun.
Melograno Restaurant, Argostoli: We stopped here for a cocktail on the first night and the list is excellent (mine was a margarita with beetroot and artichoke which was a first). But mostly, we noticed people with ice cream sundaes which looked out of this world. A big regret that we didn’t go back for one.
Crazy George Bar, Svoronata: We stopped here for a drink after our meal and the cocktails and smoothies were INSANE (think mini Magnum and entire pieces of cake topped milkshakes). It’s only small, but it has a nice outside space and apartments above that you can rent.
Food Recommendations?
Oh, SO MANY. Appetizers are plentiful and it’s hard not to over order, but we always managed to finish. Tzatziki, hummus, taramasalata, chilli cheese dip (see recipe on my Joie post here), beef and lamb koftas, Greek sausage (always comedic to my children), cheese balls (yes, again), saganaki cheese (deep fried), saganaki prawns, halloumi, squid, fish croquettes, anchovies, prawns - there wasn’t much that we didn’t try. We sampled beef stifado, loads of souvlaki (meat on skewers), mussels, kleftiko, endless gyros and also feta stuffed burgers which are a Greek speciality. Lots of it came with delicious sauces and we ALWAYS had a Greek salad on the side, a dish which I could easily have daily for the rest of my life. Pasta is popular too (due to the proximity to Italy, apparently) and Joe had the most amazing lobster tortellini at Vinaries. Another Greek special is that they often give you a mini dessert or a shot of something delish with the bill. I love this.
What Can I Buy?
SO MUCH. Argostoli has long streets filled with stores, many of which have local and traditional ceramics. Lots of the ceramics shops have sections for different artisans and there are some really truly lovely things to buy. I managed to cram a fair amount into my suitcase. Jewelry is also a craft and there are lots of beautiful things to buy in gold and silver - Grace was a brand that we spotted in quite a few shops (there’s also a main shop as you come off the square). And if you are looking for fabric or shell bracelets, there’s loads - the best shop that we found was ROA, again just off the square and had lots of lovely examples from 3 euros upward.
Also, leather sandals. I am a big fan of the Ancient Greek Sandals and there are plenty of ‘inspired by’ versions to be found in beautiful soft leather. I bought a pair of gold woven ones for around 40 euros. Leather bags too - some really gorgeous ones to be found when walking the streets. And finally, herbs and spices are an excellent buy and cheaper than at the airport - Ella and Lucas stocked up on souvlaki spices so that they could recreate the holiday dishes at home.
So that’s my holiday round up. I am feeling slightly furious that we didn’t get to explore much of the island, but on the plus side, we will have to go back another time. Kefalonia was an absolute joy - now to start bookmarking Rightmove for my future home in the sunshine.
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Excellent information as usual telling us exactly what we need to know and giving us a laugh at the same time. Also much appreciated that you didn’t put it behind a paywall for your many readers. I’m definitely tempted to go now. Xxxx
Love this, love the Greek Islands xx