A couple of weeks ago I came back from a week in Kefalonia, you may have seen my post reviewing the Magnolia Resort where I stayed in the small resort of Katelios. The resort was quiet with only a few hotels and some sea front tavernas so I decided that it would be a good idea to hire a car and actually explore the island which is something I've never done before when I've been on holiday. The first day I stayed in Katelios and had a look down at the sea front to see what I had on the door step, the beach at Katelios mainly pebble and isn't the widest beach, which I aren't too keen on because it means sunbathing isn't as comfy and going in the sea is difficult unless you have proper shoes (which I don't have)
A nice shaded area on a bench
Motor boat hire on the sea front, Katelios
Not the prettiest beach at Katelios, the sand was 'littered' with bits of seaweed, grass, stone and wood.
The water however was beautifully clear
As you can see, the sand is mixed with lots of pebbles and stones, not good on your feet!
Katelios was a nice base but to be honest there isn't much going on, it is very quiet and isn't for those who like a late night... but I must also say that I don't think Katelios is an island for anyone who wants late night entertainment; the general rule for Greece is that all outdoor music is turned off for 12 and all businesses adhere to this.
Our little 1L Fiat Panda, used for getting us up and down and round the corners of Kefalonia, poor thing. However, it served us well; it had air conditioning and was amazing on fuel economy!
I decided there were quite a few places I wanted to see in the car and I managed to do it all in 1 day, a whole 6 hours of driving which did take its toll towards the end but at least I could see the whole thing and decide if I wanted to revisit anywhere the next day for longer. I wanted to visit all the most talked about beaches with some quiet little cove beaches along the way!
Antisamos Beach (the Italian encampment on Captain Corelli's Mandolin)
Teeny Tiny beach I found, I both went in for a quick dip on the way to our next destination, stones/pebbles were a real issue here though!
Myrtos Beach
This is such a beautifully different beach, the water is such a vivid blue it's like something out of a cartoon, the only thing with it is that the current is strong so they don't recommend that you go out very far as there's a danger of even the strongest swimmers getting stuck. It was also the site of the mine explosion in Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
Karminia Beach - Our Favourite
You can walk out for ages in the sea without it getting any deeper than your waist. It is the site where turtles often lay eggs and although I didn't see any of this if you go at the right time of year they say that you can see some tell tale signs of turtles!
Looking back, I had a great time in Kefalonia, at the time I was a bit disappointed that the beaches weren't as sandy as I'd hoped but on the balance of things it was a really lovely holiday. Once I found the beach I liked I as all set but what I will say is that unless you like staying in the same resort for a week, you need to hire a car because all the different beaches are unreachable without a car.
If I was to go back I would not stay in Katelios as although there were some nice tavernas on the sea front, there wasn't a lot more life in the resort, I do think Skala is better in terms of life and things to do (which is the next resort along).
Have you ever been to a Greek island?
No comments