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Kefalonia is located in the southern half of the Ionian chain that runs
down the west coast of Greece. The island is large with a mountainous
interior. Its resorts are spread quite widely around the islands long
coastline. Kefalonia could once boast some splendid Venetian buildings,
but those that escaped wartime bombing were demolished in 1953 by a large
earthquake that caused an immense amount of damage. |
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The ruined classical buildings have had to be replaced with new homes, and
so much of the character of the island has been lost, apart from a few
areas that escaped the damage, such as Fiskardo and Assos. What has not been lost is some
breathtaking mountain scenery, and a number of beautiful beaches worthy of
any tourist brochure. |
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Argostoli, the islands capital since 1757, has a population of
approximately 8000 people.
Even though many of the imposing mansions that stood in the town prior to
the 1953 earthquake, have been destroyed, the new town that followed the
destruction has been built with an effort to maintain some elements of
Ionian architectural style. The town is well laid out with spacious
squares, trees, alleys, and a very lively port area. |
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To the
north of Argostoli is the area known as Katovothres, located here is the
pretty Doric lighthouse of Agios Theodoros. It is claimed that this is one
of the best places on the island observing sunsets during the summer
months. |
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Myrtos
is a magnificent beach that some claim to be the the best in Greece. The
sea here is usually calm, however, there can sometimes be an undercurrent,
so getting in and out of the water can be awkward at times. The shore drops
away very quickly, but swim out and look back for a fantastic view. There
is also a cave at the end of the beach. |
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Situated along part of Lassi’s
waterfront. This beach is accessed via a narrow lane off the main drag
close to the large “Lassi Supermarket”. The lane is wide enough to drive
down and parking is provided for a number of cars. The beach, although
narrow, is south facing so visitors get the benefit of the sun throughout
day. |
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Lixouri, the second largest town on the island, is
on the western side of the Paliki peninsula facing the Lassi peninsula. Two
violent earthquakes, one in January 1867 and the other in August 1953, completely
demolished most of the old traditional houses. Present day Lixouri
boasts several important churches, some small traditional
houses and a number of flower filled squares. |
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History
Kefalonia
with its close neighbour Ithaca have a very long, and varied history. In
pre-classical times, as legend has it that, Odysseus, one of he heroes of
the Trogon wars, is said to have been king, of not only Ithaca but also of
Kefalonia. Mycenaean remains have been found on the island, plus ruins
from Norman, Frankish and Venetian fortifications. Kefalonia was also
situated along one of the crusader routes to the east. The island was part
of the British Empire for almost 50 years. In 1864, the Ionian Islands
became unified with Greece. During the Second World War, the island was
occupied by Italian troops, then In 1943 when Italy surrendered to the
allies, the Italians handed the island over to the Germans, who then
massacred approximately 5000 Italian soldiers on the island. This event
became the basis for Louis De Bernieres’ best selling novel Captain
Corelli’s Mandolin. Later in 2000 the film version of which starred
Nicholas Cage was shot on the island, utilising a number of locations
around the island. |
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