Myrtos, Assos, Antisamos - A day to remember on Kefalonia

Myrtos, Assos and Antisamos are 3 of the most popular and beautiful places on the island of Kefalonia, Greece. I've been many times to these places and now, after 7 summers on Kefalonia, I can honestly say I will never get enough of them.

I remember first time I've seen Myrtos back in 2013, I was on an island tour with the clients from the hotel where I was working. The first gaze upon the marvelous beach was from above, window seat in the bus. I was so impressed by the blue shades of the sea and the steep mountain cliffs around it.

This summer I arrived on the white pebble beach in the middle of July. Despite the pandemic it was quite busy. The bar was open, many cars parked near by and couple of touristic busses coming and going.

The water was as light blue as I remember it. The waves were pretty small compared to other days. Many youngsters were having a cold beer or a snack in the shade provided by the cave at the far left side of Myrtos.

After spending couple of hours in the sun I left the impressive Myrtos behing and decided to head to the picturesque village of Assos. The coastal road offers incredible views of the island and the Ionian Sea.

20 minutes later I was already walking on the beautiful streets of Assos. Colorful houses on the left and right, souvenir and coffee shops, green trees and blue sea, this is Assos in a shell. I took a short walk to the northern part of the village climbing between the private villas, to enjoy a moment of solitude.

Hopefully next summer this wonderful village and for that matter also Myrtos would have fully recovered after Ianos Medicane hit in the middle of September destroying roads and houses.

Next up on the list was Antisamos beach. Situated on the opposite side of Myrtos, this amazing place is surrounded by green hills. The beach itself is a white pebble one with crystal clear water, ideal for snorkeling and diving.

Antisamos is situated near Sami village. On the hills near by one can find remains of The Ancient Acropolis of Sami, a powerful fortified town inhabited from the Paleolithic Times. Several references of Ancient Sami are found in Homer's poems (Heliad, Odyssey) when Sami fought in the Trojan War.

In the recent years Antisamos became very popular especially among youngsters. Various bars and restaurants were established along the beach with plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas. 

Unfortunately just like the other 2 places that I was telling you about before Antisamos took a big hit during the big storm. Only time will tell if the bar owners will have the budget to fix and reopen their establishments during the summer of 2021.

In conclusion you can visit these 3 gems in one day and enjoy the sun, the views and the fresh air. They are some of the most popular places on the island, so in case you are looking for secluded beaches, peace and quiet, I recommend you Agia Eleni, Kato Lagadi , Dafnoudi or Kimilia.

Be sure to have a look at my FREE DOWNLOADABLE 2021 Kefalonia Calendar.

'till next time, take care, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Beldi

A gift for you: 2021 Kefalonia Calendar - FREE DOWNLOAD

 As holidays almost knock on our doors I thought to make them even sweeter. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you already know about the love that I have for Kefalonia, Greece. I've spent 7 summers there working, making new friends, traveling and indulging myself into the local experiences.

So I've gathered some of my favorite pics from last summer in order to create this 2021 Kefalonia Calendar for you. Did I mention you can download it for free?! You heard it right. 12 pictures of beautiful places worth exploring, plus front and back covers, that you can print and have as your own 2021 Calendar or give as a present to your friends and loved ones.

Let's break them down for you.

For the cover photo I chose Kato Lagadi, a remote splendid cove situated close to Poros. How to get there and much more, read all the details HERE.

For January I chose Kimilia beach, a beautiful hidden gem in the northern part of the island. With its crystal clear water and lush greenery it is one of the ideal spots for snorkeling. Read all about it HERE.

February comes with a picture of this wild, pristine beach, situated between Kounopetra and Xi, Koutala. Discover it and many other ones in THIS ARTICLE.

Dafnoudi is the place I chose to represent March. This lovely beach is another beautiful spot where you can cool off the summer heat while exploring Erissos. More details HERE.

For April I chose Galini, one of my favorite gems in Lassi. Put it on your bucket list together with all these other not so well known places that you can visit next summer.

May, June and July present you 3 of the most well known places on Kefalonia: Antisamos beach with its wonderful panoramic views, the picturesque village of Assos and the most praised Myrtos beach. Need more reasons to visit Kefalonia?! READ all about it!

For August and September I chose Agia Eleni and Petani, two of the most magical beaches on the western coast of Paliki. Spoil yourself with unforgettable moments on these places.

The last 3 months of the year bring you a bunch of brilliant places one must see while exploring the south coast of Paliki. Lagadakia is known for its crystal clear water and rock formations.

Platia Ammos is the wildest, not so easy accessible yet magnificent point of view, especially for sunsets. Vrachinari with its sandy golden arms invite you to indulge yourself into local cuisine while watching the sun going down in the Ionian Sea.

These being said you can DOWNLOAD FOR FREE your 2021 KEFALONIA CALENDAR and print it in your own terms. I hope this makes your holidays a bit better. I can't wait to be back on my favorite greek island. 

'till then, take care.

Beldi

The marvelous beaches of Erissos, northern Kefalonia

Erissos is the name of the northern part of Kefalonia, Greece. The highlights include two of the most impressive villages of the island, the picturesque Assos and the colorful Fiskardo . The rest of the area has numerous villages with traditional houses.

 Assos

Fiskardo

Wild nature, beautiful beaches with blue crystal clear waters and stunning views make this region a corner of paradise.

Emplisi

The painting is completed by forests of cypress trees, unique rock formations and stunning views towards Ithaka, Lefkada and, on a clear day, mainland Greece.

Dafnoudi

I will leave aside the main beaches of Assos and Fiskardo as they are pretty busy, especially in the high season and I will concentrate on the pristine ones.

Kimilia

The beaches predominantly have white pebbles, crystal clear water and they are surrounded by lush vegetation.

Alaties is a small cove, surrounded my rocks. There is a nice restaurant near by, with great dishes and beautiful sunset view.

Alaties

Dafnoudi and Kimilia are hidden among trees and rocks. Perfect for snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing, they are to be found after a nice walk through the forest.

Escape the daily murmur and find your own piece of nice and quiet on these beaches. Don't forget your swimming shoes, water and food.

Foki

Emplisi is a bit more touristic but the views are stunning. It is quite close to Fiskardo and a 5 stars hotel. There are olive trees on the beach, a parking and a small shop for refreshments and snacks. Explore the forest near by and discover amazing rock formations, both natural and man made.

Evreti

On the eastern coast you will find Foki, Xylokaravo, Evreti and Kamini beaches.

They are all small oasis of pure tranquility. The last 3 are best to visit by boat.

Dive into the Ionian blue, read a book under the olive trees and explore the raw, beautiful greek nature. Again, don't forget to take everything you need with you as these beaches have no shops, sunbeds or umbrellas.

Well, if you are a nature lover and a day on the beach, among the trees is your favorite way of spending it, then you are in for a treat.

My favorites from the above are Kimilia, Emplisi and Foki.  Which are yours?

Looking for an experience to remember on the biggest greek island of the Ionian Sea? Look no further.
Here are the best places to visit on this corner of paradise

Sunset lovers, here are the best places on Kefalonia to watch the incredible end of the day.

Be sure you follow me on Instagram and Facebook. 

Till next time, take care!

Beldi

Cronicile Kefaloniene - ep.7: Pitorescul Assos

    

     Intotdeauna am gasit luna septembrie ca fiind cea mai relaxanta si frumoasa in Grecia. Poate este pentru ca in sfarsit temperaturile nu mai sunt atat de sufocante sau poate pentru ca agitatia din hotel s-a mai domolit, important este ca inceputul toamnei este superb pe meleagurile elene. Si in ce mod mai frumos poti incepe o luna noua daca nu printr-o calatorie catre un sat piroresc in care casele colorate stau cuminti insirate de-a lungul unui golf in care privelistea iti ia rasuflarea?!

     Bine te-am gasit Assos! Aflat la o rascruce micuta in drumul dinspre panorama Myrtosului catre Fiskardo, la stanga printre curbe line, Assos este un sat linistit ce seamana cu satele de pe coasta Amalfi a Italiei. In prelungirea lui, pe o peninsula deluroasa, se afla o cetate de unde privelistea golfului este si mai frumoasa.

      Am ajuns in Assos la orele pranzului in timp ce cateva grupuri de turisti rusi si polonezi se asezau la mesele tavernelor de langa apa. Ne-am facut loc intr-un bar cochet si am comandat o prajitura cu ciocolata si un fresh de portocale pentru a ne umple de energie. Privelistea este superba dupa cum puteti vedea in fotografiile de mai jos.

  

      Assos este micut insa detaliile fac toata diferenta, o banca solitara pe malul apei, usile si ferestrele pictate in verde si rosu, florile si pisicile intalnite la tot pasul, apa cristalina si racoritoare a marii. Printre toate casele gasim si cateva ruine probabil uitate in urma unui incendiu si acum napadite de buruieni. Deschidem o sticla de vin pe plaja pietroasa a golfului si savuram razele dupa amiezii de toamna.

 

 

       Hotaram sa dam o tura si pana in fortareata iar peisajul isi merita tot efortul depus la urcare. Cetatea altfel este pustie, doar cateva ziduri ale unui fost zid de protectie mai rezista testului timpului.

     La coborare descoperim o pata de plaja ascunsa la poalele dealului si ne oprim pentru a inota.

 

 

 

     Dupa amiaza se scurge lent si linistit. La intoarcere ne oprim pentru a admira din nou privelistea Myrtosului de la inaltime. Plaja aceasta este atat de frumoasa si de fiecare data cand o revad ma simt de parca ar fi pentru prima oara.

 

 

      Seara ne prinde admirand apusul in Kounopetra iar apoi ne indreptam catre Apollonium Hotel , in apropierei plajei Xi, pentru o seara de muzica live si un cocktail in barul hotelului de 5 stele. Receptia si holul catre bar sunt gazdele unei expozitii de pictura si sculptura.

 

 

     Noaptea se incheie in aceeasi maniera in care a decurs si intreaga zi, linistita.

 

     Dupa cutremurele ce au zguduit insula anul acesta am aflat de pe forumuri ca drumul de la Myrtos catre Fiskardo este inchis si se calatoreste pe rute ocolitoare. Totusi sper sa ajung din nou in coloratul Assos pentru o prajitura cu ciocolata, un fresh de portocale si o zi linistita pe plaja golfului.

 

  

P.S.: In cazul in care va atrage o zi pe iaht admirand plajele Kefaloniei  accesibile doar cu barca, arunca-ti un ochi AICI! Pentru cei care nu vor sa simta pamantul sub picioare recomand o plimbare pana pe superba Platia Ammos sau , de ce nu, o aventura in jurul insulei.