Looking for new adventures - my 4th summer on Kefalonia Is., Greece

It's been a long time since my last post but you know how it is: better later than never!
This summer I've met for the first time in my life 2 romanian couples who came to Kefalonia for their first time and they told me that my blog was the reason of their holiday. WOW!!! I was totally blown away...so...people are reading Blugu'lu'Beldi!!! Well then, let me give you an update of the summer season of 2016.
Summer came to an end and the autumn leaves are covering the streets of my hometown. I arrived back to Romania at the beginning of October covering my tanned body with a sweater and a jacket as I left the 28 degrees back to Greece and got ready for barely 16 at home.

Playing with rocks on Skala beach

 It was my 4th summer on this blue and green still not fully discovered paradise called Kefalonia. As I visited more than a couple of times the most well known places on the island, this time I was concentrating on discovering new places and new adventures. Of course for you guys who are planning to visit Kefalonia for the first time I have couple of recommendations that you can find at the end of this article. As for the rest of you I will focus on describing couple of amazing adventures and places that made my summer great. The next couple of weeks I will try my best to write in detail about all my days off and all the places I've visited. For those who don't follow this blog I got to tell you that I am working as an entertainment manager in a hotel on the island, I absolutely love my job and for the past 4 summers I got the chance to live and work in an amazing place. My job is great so I don't feel like I'm working and I am so lucky to be in this position , especially in this age and time when to do what I do is considered more and more an ideal, a dream job.

Assos village

So, let's get straight to it. Assos remains my favorite place for a great meal by the seaside, surrounded by flowers and the sound of waves. I enjoy that it's not very busy and it has a certain dreamy air that make me consider it a place where I could retire to and write my memoirs.

Colourful doors and windows in Fiskardo / Antisamos beach

Antisamos is still my favourite beach as the clear blue sea, the white stones and the green hills around it transform the place in a beautiful exotic retreat. This summer I found the courage to do the "rings" at water sports there and I have to say only this: IT WAS WORTH IT!!!
I ate probably the best chocolate souffle ever in Fiskardo and I was delighted once more by the kindness of the locals and the multitude of colours of the whole place.
Next to Fiskardo I've been for the first time on Emplisi beach and it wasn't disappointing at all, clear blue water, relaxing atmosphere, a very nice forest you can walk through it's near by.

Sunset on Vrahinari beach

The best spots for seeing a sunset were this summer Vrahinari beach, where you can also have a tasteful meal in the restaurant there and Petani Bay Hotel, with its infinity pool, that was absolutely superb.

Secluded beach on the way from Vatsa to Platia Ammos, Paliki

Having a boat ride to Platia Ammos was unpredictable and a perfect last day off with my whole team, I have to thank Spyros for that, the owner of Vatsa taverna where you can also enjoy a great wine and hands down the best seafood ever.

Makris Gialos beach - Costa Costa / Myrtos beach

On the other side of the island I was enjoying once more by the view over the whole island and Zakynthos seen from Ainos Mt.; great night life in Argostoli. You can find there plenty of clubs and coffee shops open until late at night and I was surprised in a very good way that this year there was another ferry company providing trips from Lixouri to Argostoli and back until 3:30 in the morning during the high season so that facilitate our way to Argostoli and back as we were based all the way down to Kounopetra.

Platia Ammos beach seen from atop

Costa Costa / Makri Gialos beach is fun, full of young people, water sports and positive vibes. Hitchhiking to Ai Helis and Ammes beaches was an adventure worth mentioning. We had a great time relaxing and exploring the beautiful and long beach of Skala. And I finished my summer with an 1 day boat trip to Shipwreck and the blue caves, that was great as well.

Zakynthos Is. seen from the top of Ainos Mt.

Basically these are the highlights of my summer. I'll get through all of them and many more on the future posts. Next summer on my bucket list I already have two things: paragliding on Myrtos, two of my friends already did it and they made me jealous about it and parasailing on Xi beach is a must. A great relaxing massage session in Apollonion hotel has to follow.

Myself in Fiskardo :)

Be sure to check my previous adventures on Kefalonia by clicking H E R E !!! or by searching for "Cronicile Kefaloniene" on my blog.
Check out also my Facebook photography page for daily updates.

Have a great evening and talk to you soon.

Beldi

2016 Kefalonia(Greece) Calendar

It has been a year full of new experiences since my last post. The highlight was, of course, the summer which I've spent on the heavenly beautiful island of Kefalonia,Greece. Here are my top pics for the 2016 Kefalonia Calendar. #summer2015 

On the cover there is a picture I took on the small Atheras beach, on the west side of the island. July took me there where the water is shallow and warm because of the narrow bay. Gathering small white pebbles to write the name of my favourite island on the sand was my pleasure.

I found the iconic Myrtos beach as mesmerizing as the previous summer. The road between Myrtos and Assos is still under construction since the earthquakes that took place in the spring of 2014. The view still breathtaking. I wonder how does it feel to be on that yacht. Aren't you too?!

Visiting the Castle of St. Paul, the first capital of the island, was an absolute delight. The 360 view from Ainos Mt. till Argostoli and all around it blew my mind; the restaurants are more expensive than your average tavernas, but the food, the atmosphere and the souvenirs made me forget that.

For the 3rd year in a row I spent my summer in Kounopetra, the southern point of the Paliki peninsula(west). The moving stone is a must see and the view towards Lassi and Ainos Mt. are perfect at the sunset. Close is a wide beach with shallow water, perfect for families with kids and a small traditional harbour.

This year my favourite beach was Petani, incredible views, clear blue water, sand or pebbles, restaurants, fresh food, u name it. On the left side of the main beach there is a hidden one, which is delightful. Don't forget to stop for a cold Mythos on the way back , up, at Petani Bay Hotel for a stunning sunset.

All across the island you will find beautiful and colourful little traditional villages and harbours. But Assos is one of a kind. It's joyful. It's romantic. The water is cold but so clear, the view from the fortress is incredible and the colourful houses make you think that you're visiting the Amalfi Coast.

I feel so thankful for having the luck to visit Platia Ammos beach in 2013. After the earthquakes that took place 2 years ago, more than half of the stairs that they were used to go down were broken and now the only way to reach the beach is by boat. 

As I was telling you before, Assos is a splash of colour, same as Fiskardo, but less expensive if we take in consideration that the latter one is packed with private yachts and movie stars such as Angelina Jolie or Sarah Jessica Parker pop up out of the blue for a lunch. Here's a part of one of the most beautiful houses in Assos. Everyone who visited this place took a photo with the blue door on the down left corner. Wink.

Surrounded by green forests, with its pebble shore, close to Sami there is an absolutely gorgeous beach named Antisamos. Plenty of sunbeds, water sports, music bars, iced drinks and beautiful people await. Not far away from it you can find the ruins of the Ancient Same with great views over the bay.

Did I tell you how much I love sunsets at the sea side? Well, now you know! I took this incredible photo on Vrahinari beach, Kounopetra, a place where you can relax far away from the crowded beaches. I also reccomend the other nearby beach, Vatsa (hippie vibe, sandy floors, fish nets, pumpkins and aww, the food, unbelievably tasty).

There are two caves on the island. One is Melissani, the cave of Pan and the Nymphs with its cold lake (a must see) and the other one is Drogarati. The great acoustic make it a beautiful opera hall for the summer concerts.The famous Maria Callas once sang in here.

Katavothres is a beautiful restaurant/club where you can spend the hottest nights of the summer partying till the sunrise but it's also an unique phenomenon. There is a watermill where the sea enters underground. For two weeks it travels in underground rivers across the island untill reaches the Melissani Lake almost fifteen kilometers away. From there the water flows into the sea at the village of Karavomilos, close to Sami.

For the last page of the calendar I chose a photo I took in late August on Ainos Mt., the tallest of the island(1,628 metres). Most of the mountain range is designated as a park area and is covered with Greek fir and black pine. On clear days, the view includes the NW Peloponnese and Aetolia along with the islands of Zakynthos, Lefkada, and Ithaca.

These being said/written I hope you enjoyed my 2016 Kefalonia Calendar. All I can add is that the island is incredible, the photos don't do it justice. I recommend it for nature lovers, families and all of you who want to leave the daily routine and crowded places behind. 

Embark in a relaxing journey on this still partly wild island. 

P.S.: Stay close for my next article "10 Reasons why to visit Kefalonia". COMING SOON !!!

P.S.S: Find more photographies and daily updates on my FACEBOOK PAGE !!!

Beldi