welcome to the island of Ithaca – GREECE
Ithaca is known to the world as the island of Odysseus and Homer’s Odyssey. Probably the most legendary of all the Greek islands, Ithaca is unspoilt by mass tourism. Ithaca is situated only a few miles from Kefalonia. Its enchanting coves turn into paradise on earth. The west side of the island is steep and bare in contrast to the east which is verdant and slopes gently down to the sea. The visitor can go on excursions to the traditional seaside villages and visit the medieval monastery of Taxiarches and the wonderful caves of the island. Ithaca is the fifth largest island in the group of the Ionian islands, covering an area of 96 square kilometers. Its coastline measures about 100kms. It lies at a distance of 2 nautical miles west of Kefalonia island and 23 n.m. east of Astakos, on the western coast of mainland Greece.
A road leads from the capital port of Vathy to the smaller ports of Polis, Frikes and Kioni, skirts mount Niritos, allows a quick glimpse up to the village of Exohi, perched up high, overlooking the bay of Afales and passes the beautiful beaches of Agios Yannis. Exploring the unspoilt island of Ithaca by boat or foot you are able to discover the legendary places mentioned in Homer’s odyssey, small inland villages, ancient monasteries and deserted beaches. Port Vathy, the small capital of Ithaca, looks out a large bay surrounded by mountains. Nearby lies the cave of the nymphs where Odysseus hid the gifts of king Alcinoos. The Phaeaceans returned a sleeping Odysseus to the neighbouring bay of Dexia. The waterfront shops, bars and tavernas of Vathy open out on both sides of the bay to a line of small houses, fronted by water and backed by mountains.
There are lovely pebbly beaches on Ithaca, washed by clear, turquoise seas. The temperate climate of Ionian Islands makes the summers on Ithaca relatively cool and the winters fairly mild.
Dense olive groves, among which nestle picturesque villages, cover the island, which produces olive oil of excellent quality and very good wine. The inhabitants of Ithaca are very sociable and cosmopolitan in spirit; they, like their famous forebear, are great travelers, and many of them are sailors, or have sought their fortune in foreign lands, but all of them, again like Odysseus, love their homeland dearly and dream only of returning there some day. Agios Ioannis beach is one of the most famous and beautiful beaches in Ithaca accessible by road in Ihtaca. It’s located in the mid west part of the island opposite Kefalonia and just beneath the village of Lefki on the way to the North of Ithaca, just next on the deserted village of Aghios Ioannis. This pebbly beach is very clean with deep cold waters and is very probable that you might find your self swimming along with a seal, since it’s in the protected triangle of the “Monachus – monachus” sea park. Frikes village is a beautiful small fishing village at the north east end of the island 3km. from Stavros Village and 5 km. before Kioni village. In the summer you can eat by the sea, fresh fishes brought in the same morning from the local fishermen. Kioni village is the most famous place in Ithaca. Located at the end of the road at the north east end of Ithaca. A village intact from the passage of time. In the summer is extremely crowded and full of sailing boats
Greece – Chalkidiki – Lesvos – Thessaloniki – Lefkada – Rethymnon – Athens