Kefalonia: a Bit of Geography, Some Facts, and the Obvious

Myrtos Beach and Assos Peninsula

 Geography and Geology

Kefalonia is the largest of the islands sprawling the Ionian Sea on the western coast of Greece, from north to south. Separated by a narrow channel from Ithaca, Kefalonia lies in the middle of this colorful sea. The island's terrain is rugged and its shores are highly indented with beaches, inlets and hidden coves.

The abundance of limestone in the sub-terrain and seabed allows for some interesting geological variations in the land and colors in the sea.

A sea of brighter blue, a landscape of contrasts

In contrast to the deep blue of the Aegean Sea, the Ionian Sea toggles between sky blue, transparent emerald, and milky turquoise. Interesting and rare flora, evergreen mountains, and bare limestone cliffs cascading to the sea, make for breathtaking contrasts and a stunning landscape year round.  

Never a dull moment here as the seasons change!

Myrtos Beach, viewed from the road above

Kefalonia's trademark photo is that of Myrtos Beach. Year after year, Myrtos finds its way to the top of Greece's "best beaches" list and is placed on the top 5 (or 10) list of best beaches in Europe and the world. This distinction is certainly justified. But this is part of the "obvious" beauty of the island. So, I'll post the obligatory photos now so I can move on to more subtle but certainly more interesting things!

(note: it'll be a while before I post anything about Myrtos again, so, get your fix now!)

The unmistakable blue of Kefalonia's trademark beach