IONIAN ISLANDS
The six core Ionian islands, shepherding their satellites down the west coast of the mainland, float on the haze of the Ionian Sea, their lush green contours, a result of heavy winter rains, coming as a shock to those more used to the stark outlines of the Aegean. The west coasts of the larger islands also boast some of Greece’s most picturesque cliff-backed beaches, whose sands are caressed by a band of milky turquoise water leading to the deeper azure sea.
Tourism is the dominant influence these days, as it has been for decades on Corfu (Kérkyra), which was one of the first Greek islands established on the package-holiday circuit, though the continuing downturn means it does not feel as swamped as in the past. And while parts of its coastline are among the few stretches in Greece with development to match the Spanish costas, the island is large enough to contain parts as beautiful as anywhere in the group. The southern half of Zákynthos (Zante) has also gone down the same tourist path, but elsewhere the island’s pace is a lot less intense. Little Paxí lacks the water to support large-scale hotels and has limited facilities tucked into just three villages, meaning it gets totally packed in season. Perhaps the most rewarding trio for island-hopping are Kefaloniá, Itháki and Lefkádha. The latter is connected to the mainland by a causeway and iron bridge but still has quite a low-key straggle of tourist centres and only two major resorts, despite boasting some excellent beaches, strung along its stunning west coast. Kefaloniá offers a series of “real towns” and more stunning beaches, as well as a selection of worthwhile attractions, while Itháki, Odysseus’s rugged capital, is protected from a tourist influx by an absence of sand. Although officially counted among the Ionians and constituting the seventh of the traditional eptánisos (heptanese or “seven islands”), rugged Kýthira is geographically quite separate from the six main islands. Only accessible from the southern Peloponnese, it is covered in chapter 2 (see Kýthira).
Brief history
The Ionian islands were the Homeric realm of Odysseus, centred on Ithaca (modern Itháki), and here alone of all modern Greek territory the Ottomans never held sway – except on Lefkádha. After the fall of Byzantium, possession passed to the Venetians, and the islands became a keystone in Venice’s maritime empire from 1386 until its collapse in 1797. Most of the population remained immune to the establishment of Italian as the official language and the arrival of Roman Catholicism, but Venetian influence remains evident in the architecture of the island capitals, despite damage from a series of earthquakes.
On Corfu, the Venetian legacy is mixed with that of the British, who imposed a military “protectorate” over the Ionian islands at the close of the Napoleonic Wars, before ceding the archipelago to Greece in 1864. There is, however, no question of the islanders’ essential Greekness: the poet Dhionyssios Solomos, author of the national anthem, hailed from the Ionians, as did Nikos Mantzelos, who provided the music, and the first Greek president, Ioannis Kapodhistrias.
EXPLORE THE ISLANDS
Dangling between the heel of Italy and the west coast of mainland Greece, green, mountainous CORFU (Kérkyra) was one of the first Greek islands to attract mass tourism in the 1960s. Indiscriminate exploitation turned parts into eyesores but a surprising amount of the island still consists of olive groves, mountains or woodland. The majority of package holidays are based in the most developed resorts and unspoilt terrain is often only a few minutes’ walk away.
Corfu is thought to have been the model for Prospero and Miranda’s place of exile in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and was certainly known to writers such as Spenser, Milton and – more recently – Edward Lear and Henry Miller, as well as Gerald and Lawrence Durrell. Lawrence Durrell’s Prospero’s Cell evokes the island’s “delectable landscape” still evident in some of its beaches, the best of the whole archipelago.
The staggering amount of accommodation on the island means that competition keeps prices down even in high season, at least in many resorts outside of Corfu Town. Prices at restaurants and in shops also tend to be a little lower than average for the Ionians.
Hidden gems of Corfu
Sail away … to the Diapontia islands:
A favourite destination for mariners, the Diapontia islands north of Corfu are ideal for diving and fishing.
Culinary miracles:
Pastitsada, sofrito, bourdeto: you can enjoy these regional delicacies of Corfu in home kitchens, traditional tavernas and restaurants. They will enrich your holidays with the aromas and flavours of the Ionian Sea.
The footpaths of Corfu:
Get to know the island’s rich flora and fauna and old settlements by foot or bicycle. Among the hidden gems are: Pantokratoras, the southern part Corfu next to the saltwater lake of Korission, the area of Palaiokastritsas, and the northern side of the island towards the saltwater lake Antinioti – all wonderful routes that will fill your holidays with unique moments.
Unusually verdant and still largely unspoilt, PAXI (Paxos) has established a firm niche in Greece’s tourist hierarchy, despite being the smallest of the main Ionian islands at barely 12km by 4km, with only mediocre beaches and no historical sites. Yet it has become so popular it is best avoided in high season. It’s a particular favourite of yachting flotillas, whose spending habits have brought the island an upmarket reputation, making it just about the most expensive place to visit in the Ionian islands. The capital, Gáïos, is quite cosmopolitan, with delis and boutiques, but northerly Lákka and tiny Longós are where hardcore Paxophiles head, while by far the best swimming is at Paxí’s little sister island, Andípaxi.
Hidden gems of Paxi and Antipaxi
Masterpieces of necessity: The famous cisterns:
On an island with little water, rain was precious so the islanders built monumental cisterns to store it. Today they are considered part of Paxi’ cultural heritage, ingenious works of art.
In vino veritas: The rare wine of Antipaxi:
Sweet and dark, this wine is made from little known grape varieties like Pheidias and Petrokodrynthos. Production is small, so you won’t find it in every bar, but it’s worth tasting, so do seek it out.
Travel to the west coast by boat:
This coast of Paxi is a wonderland of white cliffs and grottoes. By boat you can investigate them all, the caves at Ahai, the vast grotto of Ypapanti, the cliffs at Eremitis. You’ll get your biggest surprise at Ortholithos. As its name implies, it’s an enormous rock in the shape of one of Obelix’s menhirs that rises straight out of the water.
LEFKADHA (Lefkás) is an oddity, which is exactly why it is some people’s favourite Ionian island. Connected to the mainland by a long causeway through lagoons and a 30m pontoon swivel bridge, it barely feels like an island, at least on the busier eastern side. Lefkádha was long an important strategic base and approaching the causeway you pass a series of fortresses, climaxing in the fourteenth-century castle of Santa Maura – the Venetian name for the island. These defences were too close to the mainland to avoid an Ottoman tenure, which began in 1479, but the Venetians wrested back control a couple of centuries later. They were in turn overthrown by Napoleon in 1797 and then the British took over as Ionian protectors in 1810 until reunification with Greece in 1864.
The whiteness of its rock strata – lefkás has the same root as lefkós, “white” – is apparent on its partly bare ridges. While the marshes and boggy inlets on the east coast can lead to a mosquito problem, the island is a fertile place, supporting cypresses, olive groves and vineyards, particularly on the western slopes. The rugged west coast, however, is the star attraction, boasting some of the finest beaches in the archipelago.
Lefkádha remains relatively undeveloped, with just two major resorts: Vassilikí, in its vast bay in the south, claims to be Europe’s biggest windsurfing centre; Nydhrí, on the east coast, overlooks the island’s picturesque set of satellite islets, including laidback Meganíssi. The capital’s superb marina also appeals to yachties in large numbers.
Hidden gems of Lefkada
The Venetian Olive Grove:
The shade of 100-year-old olive trees hides a story. The grove, which embraces the western side of town, was planted by order of the Venetians in the 17th century. Here, you’ll enjoy a walk or a bike ride through the immortal olive trees.
Dimosari waterfalls:
Follow the shady path under the planes, until you reach a unique vision: enormous rocks and water falling with great force into the blue lake. You won’t be able to resist a dip.
Englouvis lentils:
Small in size but large in flavor. Cooked in large cauldrons by the village women on Agios Donatos’ feast day (August 7) at the plateau above the village. A festival on your plate!
KEFALONIA (also known in English as Cephalonia) is the largest of the Ionian islands, a place that has real towns as well as resorts. Like its neighbours, Kefaloniá was overrun by Italians and Germans in World War II; the “handover” after Italy’s capitulation in 1943 led to the massacre of over five thousand Italian troops on the island by invading German forces, as chronicled by Louis de Bernières in his novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Virtually all of its towns and villages were levelled in the 1953 earthquake and these masterpieces of Venetian architecture had been the one touch of elegance in a severe, mountainous landscape.
Until the late 1980s, the island paid scant regard to tourism; perhaps this was partly due to a feeling that Kefaloniá could not be easily marketed. A more likely explanation, however, for the island’s late emergence on the Greek tourist scene is the Kefalonians’ legendary reputation for insular pride and stubbornness, plus a good measure of eccentricity. There are, however, definite attractions here, with some beaches as good as any in Greece and the fine local wines of Robola. Moreover, the island seems able to soak up a lot of people without feeling at all crowded and the magnificent scenery speaks for itself.
Hidden gems of Kefalonia
Levitating in the depths of a cave:
The 50 shades of turquoise in the underground Lake Melissani are mesmerising. Get into the boat for a tour and you’ll think you’re floating somewhere in space. With sunlight filtering in from above, the cavern reminds you of a cathedral. And then your boatman breaks the spell by singing a lilting Italianate cantada.
The ‘mysterious’ Sea Mills at Fanari, 2.5km from Argostoli:
Once upon a time, the seawater disappeared into ‘swallow holes’, rock schisms, here at such a rate that it was used to power two flour mills. No one knew where it went until scientists traced a dye that ended up in Lake Melissani on the other side of the island. Kefalonia is full of such strange geological phenomena.
A paradise for sea activities:
Kefalonia is the perfect island to explore by boat, with endless private beaches and bays of exceptional beauty, such as Myrto and Makri Gialos. Travel to coves that embrace the rare beauty of Kefalonia. For lovers of action and activities, Kefalonia offers all sorts of water sports at all the large organised beaches, as well as sea kayaking and scuba diving in impressive locations full of surprises such as little caves teeming with underwater life.
Rugged ITHAKI, Odysseus’s legendary homeland, has yielded no substantial archeological discoveries but it fits Homer’s description to perfection: “There are no tracks, nor grasslands … it is a rocky severe island, unsuited for horses, but not so wretched, despite its small size. It is good for goats.” Despite its proximity to Kefaloniá, relatively little tourist development has arrived to spoil the place. This is doubtless accounted for in part by a dearth of beaches beyond a few pebbly coves, though the island is good walking country, and indeed the interior with its sites from The Odyssey is the real attraction. In the scheme of modern Greek affairs, the island is a real backwater and its inhabitants rather resentful that it is officially a subsection of Kefaloniá prefecture.
Hidden gems of Ithaca
A natural playground: Anogi’s menhirs:
In the mediaeval village of Anogi, you’ll find impressive prehistoric monolithic monuments, the menhirs. No, they weren’t built by Obelix. They’re nature’s creations. The most impressive is called Araklis.
Scuba Diving:
In Ithaca, deep under water, you’ll find Poseidon’s beautiful valleys, caves and reefs, perfect for scuba diving. If you’re lucky you may come face to face with one of the Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) that take refuge on the island’s rocky shores.
Loizos Cave:
Located outside Stavro, it is named after the man who became rich from selling gold coins he found in the cave to antiquities looters. The cave was a centre of worship from the Early Helladic Period to the first century AD, as attested to by statues of deities such as Artemis, Athena, Hera and others found there.
ZAKYNTHOS, (Zante) southernmost of the six core Ionian islands, is somewhat schizophrenically divided between relative wilderness and indiscriminate commercialization. Much of the island is still green and unspoilt, with only token pockets of tourism, however, and the main resorts seem to be reaching maximum growth without encroaching too much on the quieter parts. The island has three distinct zones: the barren, mountainous northwest; the fertile central plain; and the eastern and southern resort-filled coasts. The biggest resort is Laganás, on Laganás Bay in the south, a 24-hour party venue that doesn’t give up from Easter until the last flight home in October. There are smaller, quieter resorts north and south of the capital, and the southerly Vassilikós peninsula has some of the best countryside and beaches, including exquisite Yérakas.
The island still produces fine wines, such as the white Popolaro, as well as sugar-shock-inducing mandoláto nougat, whose honey-sweetened form is best. Zákynthos is also the birthplace of kantádhes, the Italianate folk ballads which can be heard in tavernas in Zákynthos Town and elsewhere. In addition, the island harbours one of the key breeding sites of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle at Laganás Bay.
Hidden gems of Zakynthos
The Strofades, more islands to explore:
Only 37 nautical miles from Zante, these two islets are unknown to most tourists, Greek or foreign. A mystery surrounds the 15th century fortified monastery here. It houses an icon of the Virgin that washed up here undamaged after being thrown into the sea by 13th century Orthodox Christians in Constantinople to save it from the Iconoclasts who were destroying all paintings with human figures.
The Rolling… Stone:
Locals claim that Mick Jagger hails from the village of Kiliomeno (which translates as rolling) and that’s why he named his band The Rolling Stones. This may well be local legend, but the truth is that Kiliomeno is delightful. Take your time to admire its traditional architectural style and old homes which resemble fortresses.
Zante by the glass:
Set aside some time for a visit to an island winery, some of which go back centuries. Hundreds of hectares are devoted to vines and there are more than 60 different grape varietals.
