Greece is probably my favourite destination in Europe because it’s affordable, incredibly beautiful, the food is to DIE FOR! and the people are friendly and kind and always happy to see tourists visiting their country. All these things give Greece a special vibe and attract tourists from celebrities and influencers to young adults and families from all over the world.

I’ve visited Greece for the first time in July 2019 and I loved it! We chose Kefalonia, which is a very beautiful and vibrant exotic island located in the deep blue waters of the Ionian Sea. Also, it has been the filming location of the famous movie “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”. Indeed, wherever you set your eyes on, you’ll see views worth being on postcards.

You’ll find below the top things to do in Kefalonia, if you want to see some scenic beaches, dramatic landscapes, drink the best homemade wine and if you’re looking to find the most instagrammable spots in those enchanting villages and this wild paradise.

1. Visit the charming, Instagram-worthy village Assos

This place is by far the most beautiful and picturesque village I’ve ever seen in my life. The water has sparkly shades of emerald green and soft blue and if you’re going during the summertime the water is warm and nice and you won’t want to get out of it. The whole place is surrounded by pink flowers that smell like honey, limestone cliffs, colourful little houses and an incredible castle where you can get the best views of the village and the sea from. It is said that the castle was built for protection against pirates – told ya, charming!

The homemade wine is strong and flavoured and the food is fresh and delicious. There are white yachts everywhere and the bars and restaurant have the most incredible sea views. I also recommend renting a car to get to Assos because the access by bus there is quite tricky and the buses don’t go there very often and also don’t stay for too long. This is what happened to us and we didn’t get enough time to explore the place the way we wanted. Even so, we still agreed that this was the best place in Kefalonia.

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2. Get a mystical experience at Melissani Cave, the cave of the Nymphs.

This cave lake is located about 2 km from Sami and if you don’t have a car, you’ll have to walk around 10 mins from where the bus will leave you, but it’s totally worth it. The magical vibe you’ll get here will leave you in awe of this cave. The legend has it that this cave is the place where the Nymph Melissanthi drowned herself to death after being rejected by God Pan. True or not, this place has a mystical energy that will give you all the chills. With no exaggeration, I’ve never seen such a beautiful, deep shade of blue ever before and the water is so clear and clean that you can see everything to the bottom of the lake.

Make sure you visit the cave right in the middle of the day (around 12pm) on a sunny day to get the most sparkly, intense blue that you can get. Also, the cave lake is surrounded by honey-brown walls and a little bit of forest and right above you is the infinity of the sky where the sun plays with the colours of the water. P A R A D I S E

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3. Drink the best homemade wine ever!

Kefalonia is well-known for the homemade wine that you can find here. Incredibly flavoured, you’ll love every single drop of it. We’ve had wine in every restaurant we’ve entered and we haven’t been disappointed once.

Bonus fact: it usually comes with incredible sea views which your Instagram feed will be forever thankful for and a lively atmosphere that creates the perfect exotic holiday paradise in the middle of the Ionian Sea. 🙂

I also want to recommend Kalafatis Restaurant in Argostoli, Kefalonia for the best Greek Salad, roasted vegetables and wine. All these come with an incredible sea view, live music and amazingly good vibes and friendly staff. We have requested a sit with a sea view and even though it was very busy they made the impossible for us to get it. Amazing service!

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4. Travel to any place on the island from Argostoli

Argostoli is the capital of Kefalonia and if you don’t have a car, I recommend living in Argostoli because all the buses that travel to all the other beaches and villages go from Argostoli which makes it the most practical place to stay while you’re here. Also, it’s very close to the airport as well.

Grab dinner while enjoying some beautiful views, take pictures on the Instagram famous De Bosset Bridge, watch the sea turtles dancing in the blue water and eat some of the most delicious pastries and cakes you’ve ever had in your life. Argostoli also has some really pretty streets perfect for some insta-worthy shots. 🙂

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5. Discover the natural landscapes with the exotic beaches.

Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands which means it’s covered with so many beaches. All the ones we’ve seen are absolutely stunning so grab your things and start exploring the wild, green hills and the heavenly electric blue waters. You’ll find below some of the best beaches we’ve visited in Kefalonia:

Myrtos Beach

Myrtos Beach is considered one of the best 30 beaches in the world and it’s also famous for being the beach where the ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ movie was filmed. The views from the top of the hill are breathtaking and the beach itself is absolutely stunning. The water is deep and vibrant and there are usually boats floating where people are having parties so you’ll be listening to house music and having a good time while drinking a cold beer and getting tanned.

The last bus back to Argostoli is around 4pm so I recommend having a car instead because I’ve heard the sunsets here are absolutely magical (it’s on my list of things to see next time). The only thing that wasn’t great about this beach was the fact that it’s full of pebbles instead of sand, which is not ideal but to be honest it won’t even matter that much, considering all the other beautiful parts of this place.

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Agia Effimia

This sandy beach runs along a vibrant and lively little town where you can find crystal clear waters and incredibly delicious spicy cream cheese on fresh, soft bread. Also, what I loved the most about this beach is that you can find some really hidden, quiet spots where you can relax and meditate or just enjoy the blue view and have some peace while getting sun kissed.

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Kalamia Beach in Sami

Soft white sands, diamond waters and pearl coloured cliffs. On top of all this, you also get comfy sun-beds, fresh cocktails and soft rock music – I think that’s pretty much all you need in order to have the best beach experience, am I right? I’ve also seen the most golden sunset ever while walking back to Argostoli, enjoying the honey coloured streets wrapped up in a sweet, warm light.

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Makris Gialos, Lassi

Ohh, my favourite one! We’ve discovered this beach on our last day in Kefalonia, on our way to the airport and I was in awe of it! How can someone not be? It has the best water I’ve ever seen anywhere, clear and clean and the brightest shade of blue, sun-beds, amazing food and super friendly staff. It was the most populated beach I’ve seen in Kefalonia while I was there but I totally understand why that was. I totally recommend it!

It was so nice that I actually forgot to take more pictures…

Sami, Kefalonia

Sami is a little town and it has some really nice beaches but what I loved the most about it is the fact that this little town has some really nice views and the vibe around it is very artsy and creative. Graffiti walls, celebrities yachts and never ending blue waters. Such a joy to just watch all of this.

The vibe of this place is divine!

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6. Try all the food you can!

Greece is famous for the spicy cream cheese, feta cheese, pastries, bread and all the dangerously good stuff – which must be tried! Your taste buds will end up having a party! Also, everything is super affordable which is even better! You also might be surprised by the amazingly rich flavoured and soft gelato you’ll find there. I’ve had my second – favourite gelato ever in Argostoli, Kefalonia – vanilla and dark cherry flavour. Go wild!

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I know people who’ve visited Kefalonia 3-4 times already and they don’t plan to stop anytime soon. It’s been my first time in Greece and I really want to visit more of it because I’m sure I haven’t even seen half of everything this country has to offer.

I also really want to return to Kefalonia because there are still some pretty villages I’ve missed (such as Fiskardo) or beautiful islands I haven’t had the chance to explore while being there (such as Xi). They’ve been on my list but the fact that I didn’t have a car made it impossible for us to get there. No worries, next time!

But don’t take my word for it, go visit!!