Kounopetra in Kefalonia: The Rock That Once Swayed

The flat rocks of Kounopetra in the sea off the Paliki peninsula, Kefalonia

Kounopetra is one of the quieter curiosities of Kefalonia, a flat rock lying in the shallow sea off the southwest tip of the Paliki peninsula. It sits near the village of Manzavinata, a short drive south of Lixouri, on a stretch of low cliffs and clear water that most visitors pass without pausing. The name … Read more

Atheras in Kefalonia: The Quiet Bay of Northern Paliki

The sheltered horseshoe bay of Atheras on the Paliki peninsula, Kefalonia

Atheras is a small traditional village and near-circular bay on the north of the Paliki peninsula in western Kefalonia. It sits about 15 km north of Lixouri, reached by a quiet inland road that winds through vineyards and olive groves before dropping to the sea. A sheltered horseshoe bay holds a modest beach of sand … Read more

Xi Beach in Kefalonia: The Red Sand of the Paliki Coast

Fiskardo, Kefalonia

Xi beach lies on the south coast of the Paliki peninsula, about 8 km southwest of Lixouri. Argostoli stands roughly 40 km away by the road around the gulf. The sand is fine and red-orange, the water shallow and warm, and white clay cliffs line the back of the shore. The beach faces south, which … Read more

Petani Beach in Kefalonia: The West-Coast Bay of Paliki

Fiscardo, Kefalonia 10-2003 01

Petani beach lies on the west coast of the Paliki peninsula. Lixouri stands about 10 km southeast, and Argostoli about 40 km away by the road around the bay. A long arc of white pebbles curves under steep cliffs, and deep blue water shelves quickly from the shoreline. The bay faces west, so the sun … Read more

Lixouri in Kefalonia: The Town on the Paliki Peninsula

Aircraft on the apron at Kefalonia International Airport (EFL)

Lixouri faces Argostoli across the Gulf, about 4 kilometres of water and a 20 to 30 minute ferry ride from the capital of Kefalonia. The town is the island’s second settlement and the centre of the Paliki peninsula, a farmed, low-lying quarter in the southwest that most visitors see only from the opposite shore. Its … Read more