UNWINDING IN KEFALONIA: THE PERFECT FAMILY HOLIDAY DESTINATION
After a wonderful week away with my family on the beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia, I'm now back home in Blighty and so I thought it may be helpful to share some of the highlights of our trip.
I love hearing about other people's holidays and taking inspiration from them, so hopefully, if you've ever wondered about visiting Kefalonia one day, then this post might do the same for you. Kefalonia is fast becoming one of our favourite holiday places as a family. We've visited four times now so are getting to know the island more and more but each time we go, we're struck by the very same thing - that for us, it is the perfect family destination, a special place which allows us all to rest, relax and unwind. A local lady serving us in a souvenir shop on our recent trip commented on how safe the island is for families and both my husband and I knew exactly what she meant. Kefalonia is an island which prides itself on a slower, quieter pace of life.
You won't find any nightclubbing hot spots here or English bars and you will never see large groups of teenagers or people in their twenties out drinking until the sun rises. It's just not that kind of place. So for parents with young children who want some peace and quiet, it couldn't be more perfect. Throughout our four visits over the years, we've found that tourists are a mix of couples (often more mature couples) or families very much like ours. Add to that the warm, hospitable welcome from the locals - most of whom seem to adore young children - the glorious weather and Kefalonia's tranquil beauty and well... you can see why we keep going back. Now let's tell you, what we got up to this time around...
Where We Stayed
This year we stayed in a part of the Island which was very new to us, the Paliki region - a large peninsula on the Western side. We stayed at Xi, in the quiet, peaceful and very lovely Xi Village, just metres away from the famous Xi beach. Our apartment was just steps away from the beach ( a first for us) and was so close to the sea, that in the early hours when I would occasionally wake, I could hear the waves gently crash onto the shore. Heaven. Xi Village is a reasonably priced family holiday property in a scenic setting that includes breakfast and features a small pool and on site shop. Our apartment was simple (as most Greek places are) but perfectly adequate and we also had a lovely outdoor space which was great for us as a family. It was very peaceful on site. So quiet in fact, that on some days, we often had the pool completely to ourselves! For us that felt like a real treat, but if you're looking for somewhere busier, it may not be for you.
We found the staff to be warm and friendly and whilst the resort could do with a little maintenance in some places, we honestly couldn't fault it. The location, beauty and value for money means that we will definitely consider staying here again.
Xi Beach
To my surprise, I think this is now my favourite beach on the island. Xi Beach is a long 3km Blue Flag winning stretch of reddish sand and although it was badly damaged in a severe storm a few years ago (the beach is narrow now in comparison to what it once was) it is still absolutely worth a visit.
The sea is shallow on entering for quite some way making it perfect for families and young children and it's also relatively gentle too, so if you love a good swim in the sea, you can't beat it. You can also do what the locals do and use the clay from the beach and surrounding cliffs as a natural skin treatment! We really enjoyed doing this and definitely found that our skin felt softer after use. It's quite a sight seeing people covered head to toe in grey clay walking down the beach and definitely makes for a more interesting family snap.
Other Places We Visited
Lixouri
Just a ten minute drive for us from Xi, Lixouri is the major town in the Paliki area, situated across the gulf from the capital Argostoli. It was the first time we've ever visited the town but we all soon fell for it's laid back charm.
The main square is beautiful and jam packed with cafes and bars and there's some lovely shops there too. We found it to be a very pretty place, full of character.
Another major draw is that you can get a ferry from Lixouri to Argostoli. Ferries shuttle between the two towns all day, roughly every 30 minutes, and the trip itself takes less than half an hour and is well worth it for the scenic views alone!
Argostoli
We know the town pretty well now as we've visited every time we've been to Kefalonia. For such a quiet Island, it's actually quite a bustling, busy place as you'd expect from a capital and about 10 minutes in a car from the nearest big resort Lassi.
It's a lovely harbour town and famous for turtle spotting which to be honest is the main reason we've always visited! Simply stroll down the long promenade, head over to the fishermen's boats and look for small crowds and you'll soon see the turtles circling the boats, waiting for a fisherman to throw them some fish.
Best time to see them is in the morning, roughly between 8am and 11am. It's such a magical sight, we never tire of seeing the magnificent turtles!
Petani Beach
Simply one of the most jaw droppingly beautiful beaches I've ever visited. As you drive down the mountain approaching it, the views really are something else. All you could hear in our car was a collective 'WOW!'.
This white pebbled beach with it's blue turquoise waters is stunning but the sea is strong here and the waves can be quite fierce. For us a family who want to spend hours in the sea, it wasn't ideal, but we're so glad we visited for the sheer beauty of the scenery alone. If sunbathing is your thing or you're happy to just have a dip here and there, you will love it. Favourite Food Places
I cannot write a travel post and not include a couple of our favourite restaurants that we discovered on our holiday because let's face it, what's a holiday without fabulous food?!
Luckily for us, one of our favourite restaurants was just a small walk from our apartment, situated next to our holiday resort. Vardiani Island Restaurant was the most expensive restaurant we visited but well worth the extra cost.
The food was delicious (I'll remember their seabass with orange special forever!) and the views are superb. We loved it so much we visited four times. Avoid a Friday or Saturday night if you can to make the most of your time there. Sadly we felt that we were hurried along with our meal when we visited at the weekend, clearly because they wanted to free the table. Thankfully it didn't ruin our enjoyment of the place but worth noting if you want to enjoy your meal in a more relaxed fashion. I also highly recommend their chocolate souffle!
Our other favourite restaurant may well be the prettiest restaurant on the island. Captain Nikolas Tavern is a family business, ran by three generations and boy can you tell. From the very warm welcome you receive when you arrive to the homely authentic dishes, it's the most wonderful restaurant with the most incredible views. So Kefalonian, so stunning, you feel you could almost be starring in a Greek film.
Take a photo underneath the prettiest pink blooms before you leave and soak it all up.
And there you have it, the highlights of our recent trip to Kefalonia. An idyllic, peaceful place that I hope we will return to again and again and again.
Have you been to Kefalonia? I'd love to hear your thoughts and any recommendations. Please feel free to leave them in the comment section below.
Comments