As the greatest of the Ionian Islands Kefalonia offers a large variety of things to do, with varying landscape differing from sandy beaches to pine groves and vineyards and range of mountains you can photo that the island will have plenty to offer by approach of activities. As the highest island in Greece Kefalonia has Mount Etnos which stands at over 1627 m tall making the island a company favourites for hikers and visitors who enjoy a walk. The mountain is surrounded by forest of black fur trees and these cover roughly 28,500 acres in a protected park.Throughout this park there are lots of strolls and tracks a plenty to keep the devoted hiker stressful.
On the southern base of Mount Etnos you will discover golden beaches that have in fact wound up being a preferred place for loggerhead turtles to nest. These turtles are an endangered types safeguarded by Greek law nevertheless numerous tourists enjoy turtle enjoying from a range. What's more the turtle nesting ground is close to a couple of Kefalonia's most popular resorts recommending that tourists can take field trip out of their regular sun bathing trip to enjoy a spot of personal watch.
When you aren't seeing turtles or climbing mountain is you might desire to relax on a comfortable sun caught beach, absorbing the warm Mediterranean sun. Kefalonia has lots of beaches readily available, the most popular being in the south of the island at Skala and in polar opposite north of the island at Myrtos. Myrtos beach is surrounded by a high cliff edge providing striking views over the ocean and thiis popular traveler area is renowned as one of the most stunning beaches worldwide.
Needs to you get tired of relaxing you may want to attempt among the more active activities available on the island. These range from horse riding which is popular around Sami and Lourdata right through to the water sports that are used on much of the beaches. You might even lease a boat and journey the island from the water stopping in great deals of villages along the coast, experiencing as much of the island is possible in a day and getting a special viewpoint on Kefalonia life.
Swimming is perhaps among the more obvious activities you would expect on a Greek island and Kefalonia is no various. The sea is clear and blue and in the summer season can be as warm as the making swimming a total enjoyment, snorkelling is likewise popular as the water is so clear and fish are abundant - a snorkel and mask are a must. For the more expert or well-informed swimmer diving lessons are used in numerous resorts and if you have a license already Aquatic World run diving trips off the coast leaving from Fiskardo and Agia Efrmina.
There actually is plenty to do in Kefalonia and should you choose to take the more active vacation method you will not be disappointed nonetheless for great deals of just having access to the very best beaches in the world is ample.
Lixouri is the capital of the Palli Peninsula and the 2nd biggest town on the island. Its name, in the older type Lixourion, first appears in a presentation brought before the Venetian Senate in 1534. The ancient city of Palli, which took its name from Paleas or Peleas, one of the 4 kids of the legendary Cephalus, was near today site to the north, on the spot comprehended today as Paliokastro.
2 hazardous earthquakes, on January 23, 1867 and on August 12, 1953, accounted for most of the structures in Lixouri. Now there are no old and conventional buildings, nevertheless the town is establishing along the lines of modern-day town. It depend on a fertile plain, which produces generally currants, olive oil and peas. To the south of the town are long sandy beaches (Lepeda, Megas Lakos, Xi) and to the north, around Kipouraii, Petani and Atheras, wilder nature rules.
Lixouri is an enticing town, with wide, neat streets, charming little squares, and an abundance of gardens with flowers and trees. A dry river bed runs through the centre of the town. Small bridges link the 2 parts of the town. Churches with remarkable bell-towers and abundant interior decoration were ruined by the earthquakes, however rood-screens and icons conserved from the ruins might be admired in the modern-day churches of St Nicholas of Strangers, St Nicholas of the Miniates, the Holy Trinity, St Charalambos, the Pantocrator, Our Woman of the Perlingades and St Gerassimos.
A number of fantastic public benefactors was responsible for rebuilding public structures, schools and other structures after the earthquakes. Among these were Panayis Vallianos (who offered Lixouri the Technical School which bears his name), Dr Stamos Petritsis, who rebuilt the school called after him and the 'Damodos' Neighborhood Library, the siblings Thanos and Evangelos Bassias, who rebuilded numerous churches, and Panayis and Antonia Manzavinatos, who reconstructed the medical facility which bears their name today.
On the sea-front stands a statue of the satirical poet and intellectual Andreas Laskaratos, who was born in Lixouri. Among other statues of widely known Lixouriots are those of Elias Miniatis and Stamos Petritsis, and there are also busts of the Radicals Georgios Typaldos-lakovatos, Stamatelos Pylarinos and loannis Typaldos Kapeletos Dotoratos. Vincent Damodos, Julius Typaldos and Mikelis Avlichos are to name a few locals of the town understood throughout Greece. The town has also produced 2 saints: the Blessed Anthimos Kourouklis and the priest Panayis Bassias (whose bones are kept in the Church of St Spyridon).
The Palli Band School has the second-oldest oneira villas kefalonia band in Greece, being preceded just by the comparable group in Corfu.
Dr Dimitris Loukatos, Teacher of Folk Art and Custom-made at the Universities of loannina and Crete, who was born in Cephalonia, writes in his book Christmas and Happy Customizeds about the songs and' praises' by some old-time vocalists and rhyme-makers sung as carols on New Year's Eve: Tsitselis has actually discussed this event in one of his posts released in 1910 in the 'Zizanio' Diary; he states: We older folk recall the old-time special vocalists and rhyme-makers who would carol throughout the night about our Ayios-Vassilis (the equivalent of Santa Claus), with lots of rhymes praising the members of the home and wishing them the fulfillment of their hopes, ending with the ask for a gift (bonama, i.e., buona mano) either in money, rosoli (i.e., alcohol ), sugary foods or singing birds.