Fiskardo

Fiskardo sits at the northern tip of Kefalonia, looking across a narrow strait to the island of Ithaca. It is the one settlement on the island that the 1953 earthquake left standing, and its intact Venetian harbour, coloured fishermen's houses, and church tower make it the prettiest village in the Ionians.

The harbour is lined with restaurants and cafés, and in high season the moorings fill with sailing yachts. It's a pleasant place to spend an afternoon — walking the lanes, eating fresh fish at one of the tavernas, watching the boats. Accommodation is more expensive here than elsewhere on the island.

A short walk from the village leads to a lighthouse and a Byzantine church ruin above the promontory; the views north to Lefkada and south along Kefalonia's coastline are exceptional.

things to do sight neighbourhood
A story
Fiskardo is the only village on Kefalonia that survived the catastrophic earthquake of 1953 intact — the rest of the island's towns were essentially destroyed. The reason for its survival is unclear: perhaps local geology, perhaps luck. Whatever the cause, it means Fiskardo preserves the Venetian-era architecture that once characterised the whole island, making it a peculiar time capsule of what Kefalonia looked like before the disaster.