Date of Holiday

June - July 2006

The Island

Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionan islands and in my opinion probably the least commercialised of the large ones. There was an earthquake in 1953 which devastated the island and the first thing you notice is the buildings all look so new, although there are derelict buildings throughout the island.

On landing at Argostoli airport there was an almighty bang when the wheels hit the ground and we thought the undercarriage had broken, but talking to others on different flights later they said it was exactly the same for them. The island is very rural with small villages everywhere and some breathtaking scenery, how I imagine a lot of people would envisage Greece.

We hired a jeep again (kefalonia rentacar, very clean, low mileage and the best price we could find.), The first thing you notice is how long it takes to get anywhere. There are not many stretches of straight road and you always find yourself going up or down a winding hill or mountain, what great fun. There is not a great network of tarmacced roads, but that's when the jeep comes into play. We covered over 1000Km in the fortnight and most of that was on dirt track. Once again that was the way to see the island, going to so many isolated areas.

We travelled extensively throughout the island, although we did not venture over the peninsula to Lixouri. Although we stayed in Skala, we spent our beach time on Potamakia Beach more commonly known by tourists as Mounda Beach. The soft sand shelves so gently into the sea and there is a view of Zakynthos in the distance. There are a few beds & umbrellas by the road that leads to it, but this beach is where the Loggerhead Turtles come to lay their eggs so most of it is just clear soft sand. Along the beach to the left there is a big branch after which you can enjoy nude sunbathing.

We visited Argostoli for half a day and it was beautiful. At the waterfront we watched Loggerhead Turtles swimming right up to the harbourside wall. The shopping area is very cosmopolitan and seems such a contrast to the rest of the island, with coffee shops and boutiques and souvenir shops to suit all tastes. There is also a conservation area where the sea washes in and we were informed that there are birds and flowers which are indigenous to Kefalonia in the marshlands.

We travelled north for the view of the stunning Mirtos Beach and along the coast to the charming village of Assos. Fiskardo was the next stop. You have to park outside the harbour and walk in. What a beautiful sight as you walk down the steps to see all the yachts in the harbour and the brightly painted houses.

Kefalonia is one beautiful island!

The Resort

Skala :

Skala is a lovely friendly village with the focal point being the square. Every evening local children were playing there and we spent many an evening just watching the world go by.

To us Skala is just the right size with all the facilities needed. People who have visited in the past will probably say it has grown too big and no doubt if we returned in the future we would say the same, but that is what happens in tourism. The restaurants and tavernas offer a very good standard of Greek cuisine. We also noted Italian and Chinese restaurants, if we wanted them we would got to Italy or our local town. Fellow visitors who had eaten at the Italian restaurant said the meals were very good but they noticed that the whole evening had cost twice the amount they had paid any other evening.

Skala Beach runs the length of Skala and beyond. It is made up of course sand and shingle. Over the years the larger stones have been removed to make it more tourist friendly. On the beach where the village joins, there are sunbeds and umbrellas for hire and the beach is at its busiest here but either side of that, even in July it can feel deserted.

There is a huge choice of restaurants and tavernas but we would definately recommend:

KALIVA - Run by Kostas and the lovely Enessa. To our knowledge the only plate smashing dancers in Skala. You need to see how they serve over 30 tables and still have time to dance!

AEOLOS RESTAURANT - As Aeolos Hotel guests we had 10% discount, but the reason for recommending this restaurant was the level and professionalism of the service. A nice little touch is the continual supply of water with your meal, and no there was no hike in the price for this!

PASPALIS - The Lamb Kleftiko was to die for!

We also have to recommend the SUNSET TAVERNA in POROS. It is located on the hill overlooking Poros as you arrive from Skala. As this is a taverna as opposed to a restaurant the menu is smaller but all home cooked and was full of locals later in the evenings we visited. The big attraction though is to hear the beautiful voice and guitar of VOULA PETRE who earlier in the evening is a waitress but sings LIVE every evening. If you want real Greece have a meal here, overlooking Poros as the sun goes down with fresh home made food listening to beautiful live music.

The Accomodation

Aeolos Beach Hotel & Apartments :

The Aeolos Beach Hotel & Apartments are bright, clean and very very friendly. As you arrive and register, your case is taken from you and is found awaiting you in your room.

In the reception area which is very bright there is a comfotable seating area for you to relax or watch TV. There is also a bookcase full of English books for you to borrow. The recception area leads to the bar overlooking the pool, where breakfasts are served to the people on Bed & Breakfast or anyone wishing to purchase breakfast. We were self catering but the people who used the facilities said it was very good.

A couple of steps down is the pool area, and what a lovely clean area it is, with beautiful views along Skala beach. The accomodation is housed in 2 blocks. As mentioned before we stayed in Self Catering and were in the block next to the pool. The room was bright and airy and the beds were exceptionally comfortable. I read a review somewhere where somebody complained the kitchen was too small, yes if you want to cook a 3 course meal but seeing we were on holiday we didn't intend doing that. Air conditioning and a safe are available at a cost of 110 Euros for 2 weeks and boy were we glad of it. The maid service was very good with the room being cleaned daily except Sundays and bedding changed twice weekly.

The pool area is furnished with modern comfortable sunbeds of which there were more than enough. The Aeolos does not have the "This is my bed for the day because I put my towel on it at 5.30am" syndrome. There wasn't 1 day when all the sun beds were all taken. I have to say though that they are made from a woven material and black metal frames. Due to the nature of the woven material they are very comfortable and you do not ache after laying on them for a while, but in the heat the frames got very hot.

Whilst we were there the World Cup was on and the bar area became a magnet when England were playing, but alas that didn't last long! The Hotel holds a BBQ once a week and everybody who went had a very good time. At the Aeolos the staff are very friendly and it is a place where you can join in or be left alone. The Hotel is exclusive to Thomsons so there are only British guests, which has its pros and cons, the same language but it's nice to meet people from different cultures.

The hotel is up a slight hill and it is just a walk down the hill to the beach. Although the hotel is about a 25 minute walk into the centre of Skala, everybody said what a pleasant walk it was, (we wouldn't know because we had the jeep!) There are many restaurants on the way. The other advantage of the Hotel being situated where it is, is the peace and quiet, it is what made our holiday so relaxing. The Hotel is also accessable to wheelchair users as the reception and bar area is level with the car park and there is a ramp to the pool and upper self catering studios, but obviously a vehicle would be essential to get to and from the hotel due to the hill.

We would like to thank the lovely Angela, mad Poppy, Leeta, Nicki and don't forget Evo for providing us with such a lovely relaxing time. We hope to return to Kefalonia someday, and when we do it will be to the Aeolos!

In conclusion, from what we saw of the other resorts we have to say that, for us, Skala has to be the best tourist destination on the island. Would we visit again? Too right we would!