Easily visited from Kefalonia, the island of Ithaki has a history that’s intimately tied up with that of its larger neighbor. Claimed by many, particularly the locals, to be the mythical homeland of the Homeric hero Odysseus, there is little archaeological evidence to support this claim

(indeed, it seems as though Homeric Ithaca is likely to lie close to present-day Poros on Kefalonia)

Daily Ferries Leave from Sami on Kefalonia and dock at the tiny harbor of piso Aetos on the west coast of Ithaki.

Like Kefalonia, Ithaki suffered greatly from the 1953 earth-quake, causing many people to emigrate (the population dropped from around 15,000 to under 3,000). However, it is a supremely beautiful and unspoilt island with a lovely main town, Vathy, and some gorgeous deserted beaches.

Vathy and the North

Vathy lies on the islands east coast, at the head of a deep bay on the Gulf of Molou. It is a quiet, very attractive town (it still retains surviving pre-earthquake architecture) with a huge number of tavernas set around its harbourfront and an archaeological museum.