Fiscardo Kefalonia

The picturesque fishing village of Fiskardo is a beatiful spot on the northern coast of Kefalonia about 50 kms from Argostoli. It is set among rugged hills, cypress trees and olive groves. The small working harbour lined with restaurants, cafes and bars is overlooked by colourful traditional houses offering wonderful views across the water to the neighbouring islands of Ithaka and Lefkas. Colourful local fishing boats line the quayside making room for the visiting yachts during the summer months.

With stunning scenery, a wonderful atmosphere, easy access to local islands and an abundance of restaurants and cafes, Fiscado is a great place to stay.

The village itself has a bakery, bank, mini-markets and plenty of tavernas. In the immediate surrounding area there are wonderful walks, some of which have been planned by the local environmental group. Hiring a motor-boat for a few days is a pleasant change from driving and is the best way to find some otherwise inaccessible and secluded beaches. There are daily cruises to the nearby islands of Lefkas, Meganissi, Skoropios and Ithaca.

The winding narrow streets of the village of Fiscado are wonderful to stroll through in the evenings, amidst the striking colours of Bougainvillea.

Some of the wonderful pastel coloured Venetian buildings overlook the fishermen preparing nets for their next trip. The L shaped waterfront of Fiskado is a mass of small boats tied along the quayside in front of the restaurants.

Sometimes described as a sleepy fishing village, in the summer Fiscardo becomes a bustling harbour where small sailing boats, motor boats, cruisers, yachts, fishing caiques and ferries all compete for space along the quayside.

The picturesque seaside settlement took its name from the Norman pirate Roberto Guiscardo who died there in 1085. The Venetians established their rule in Kefalonia during the middle of the 17th century and after 1700 Fiscardo became the commercial harbour to the whole Erissos area.

Although the 1953 earthquake destroyed much of the Ionian islands, the village of Fiscardo stayed almost intact and the village retains many original Venetian built buildings from the 18th century. With foresight the island's governors issued strict building regulations to maintain the elegance of the Venetian architecture which lines Fiscardo's deep horseshoe harbour.

The 16th centurey remains of the old lighthouse of Fiscardo, built by the Venetians is one of its famous land marks. It has been inactive since 1892. The lighthouse measures approximately 6 metres (20 ft) round the masonry tower. Adjacent to the lighthouse is a single storey lighthouse-keeper's house which dates from the 19th century. It is actually possible (but not advisable) to climb the tower. It is likely that the British refurbished the lighthouse during their administration of the Ionian Islands between 1809 and 1864. The site is open for visitors but explore with care.

The Victorian lighthouse which is the active lighthouse was built in 1892 and is located slightly uphill from the Venetial nighthouse. It has a focal plane of 28 metres (92 ft) with a white flash every 3 seconds. The square stone tower measures 14 metres (46 ft) and has lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is constructed of grey stone with grey metallic lantern dome. The site is open but the actual tower is closed to the public.

Take a cruise from the port of Fiscardo for a day's excursion to one of the nearby islands. Cruises visit the ports of Frikes and Vathy on the island of Ithaca and there are day cruises to Lefkas taking in the Onassis island of Skorpios and Meganissi island.

In high season the cruise boats tend to get packed. A more exclusive cruise runs daily in a converted caique with just 17 passengers which is operated and guided by a marine biologist who will introduce you to an octopus but serve vegetarian pasta for lunch! Snorkelling equipment is provided and advance booking is recommended.

A ferry runs in the summer months from Fiscardo to Vassiliki, south of Lefkas. It operates a circular service calling in to Frikes on Ithaca either on its way to Vassiliki or on its way back.

Recent find include rich treasure from Roman tombs and a small theatre in Fiscardo.

Within Fiscardo itself there are a couple of small pebbly beaches providing shade and safe clean swimming. It's possible to walk to the beaches at Foki and Emblissi but car hire is recommended for visiting the beaches in the northern part of Kefalonia which are usually pebbly.

There is a great choice of places to eat whether you want a freshly made croisant from the bakery or a three course meal with excellent wines and a spectacular view. Fiscardo offers a range of cuisine from the local speciality Kefalonian meat pie, fresh fish and lobster dishes and international cuisine including a new Thai restaurant.

The list of restaurants and bars is an ongoing project and we will be happy to receive additional information and photos for inclusion in this section.

A landmark in Fiscardo, this pretty church is easily reached from the car park in Fiscardo or by steps up from Fiscardo harbour.

Motor boat hire is available in Fiscardo and is an excellent way to discover secluded bays some of which are only accessible by boat.

Port authority rules allow the boats to operate up to a distance of 3 nautical miles from Fiscado. Within this area you can take a motor boat as far as Cape Dafnoudi which is the limit to the west of Fiscardo as the west coast is too exposed for safety.

The cape of Aghios Yannis is the northen point of Ithaca and you will find some nice beaches in Aphales Bay - however these are only safe to visit when the sea is absoutely calm so do check with the motor-boat hirer before setting off. Polis Bay is a small fising harbou on Ithaca where mooring is easy and there is a snack bar open in high season. 20 minutes' uphill walk takes you to the village of Stavros for a good selection of restaurants.

Emblissi Beach and Foki Bay are both designated swimming areas where you should not take your boat close to the beach and must keep a lookout for swimmers. At Embissi and Foki you can moor off the rocks on either side of the bay. The Bay of Deskalion near Evreti has a sunken wreck for interesting snorkelling and further south at Aghia Sofia there is a beach and snack bar open in high season.

Don't think of going further as Aghia Efimia and Sami are strictly off lmits and the port authorities will issue fines to any boats straying that far away from Fiscardo.