Find Your Perfect Beach in Kefalonia

Antisamos sits in a green amphitheatre of hills about 4 km east of the port of Sami, with crystal-clear water over white pebbles and a deep drop-off close to shore. The bay served as a primary filming location for Captain Corelli's Mandolin and remains one of Kefalonia's most polished organised beaches, with sunbeds, a beach bar and a taverna at the back of the cove. Mornings are calmer; afternoons can pick up a breeze.

Avithos is a sandy beach south of Argostoli, set in an open bay with a small islet (Dias) visible offshore. It is partly organised with sunbeds, a taverna and a beach bar, but quieter than the Lassi beaches a few kilometres north. The sand is reddish-gold and the water deepens gradually.

Emplisi (also Emblisi) is a small pebble cove a kilometre north of Fiskardo with exceptionally clear water and a rocky surround that snorkellers prefer over the busier organised beaches. There are no facilities on the beach itself; visitors typically bring water and an umbrella. Access is via a short walk from a small roadside parking area.

Foki is a small pebble beach tucked into a cypress-and-pine grove just south of Fiskardo, on Kefalonia's northeast tip. The setting is unusually green for a Greek island, with shade from the trees reaching almost to the water — rare on a Kefalonian beach. A single taverna serves the cove. The water is calm and clear, ideal for snorkelling along the rocky edges.

Fteri Bay sits on the remote northwestern coast and is one of the most secluded beaches on the island — turquoise water against a backdrop of vertical cliffs, white pebbles, and no road access. Visitors arrive either by boat (regular taxi-boats from Agia Kiriaki) or via a strenuous 30–45 minute hike down a steep path. There are no facilities, so water and shade have to be brought in.

Lourdas (also Lourdata) is a long crescent of fine pebbles and sand on the south coast, sitting at the foot of Mount Ainos. It is one of the quieter long beaches on Kefalonia — only partly organised, with a handful of tavernas spaced along the shore and the rest open and undeveloped. The water shelves gently and the south-facing aspect makes for sun all day.

Makris Gialos is the larger of the two well-known Lassi beaches, just a few kilometres south of Argostoli. Golden sand, shallow turquoise water and full beach-club infrastructure (sunbeds, beach bars, water sports, lifeguard) make it the most family-friendly organised beach near the capital. Its proximity to Argostoli means it can get busy in peak season.

Myrtos is the most photographed beach in Kefalonia and one of the most recognisable in Greece — a long crescent of fine white pebbles wedged between two near-vertical limestone mountains on the northwest coast. The combination of the white seafloor and the deep Ionian water produces an unreal turquoise colour. The beach is reached by a steep switchback road down from the village of Divarata, and gets exposed waves and afternoon sun rather than morning shade.

Petani is the western counterpart to Myrtos — a dramatic white-pebble bay framed by tall cliffs on the Lixouri peninsula, with the same deep-blue water but a longer, less-crowded shoreline. A small taverna and bar sit at the access road; the beach itself is partly organised with sunbeds. Sunsets here are exceptional thanks to the west-facing exposure.