Kefallonia. The largest of the Ionian islands, Kefalonia is located at the entrance to the Gulf of Patra, between the islands of Zakynthos and Lefkada. Kefalonia and the island of Ithaca today comprise the County of Kefalonia-lthaca with the capital in Argostoli. The island is easily accessed through regular boat schedules connecting its numerous harbours with Lefkada, Aetoloakarnania, Ithaca, Patra, Kyllene and Zakynthos. There are also daily flight connections with Athens. Archaeological finds evidence human presence on the island dating back to the dawn of civilisation. Stone tools found in the village of Haliotada Samis and on the Fournia peninsula at Fiskardo provide proof that prehistoric man settled both Kefalonia and Ithaca. Doric temples of the 7th and 6th centuries BC attest to the Rresence of a high level civilisation.

The history of Kefalonia is long and interesting. l antiquity, attempts by the Macedonians to conquer the island were aborted, although the Romans proved more successful in becoming its absolute rulers. In the early Byzantine years Kefalonia belonged to the province of Achaia and was often raided by pirates and corsairs. Around 890 AD, Leo IV the Wise incorporated most or all of the Ionian Islands into a province of the Byzantine Empire as the Theme of Kefalonia. The Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard captured Kefalonia in 1081, but his death in 1085 prevented the establishment of a dynasty. In 1214 the Greek Despotate of Epirus annexed the first Venetian colony signalling a long period of Epirote, Sicilian, Margaritonis and Orsini rule that lasted until 1479 when the Turks captured Kefalonia. The short-lived Turkish occupation ended in 1500 when Venetians and Spaniards captured the Castle of St. George - the island's capital at the time. Venetian rule lasted for nearly 350 years during which the merchants of the Venetian Republic benefited greatly from the island's large production in desirable commodities, such as raisins. In 1797, the Venetians were expelled by the French; one year later the allied fleets of Russia and Turkey fomented an uprising against the French, which led to the Septinsular (Seven Island) Republic.

The French occupation was soon ended by the British, who were eventually expelled after the spread of the early socialist movement to the islands. Finally, on 21 May 1864 the British surrendered Kefalonia along with the other Ionian Islands to the newly founded Greek state. The combination of a profound Greek-Byzantine tradition and the island's strategic position and years of occupation by western conquerors resulted in the creation of a unique culture that has remained intact to this day. The festivals, dances, serenades and operatic song, the local architecture of the bell-towers and buildings, its poetry and its language, all bear the stamp of Kefalonia's unique heritage. Capital and main port Argostoli is built on the inner coast of the island's peninsula.

Kefalonia has hundreds of quaint villages and small towns sporting an architecture all their own, dotted with beautiful houses, tiny villas and gardens with a profusion Of sweet smelling flowers. Villages of particular interest are Fiskardo, Kourkoumelata and Aghia Eulymia. Well worth a visit, the monastery of Patron Saint Gerassimos where the relics of the Saint are kept, stands on the outskirts of Fragata and Valsamata, amidst the serene beauty of enchanting nature. In addition to its interesting archaeological sites, the Island boasts a richly stocked library, the Kefalos Theatre and philharmonic orchestras, as well as Archaeological, Historical and Folklore Museum. Sailors, merchants and businessmen, energetic and ingenious, the sons and daughters of Kefalonia have gained distinction in literature, science and the arts.

They are known to history as people of temperament, with a keen satirical bent, sharp wilted, liberal in their ideas, devoted to exploration and the sea, restless travellers and profoundly attached to St. Gerassimus, the Patron Saint of Kefalonia. Harmoniously combining sea and mountain, Kefalonia fascinates its visitors with the infinite variety of its natural surroundings. Vast tracts of forest cloak the rugged landscape with peaks topping 5,000 feet, while plenty of beautiful golden beaches with hundreds of secluded white coves provide small havens to sun lovers. Occupying the largest part of the island. Mt. Ainos, one of Greece's ten National Parks, is home to the unique Kefalonian flr trees, as well as to a peculiar breed of wild horses, the tiny Enos horses. Besides possessing outstanding natural beauty, Kefalonia constitutes a unique natural habitat with a rich and rare flora and fauna. There are 1014 different species of flowers and plants overflowing the island with their colours and sweet scents. The fauna boasts at least 26 different species of birds. Yet the island's rarities are not exhausted to its plant and animal kingdoms; the charms of Kefalonia include a host of remarkable geological phenomena. A huge rock emerging from the sea at Kounopetra, approximately 9km south of Lixouri, presents a very peculiar geological phenomenon, one of the unsolved mysteries of our times, while In the swallow-holes ofArgostoli the sea disappears into subterranean tunnels to reappear at lake Melissani, an incredibly beautiful semi-underground lake of indigo water on the other side of the island.

The snakes of the Virgin at Arginia and Markopoulo, the flowers at the church of Ai Georgi at Pastra, the golden teeth of the sheep and the goats at Aghia Dynati, are some of the unexplained phenomena that lend the island its uniquely mysterious charm. The island offers many opportunities for sport lovers. There are tennis and basketball facilities at Argostoli, as well as at large hotels. The quiet beaches of the Kefalonia are ideal for sea sports. Little known and less explored, Kefalonia remains largely unscathed by tourism.

With many acres of inland of forest-clad mountains to explore, places off the beaten track, paths along shepherd's tracks, churches and monasteries perched on steep cliffs, high mountain trails and timeless villages, Kefalonia is attractive to trekkers as it is to sunbathers. Visitors are offered excellent opportunities for dining out at romantic tavernas and restaurants where they can savour choice meat, fresh fish. Kefalonian meat pies "bourdeto", "lagoto", the famous local "kakavia" (fish soup), scrumptious "strapatsada" (tomato omelette) and top quality Kefalonian wine. The island is famous for its delicious ham, excellent reta cheese, fragrant thyme-scented honey and its "pasteli" (sesame-seed conrectionary). Rabbit or hare cooked with a lemon sauce and "kleftiko" lamb are unforgettable delicacies. For vegetarians the "tsigaria" and the leek pie are unbeatable! Kefalonia. Argostoli in particular, offer a plethora of night entertainment choices to visitors. From the traditional Fiskardo to the small tourist town of Poros and the fascinating villages of Livatho that captivated Lord Byron with their beauty, Kefalonia offers its visitors a glimpse of paradise at every turn. Each year the island's natural beauty and unique culture attract growing numbers of both Greek and foreign tourists.