At the island of Odysseus

The first time I heard about Ithaca I was probably 12 years old. My parents made an attempt to move back to Greece from Sweden and I had my first real challenge in Greek school. Homer’s epic book Odyssey was on the schedule in ancient Greek! We read the poem, a couple pages each lesson, translating it to modern Greek and then tried to understand Odysseus fantastic journey on his way to Ithaca…

The island

So last year it was time to visit the island of Odysseus, Ithaca. It’s actually a wonderful little island in the shadow of Kefalonia which is a much bigger island. If you want to explore the Greek nightlife this is not island for you! Ithaca is missing the big hotel complexes and keeps the life more still and authentic which is a blessing for some of us. Here are the things you do not want to miss when visiting the island.

The beaches

The Ionian Islands have the coolest beaches according to my opinion and that’s because of the exiting landscapes on those islands. Some of the beaches can only be reached by boat. Afales beach is my favorite in Ithaca, the water out there is awesome. Don’t forget to ware something on your head, when you’re out there on the north point of the island. Gidaki beach is the other one. Here there is actually a bar and some pleasant sunbeds so you can enjoy the sea view with more comfort.

The villages

Kioni, a beautiful village with a lovely port and with plenty of restaurants. The port is surrounded with boats and yachts of any size. Frikes on the north side is another of those little villages and also the port where the ferry’s from Lefkas arrive. I addition Perachoris most fantastic view over both sides of the island, towards Kefalonia and the mainland. The village is located near the capital of Ithaca. Likewise the perfect place for photo shooting.

Vathy

Is the capital of the island and founded at 16th century and was the main port in Ithaca. The town was destroyed during a fire 1956 and has then been rebuilt in original style. We stayed here at the Korina Hotel and strolled around the picturesque streets and the lovely port. The municipality organizes cultural festivals with theatrical plays, concerts, debates and art exhibits and give this island a special culture profile. Traveling to the island of Odysseus is an awesome experience specially if you want to avoid the crowds and spend your vacation in a slow mode.

If you plan to have your elopement in Greece, may I suggest this beautiful island? More about my micro weddings and elopements in Greece here.