10 Most Beautiful Beaches on Kefalonia

Kefalonia, a jewel in the Ionian Sea, enchants visitors with its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and rugged mountainous landscapes.

Kefalonia is best known for its dramatic cliff beaches like the famous Myrtos but the island is blessed with a diverse range of beaches, from secluded pebble coves to expansive sandy shores.

If you’re ready to explore the island’s most breathtaking beaches, here are the 10 you will want to take note of: 

Myrtos Beach

Myrtos is Kefalonia’s blockbuster beach. It’s the one that everyone will take a day trip to, and it features on plenty of postcards.

It’s located in the north of the island and easily combines with a trip to Assos and Fiskardo, Kefalonia’s most beautiful villages. The road here is good, with a short hairpin section at the end and parking on the road (it fills up quickly). You can also take a bus here from Argostoli or join one of the island’s numerous excursions.

There is a straightforward beach cafe that sells water and snacks and rents sun loungers.

The beach consists of white pebbles that create a dazzling blue colour in the water (you might want to bring water shoes). It’s surrounded by vast cliffs and the sea gets deep quickly. 

Antisamos

Antisamos is Kefalonia’s other famous beach – it was one of the filming locations for the 2001 film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin starring Nicolas Cage.

The beautiful setting is what stands at Antisamos. With its emerald waters enclosed by gentle wooded headlands, Antisamos is a particularly alluring example of an Ionian pebble cove.

It’s definitely not a hidden gem though. It’s now one of the most commercial beaches in Kefalonia. There are several beach bars, watersports, and plenty of sun loungers. It’s located 4km from the town of Sami and you’ll need a car as buses don’t usually run here.

The lush deep water is great for swimming. Don’t forget your snorkel mask and your water shoes.

Xi Beach

Offering a complete contrast to most of Kefalonia’s beaches, Xi Beach has its distinctive dark orange sands and white clay cliffs.

Xi Beach is located on the Paliki Peninsula, a quiet part of the island ideal for laid-back family vacations. 

The beach is narrow and organised beach with shallow waters, sand, and lots of sun loungers. It attracts excursion boats too, so expect it to be crowded in high season. If it’s too busy for you head west to Mania and Kounopetra where you will find similar landscapes.

Petani

Petani is also on the Paliki Peninsula, on Kefalonia’s west coast. Of all the beaches on the island, it’s the most similar to Myrtos (along with Platia Ammos and Gialiskari which are both difficult to access at the moment).

Reachable by car, Petani has a couple of tavernas and a few organised sections (in high summer at least). As with Myrtos, the beach consists of small white pebbles and the seabed gets deep quickly. Sun loungers are around €10-12 and parking is €5-7, although there are places you can park for free.

Don’t miss a photograph from the viewpoint at the top of the road.

Fteri Beach

Stunning Fteri is only accessible by boat or via a hiking trail but boy is it worth it. The colours here are absolutely blinding.

I would recommend a private boat rental as the best way to see this incredible section of the coast and to be able to explore the many small coves in the area. Alternatively, there is sometimes a water taxi from nearby Agia Kiriaki.

Here the white cliffs seem to plunge almost vertically into the iridescent sea.

Fteri is completely untouched so make sure to bring your own water and snacks as well as a bag for your litter.

Kako Lagadi

Kako Livadi is an example of the kind of beach you’re likely to stumble on if you’re exploring the north/eastern coast. 

It’s a steep rocky scramble downhill from the road but you’ll be rewarded with a swim or snorkel in waters of the most impeccable shade of turquoise.  

There are caves sometimes occupied by monk seals.

Skala Beach

Skala is one of Kefalonia’s most popular beach resorts, and the most commercial on this list, but it’s huge with plenty of space for everyone as well as easy car access.

Backed by the coastal road and fragrant pines, the beach is 2km long and consists of very small pebbles and golden gravel. It’s not as sandy as Lassi, the island’s other main resort, but it’s much more spacious. 

If you like amenities like serviced sun loungers and day beds then Skala is your best bet. There are plenty of cosmopolitan beach bars by the sea.

Emplisi

The scenic bay of Emplisi (sometimes spelt Emblisi) is very close to Fiskardo (a 20-minute walk) and a perfect example of the small coves you can discover on the northern tip of Kefalonia. 

This pristine pebble beach has vibrant colours and great snorkelling. It’s unorganised and there are trees on the beach providing welcome shade.

There’s parking behind the trees and a small snack bar.

Kaminia