Kefalonia Greece Travel Guide

The island of Kefalonia Greece (also spelled Cephalonia) is amazingly scenic, and it’s still not as crowded as other Greek islands like Zakynthos or Santorini.

You can visit Kefalonia on a day trip from Zakynthos and see some of the top sights in one full day, but in my opinion it’s better to stay at least a few days on the island and spend more time sightseeing.

The most famous thing to see in Kefalonia island is the Melissani lake and cave, but the island also has loads of good beaches with soft white pebbles and turquoise water.

This travel blog will explain some of the best things to do in Kefalonia Greece, how to get there, where to stay, and the best transport options and tour packages. I’ve also included a handy Kefalonia island map for trip planning!

Best Kefalonia Tours

First of all, if you only have a short stay in Kefalonia, such as a few days or less, then a day tour can be a great way to see the island.

We recommend GetYourGuide for Kefalonia tours! They have high rated private tours that go to a bunch of the best sights like Melissani Cave, Antisamos Beach, and Myrtos Viewpoint.

If you’re a solo traveler on a budget, they also have shared tours by bus. These tours usually include free hotel pickup and drop-off from most of the popular areas in Kefalonia.

We’ve used this company for lots of day tours and activities around the world, and they’re great! Highly recommended.

Where Is Kefalonia Island?

Kefalonia (also spelled Cephalonia) is an island located in the Ionian Sea, west of mainland Greece.

There are a total of seven Ionian Islands in Greece, and the distance from Athens to Kefalonia is only about 260 kilometers (160 miles) in a straight line.

How To Get To Kefalonia Greece

Kefalonia island can be reached by flight or ferry.

Flying to Kefalonia is the easiest, fastest, and most expensive (but recommended) way to get there. The Kefalonia airport (EFL) is served by daily nonstop flights from Athens, as well as some international cities like Amsterdam, London, and Munich.

The flight time to Kefalonia from Athens is 1 hour, and it costs anywhere from 50 to 100 Euros for a one way ticket with Aegean/Olympic Air or Sky Express.

The best airline to use is Aegean (or its subsidiary Olympic Air) instead of Sky Express if you have a choice, but any of them are fine. Free checked baggage is usually included in the ticket prices.

Taking the ferry to Kefalonia from Athens is cheaper than flying, but it’s slower and a bit more complicated.

You first have to take a 4 hour bus ride from Athens to Kyllini (which costs 25 Euros), and then hop on the ferry there. The boat ride from Kyllini to Kefalonia takes around 1.5 hours and costs about 14 Euros.