Kefalonia is big, mountainous and gloriously spread out, so its beaches come in distinct flavours and you need a car to do them justice. The northwest is the postcard coast, where the road clings to the cliffs above Myrtos and the white pebble bays glow an unreal blue against the limestone. This is the scenery that sells the island, and it is every bit as good in the flesh as in the photographs.
Swing east to Sami and the mood softens. Antisamos sits in a green walled bay where pine covered hills block the wind and the water stays clear and calm, the easy swim that Myrtos is not. Out west on the Paliki peninsula, Petani mirrors Myrtos with the same cliffs and white stones but a fraction of the crowd, while nearby Xi breaks every rule with its long shallow shelf of soft red clay sand.
Down south around Skala, Lourdas and Lassi the beaches turn longer and more organised, with sand and shingle, sunbeds and tavernas, and gentler water for an easy resort day. Below we rank the beaches the way a swimmer and a road tripper would actually use them, with the honest note on which ones reward the drive, which suit a calm dip, and which deep beauties demand respect in the water.
Scored on water, scenery, shelter, sand and how good the day actually is.
The most famous beach in the Ionian, a curve of brilliant white pebbles wedged between towering cliffs with water that runs from milky turquoise to deep blue. The catch is honest: it shelves steeply and the sea can run choppy, so it rewards confident swimmers more than paddlers. Verdict: unmissable for the view and a deep clear swim, best on a flat calm morning before the tour buses arrive.
The calm swimmer's choice, a long pebble bay near Sami ringed by pine green hills that block the wind and keep the water flat and clear. It earns a blue flag year after year and starred in the Captain Corelli film. Verdict: the easiest, most sheltered proper swim on the island, well organised with sunbeds and two tavernas, and the antidote to Myrtos on a windy day.
Myrtos without the crowds, a horseshoe bay on the Paliki peninsula with the same white cliffs, bright pebbles and deep blue water but a fraction of the bus traffic. The sun sets straight down the bay, so it is the pick for a swim and a sundowner. Verdict: the connoisseur's Myrtos, just as steep and deep in the water, so swim with the same care and stay for the light.
The island oddity and the family favourite, a long stretch of soft reddish orange clay sand backed by white clay cliffs, with water so shallow it stays waist deep a long way out. The clay is even used as a natural skin treatment. Verdict: the gentle counterpoint to the deep pebble beaches, easily the best for small children and a safe shallow paddle, with full sunbeds and food.
The easy resort beach near Argostoli, a pretty run of pale sand and shingle with clear shallow water and the full set of sunbeds, watersports and tavernas. It is close to the airport and the capital, so it is busy and convenient rather than wild. Verdict: the most organised swim on the island and a fine, gentle family day, if you want amenities on tap over scenery.
The long, easy beach of the southeast resort, a wide stretch of sand and fine shingle backed by pine trees with clear water and a relaxed family feel. There is space to spread out, a Roman villa to visit nearby, and tavernas along the front. Verdict: not the island's most dramatic sand, but the comfortable choice for a longer, slower resort holiday with the swimming gentle and the crowd unhurried.
The first honest note is the water. Kefalonia is a deep water island, and most of its best beaches are steep pebble that drop away fast a step from the shore. That is exactly why the sea glows so clear and blue, but it also means these are swimmers' beaches, not paddling ones. Myrtos and Petani in particular shelve hard and can build a real shore break on a windy day, so they are for confident swimmers and best on a flat calm morning. If you want shallow and gentle, Xi and the southern sand beaches are your friends.
The second note is the driving and the timing. The island is large and the cliff roads down to the famous beaches are steep and winding, with parking that fills fast in July and August. Myrtos especially turns into a car park scramble by mid morning in peak season, so arrive before ten or come late in the afternoon when the tour buses have gone and the light is better anyway. A hire car is essential to do the island properly, and the descent to the sand is part of the adventure.
Finally, pack for pebbles and bring the basics. Reef shoes transform the white pebble beaches, turning a wince across hot stones into an easy walk, and the steep entries are far kinder underfoot with them on. Several of the wilder bays have little shade and limited facilities, so carry water, sun cover and your own supplies, and treat the famous beauties with respect in the water rather than assuming a lifeguard and a gentle sea. Conditions here are typical and never guaranteed.
Tell us the date and the crowd and we will help set up a Kefalonia beach club or daybed day to suit, from a sheltered swim at Antisamos to a sunbed on the southern sand. We reply by email.
Most beach trips land at Kefalonia airport just south of Argostoli, the natural base for the southwest beaches around Lassi and Makris Gialos. A hire car is essential here, because the island is large and the best beaches are scattered across separate corners, from Myrtos and the northwest cliffs to Antisamos in the east and the Paliki peninsula in the west. Buses are limited and the famous beaches really want wheels and a careful drive down the hairpins.
Pack for sun, pebbles and deep water. Reef shoes make the stony beaches comfortable, the entries are easier with them on, and a mask is worth carrying for the clear water. The resort beaches in the south have sunbeds, showers and tavernas close to the sand, while the wilder cliff bays have little shade and few services, so bring water and sun cover and check the sea and the parking before you commit to a beach for the day.
For sheer drama Myrtos is the headline, a sweep of white pebbles between huge cliffs with electric blue water, though the deep, sometimes choppy sea makes it better for confident swimmers. For an easy, sheltered swim Antisamos near Sami is the calmer winner, a green walled bay with clear flat water. The honest answer depends on whether you want the famous view or the relaxed dip.
It needs respect. Myrtos shelves steeply, so the water gets deep fast just off the shore, and on a breezy day it can pick up waves and a pull. Strong swimmers will love the clear deep water, but it is not a gentle paddling beach and the white pebbles make the exit slippery. On a flat calm day it is glorious, so read the sea before you commit and keep children close.
Xi on the Paliki peninsula is the gentle family choice, with shallow water that stays waist deep a long way out and soft reddish clay sand. Antisamos and Makris Gialos near the resorts are also calm and well organised with sunbeds and food. Save the steep deep beaches like Myrtos and Petani for older confident swimmers.
Mostly pebble or a sand and pebble mix, which is why the water runs so clear. Myrtos and Petani are bright white pebbles, Antisamos is small pebbles with patches of sand, and Makris Gialos is fine pale sand and shingle. The real outlier is Xi, with its unusual soft red clay sand. Reef shoes make the pebble beaches far more comfortable.
Late May to mid June and September are the sweet spots, with warm sea, reliable sun and far fewer people than the August peak. July and August are hot and busy with the warmest water of the year, while May and October are quieter and cooler. See our Kefalonia when to go guide for the month by month picture.