The Greek Islands and Athens
Ithaca, also called Ithaki, is a small and rugged island and much quieter than its popular neighbour Kefalonia. According to Homers epic, The Odyssey, it is the legendary home of Odysseus who, as king of Ithaca, joined the Greek expedition against the city of Troy. The island comes in two parts, north and south with a narrow strip of land joining the two, and is popular with both foreign and Greek tourists alike.
Ithaca
In the southern part of the island stands the capital, Vathy, also known as Ithaca Town. The above picture shows a small part of what is a much larger harbour, looking towards the town square where most of the shops and tavernas are situated.
The earthquake of 1953 destroyed most of the houses on Ithaca, leaving only a few remaining as a reminder of its past grandeur. The Drakoulis mansion in Vathy is one such example and is a good place to sit and enjoy a drink and just watch the world go by.
In the middle of the port lies a small island called Lazaretto. Created during the
British occupation, it has served as a quarantine area and later as a prison. The
buildings collapsed during the 1953 earthquake, and the Church of the Saviour was
built to replace them. Trees were planted giving the island a pleasant appearance
that belies its history.
The largest settlement on the northern part of the island is the town of Stavros.
Once a densely populated settlement, it is now very quiet with a population of less
than 250. The red domed church of the Saviour dominates the town square, built in
the Neo-
In the park in the centre of Stavros stands the only bust of Odysseus on the island, near to this, stands a map showing the route of the voyage made by Odysseus during his return from the Trojan wars. This homeward journey is said to have taken 10 years during which Odysseus had to face such dangers as the one eyed Cyclops, the witch Circe, a visit to the underworld, and the seductive charms of the goddess Calypso.
The small fishing village of Frikes is one of the tourist resorts on the island. There are a few hotels and rooms to let but the main source of income for the handful of bars and tavernas that line the harbour side comes from the many yachts that sail around this part of the Ionian Sea who call into the recently built marina.
The picturesque village of Kioni managed to avoid the worst of the 1953 earthquake
and so retains some fine examples of pre-
Life in Kioni revolves around the beautiful tiny harbour which has a good selection
of bars and tavernas, most of the time it is very quiet and relaxed, but it can get
very busy for a few hours during the afternoon when the resort is visited by tour
boats. The island boasts an almost non existent bus service so getting about is mostly
limited to either walking, hiring a car from Vathy, or taking a taxi. Another option
is to hire a small motor boat for the day which will enable you to explore the local
costal area.
The beaches on Ithaca, like this one, a short walk away from the village of Kioni,
are mainly made up from pebbles which can be uncomfortable. Many of the beaches are
backed by trees which gives you the option of moving out of the sun and into the
shade during the hottest part of the day. As this is a very quiet and comparatively
un-
There were 31 windmills on Ithaca. These 3 windmills are set on the hillside just
around the coast from Kioni and are visible from the harbour side. They can be reached
by walking out of the village along the costal path until you come to a beach, walk
along the beach to the end and up the other side, follow the path for a short while
until the path forks to the right, follow this path which is marked with paint spots
and small piles of stones until you get to the windmills.