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Times
31-07-2025
- Times
15 of the best villas in Cephalonia
It was Louis de Bernières's novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin and the 2001 blockbuster movie adaptation that truly put Cephalonia in the spotlight. As much a love story about the island as it was about the romantic encounters of the main characters, this Ionian destination has a varied landscape to discover, ranging from dramatic heights at Mount Ainos to sandy shores and pretty villages. You'll most likely want to hire a car to explore the island in full. It stretches about 50km from top to bottom, so there's lots to see: from the capital Argostoli in the west (look for turtles swimming in the harbour here) to the picturesque village of Fiskardo at the northern tip and the south's scalloped coastline. And when you're done with discoveries, hurry back to your own private hideaway in the countryside or at the coast. Here's our selection of the very best villas in Cephalonia to help you start planning. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue ££ | POOL | Best for outdoor living Set in a sheltered bay on Cephalonia's east coast, Agia Efimia is a village that hums with local life. It's a place where fishing boats share the quay in summer with visiting yachts and where the seafront is lined with unpretentious tavernas, cafés and a bakery. Just 2km uphill from the harbour is Anax, which offers sweeping views across the water towards Ithaca. With multiple terraces, a well-equipped outdoor kitchen and panoramic dining spots, it's designed for outdoor living — but there's also a taverna within ambling distance if you don't want to cook. There's a sleek and contemporary open-plan layout on the ground floor and upstairs one double bedroom and one twin, sleeping up to four guests. £££ | POOL | Best for multi-generational holidays Set within expansive grounds and ideal for larger groups — sleeping ten across three doubles and two twins — this exclusive villa is located just above the Blue Flag sands of Ai Helis beach in the southwest. On its doorstep you'll find the village of Svoronata and its restaurants, bakery, bars and the well-regarded Sarris Winery, all within a 10 to 20-minute walk. The house itself is spacious, air-conditioned and spread over several levels, with a highlight being the open-plan ground floor with its Italian-designed kitchen, breakfast bar and living room whose large doors lead out to the dining terrace. For teens there's table tennis and a basketball area. ££ | POOL | Best for sleek design Pack your bags for this strikingly modern villa on Cephalonia's south coast, near Spartia village and 1.5km from its secluded beach. From the open-plan kitchen, expansive glass doors glide open, leading to the timber-decked terrace where an infinity pool offers views of cypresses, pines and hills. There are three bedrooms, sleeping six, and the finish is worthy of Grand Designs — all gleaming tiles, industrial render and steam-bent wooden mirrors. It's about a 10km drive to Argostoli. ££ | POOL | Best for town and country trips Prepare for a village of villas, all simply decorated and refreshingly unpretentious, with a lovely location at the foot of Mount Ainos. The exterior design is boxy, but the interiors are sweet, with colourful furniture, tiled floors, green shutters and open-plan layouts. The configuration depends on which villa you choose — the larger three-bedroom ones are good value, and all have their own private pools. Villa Telina has a pine-shaded garden with a wraparound veranda and outdoor barbecue; Villa Mataki has arguably the best sea views. The nearest beach is Trapezaki, 1.5km away. £££ | POOL | Best for classical kudos There's a real wow factor here. With its classical columns and quasi-Olympian mountain backdrop, this is a villa with divine pretensions. There are four bedrooms, sleeping eight, and four bathrooms, all opening off a central atrium — where a dining room looks out over the magnificent infinity pool and the coast. Rooms are luxurious with soft grey sofas and metallic fixtures, and the garden is delightful, with mature Mediterranean plants and a shady side gazebo for outdoor cooking. Its location, Lourdas, is ideal for exploring the south coast. ££ | POOL | Best for an elevated escape A keen eye for interior design lifts this villa into the luxurious category: abstract art, brushed-metal surfaces, exposed rafters and rich colour schemes of chocolate, almond and slate give the house a feeling of serious sophistication. There's even a private gym in the basement. The detached house, sleeping eight, sits in an elevated position, about 8km from Argostoli and 3km from the airport (so expect some aircraft noise). One bedroom is in a separate annexe, making this the perfect villa for a multi-family break. The icing on the cake is the huge 11.5m pool, offering views over the sea as far as Zakynthos. ££ | POOL | Best for cosy country charm Rustic simplicity awaits at this quiet country cottage, tucked away in the southeast of the island near the beach village of Katelios, known for its excellent seafood tavernas. Built from stone, with exposed timber beams, it's typically Cephalonian and on the ground floor there's a double-height kitchen with a large fireplace. The first of the two bedrooms leads off the main room; the other bedroom is upstairs, under the eaves and accessed via an attractive wooden staircase. The L-shaped pool is a highlight, with views over treetops all the way to distant Mounda beach. • Best places to visit in Greece• Best affordable villas in Greece ££ | POOL | Best for a chic take on cottagecore You'll fall quickly for this romantic cottage on the woody hillside above Lourdas beach, where you can sit in the courtyard or bathe in the pool and look directly down onto the sands. Though small, the house sleeps four and has enormous charm: exposed stone walls, wooden furniture, local artworks on the walls and exposed beams in the bedrooms give it more character than many of the island's fancier properties. There's a side courtyard with a stone barbecue and outdoor sofas for lounging on — and the beach is within easy reach. £££ | POOL | Best for defying gravity above Myrtos beach This villa has perhaps the most dramatic location on the island. Perched on a narrow headland jutting out high above Cephalonia's dreamiest crescent of sand, Myrtos beach, this is island luxury with a capital L. Bohemian-style rooms accommodate six guests, who can enjoy facilities from futuristic fireplaces to an industrial stainless-steel kitchen and brushed concrete bathrooms. But it's the incredible semi-circular terrace that steals the show: steps lead down to a theatrically positioned plunge pool that makes it feel as though you're floating above the Ionian Sea. Needless to say, the drops all around make it entirely unsuitable for children. £££ | POOL | Best for home-cooked food and olives on tap There's space galore at this enormous five-room villa, sleeping ten, which belongs to one of the island's oldest olive farms (guests get a guided tour of the olive groves and museum next door courtesy of the owner). The house is on three levels, furnished in a traditional country style — plenty of wood, stone and floral patterns — and the gardens are beautiful, with sunloungers arranged beneath bougainvillea and cypress and pine trees. A chef is on hand to provide meals and cooking lessons, and you can also arrange a day trip in the estate's private motor yacht. The villa is near the village of Periata and not too far from Trapezaki. ££ | POOL | Best for beaches, bays and BBQs The location here is postcard-worthy. You're on the edge of the old town of Assos and its sparkling, sheltered blue bay, much favoured by yachtsmen: steep steps lead directly down into the cove from the villa. Assos Helen is one of a small complex of villas and has arguably the best position, with a corner aspect that gives the pool a tremendous, uninterrupted view of the bay. There are three attractive bedrooms, sleeping six, including a romantic master up in the attic. Gorgeous Myrtos beach is nearby — and don't miss a hike up to the ruined castle on the headland. £££ | POOL | Best for a beach house with an eco twist If you really want to escape everyone — and everything — this vast beach house out on the isolated Paliki peninsula is the place. Designed along eco-friendly lines (ceiling fans rather than air conditioning, power from solar panels and a wind turbine), the house stands in glorious isolation on its own 20-acre estate. There are four en suite bedrooms and a communal kitchen-diner that has a bigger footprint than most hotel rooms. The facilities for children are fantastic — there's a pool room, table tennis, kayaks and bikes to borrow, and a gigantic 98 sq m seawater pool. Unusually for Cephalonia the pool (and one of the bedrooms) is wheelchair accessible. The peninsula's beaches are there to be explored: Lagadakia is closest. ££ | POOL | Best for exploring the northern coast Situated on the promontory north of the port town of Fiskardo, this collection of three luxury villas (Fauna, Merope and Odele) is ideal if you want to be within walking distance of town. The houses are similar in design, set over two levels with plastered façades, green shutters and red-tiled roofs, and have pretty gardens where island shrubs, olive trees and wildflowers are arranged around a rectangular pool. Interiors are chic with high timber ceilings, marble bathrooms, wood stoves and artworks, while the view over Fiskardo's rooftops will feature heavily on your Instagram feed. ££ | POOL | Best for an authentic, away-from-it-all feel This renovated two-bedroom stone cottage sits at the end of a private drive in the hills of Skala. Its name means weaver in Greek, which gives a clue to its original occupants. Unlike the many bland concrete boxes that have sprung up all over Cephalonia, this house has heritage. It's been sensitively restored, with chunky tiles, original A-frame beams and rustic stone walls retained, and a super terrace outside offering a wonderful vista over treetops to the town and coast. The privacy is the main draw here — but it's worth bearing in mind that it's 3.5km to the nearest beach. ££ | POOL | Best for an artsy abode On a private estate owned by an artist, this is an oasis. The highlight is the garden, with a pool, lawns and hammocks shaded by pines and palms. Inside, the house brims with character — from the bright orange kitchen worktop and wicker baskets to the mosaic-tiled bathrooms. One bedroom is on the ground floor with access to the pergola-covered terrace; the other is on the first floor and has its own little veranda. A little-known sandy beach is nearby. • Read our full guide to Greece• Best Greek island cruises Additional reporting by James Litston
Condé Nast Traveler
23-05-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
How I Travel: Simon Pegg Has a Long, Relatable List of Hotel Demands
[Kefalonia] is somewhere we know we can get to and just know it; we don't have to do any acclimatization. We know the restaurants, we know the parts of the beach that we like. Last year we went to Asia for two weeks, a tour of Korea and Japan, and that was very much an activity holiday. We went out and visited temples and sites and did our due diligence as genuine tourists. We like to do that as well, when we can. Kefalonia is for those holidays when we just want to sit around and relax. The island is quite cultural, it's got a lot of history—there are amazing caves there. There's Myrtos beach, which is very famous. They shot Captain Corelli's Mandolin there; it's set there. But for us, it's somewhere to do nothing. How he spends his flight time: I've got a real ritual now with flying. I make sure I'm dressed very comfortably, and always wear drawstring trousers so there's no taking the belt off at security. I love to get settled in and watch movies. For me, it's heaven if the only thing I have to do is watch movies. I tend to watch films that I wouldn't necessarily watch at the cinema, or classics that I love that are just a comfort. I can sleep on a plane as well. If I have to do a night flight, I like to get the bed down as soon as the seatbelt signs go off. Don't eat dinner, just go straight to sleep and wake up when the first announcement is called in the morning that we're coming into land. That's my favorite thing to do. The area of the U.K. he thinks more travelers should see: Obviously we're an ancient island, and there's so much history here. Go to any town and you'll find somewhere exhibiting the remains of a Roman settlement or some cultural civilization that came before. Even in the little town where I grew up—Gloucester in the southwest of England—there are glass viewing platforms where you can look down into Roman baths. I love the lakes up in the very north of England. The Lake District is lovely. It's geographically very different to the rest of the country, very dramatic, and it's a joy to drive up the M6 through the lakes. I always think the north of Scotland is incredible as well. Scotland is as different geographically to England as any other European country—as is Wales, funnily enough, which might be why that landmass was separated in the way that it was back when we invented countries. But the west coast of north Scotland, Loch Lomond and up through Loch Shiel over to the isle of Skye, is really beautiful, majestic scenery. What he looks for in a hotel: I think about this all the time, and there are certain checkpoints I have for a really good hotel: power points by the bed, preferably with a USB direct, that are not taken up with bedside clocks and things like that. I don't like a bedside clock that emanates light. Coat hangers that are real coat hangers, not those anti-theft ones, which I always feel is a faintly passive aggressive statement from the hotel: 'You are going to steal our coat hangers,' which is frankly insulting. I like the bathrobe to have the cord already threaded. I don't like it when they fold up the bathrobe really nicely, but then you open it and the cord falls on the floor. If you just got out in the shower, that can be really frustrating. I like pump-action toiletries, because when you're in the shower, if you have to take the lid off something and there's nowhere to put it and you're going to wash your hair, that's frustrating. [I prefer] when they're mounted on the wall and it's something nice, like Molton Brown, something high class. I love a turndown service. I love to come back to my room and find it all ready for bed with soft lighting, maybe a chocolate on the pillow, or a spray for the pillow. And a good restaurant, good room service that's available 24 hours. Yeah, I'm not too high-maintenance!
