A search on social networks reveals everything tourists want to know about the island!
Kefalonia does not need commercials. Every summer, hundreds of foreign visitors become its best ambassadors, uploading photos, memories, tips and most importantly... questions to the Facebook groups.
With a search on Facebook group pages, with names like "Best of Kefalonia" which has over 288 thousand members and the "Visit Kefalonia" page with 24 thousand followers, we gathered comments, photos, questions and posts that reveal what foreigners love, what they seek, and what they observe in Kefalonia.
From the beaches to the transport, from the meals to the sunsets, the picture that emerges is one: an island that, without trying too hard, offers what everyone wants when they say the word "holiday".
In Search of a Gyula
The beaches of Kefalonia are the first and foremost reason to fall in love with the island. In many posts, tourists ask for suggestions for the best beaches near their place of residence. Some ask for quiet beaches, others for organized beaches with sunbeds, others are looking for beaches that can be reached on foot or by bus. But everyone, whatever their preference, agrees that the sea is stunning.
Makry Gialos, Myrtos, Petanoi, Kaminias, Emplyos, Skala, Platia Ammos, Agia Jerusalem. Each of them is accompanied by comments of admiration and enthusiasm. The beaches of Kefalonia have this quality: they look completely different depending on the time of day and the weather, but always impressive.
One tourist writes that they walked 40 minutes from Skala to find two small deserted beaches, and called it the "best part of their holiday". Others post photos from Myrtos and Assos beach, highlighting the purity of the water, the absence of organised facilities and the authenticity of the landscape.
How do I get from A to B? And how much does a taxi cost?
The second most frequently discussed topic among foreign tourists is travel. The questions are daily and vary from the simplest "how much is the taxi from the airport to Lourdas?" to more complex issues such as bus schedules or access to remote beaches.Most tourists end up renting a car, while there are also comments complaining about the punctuality or difficulty of getting around without their own vehicle.
However, what is striking is the mutual respect and willingness to help between the members of the groups. Strangers to each other, sharing experiences, giving accurate prices, suggesting routes, even instructions on how to avoid the hassle of the Fiskardo parking lot.
The same places, over and over again!
Some place names appear again and again in the publications. They are not tourist destinations from brochures, but places that visitors love to return to: Skala, Poros, Assos and Fiskardo.
Skala is presented as a destination for relaxation. "I have stayed there many times, I love this place," writes a tourist. Poros, on the other hand, draws admiration for its tranquillity, but also for its special sense of community. Some say they are excited just watching the ship manoeuvre around the harbour.
Fiskardo and Assos are two more areas that are often mentioned and enchant mainly with their cinematic beauty. "The most beautiful place in the world", writes a woman about Assos. Others talk about the houses with their colours, the tranquillity, the architecture, the light. Although complaints about parking or prices are often mentioned, the aesthetic effect always prevails.
Posting... is going to cloud
Tourists are not satisfied with words. The groups are filled with photos: of seas, blue waters, narrow streets, flowers, cats under the taverns, plates full of fresh fish and seafood. The pictures have no filters. They are authentic, taken with a mobile phone, some shaken and others more professionally rendered revealing the time the photographer has taken to get the right shot.
One of the most characteristic phrases: "The sunsets in Argostoli were incredible". Others capture the dawn in Poros, the calm waters of Sami, the view from their balconies or even a drink with the endless blue as a background. Each image carries a little story, a reason to come back.
Almost... food bloggers!
Photos of food dishes were, are and will remain an invaluable asset to the world of social media. But we don't have burgers and tourist pizzas here. Visitors capture fish, salads with tomato and feta, vegetables, local sweets, wine carafes, glasses of ouzo.
"Simple, fresh and delicious," writes a tourist from the UK. Others praise the tavernas by the sea, the service, the environment. The food is not presented as a product, but as a hospitality experience. A table with wine and local delicacies is used as a reason to write 'we feel at home'.
"We come every year"
What is perhaps most impressive is the number of visitors who return again and again. Many say they have been coming to Kefalonia since 2007, 2010 or even the 1980s. The reason? The feeling that they are no longer tourists, but friends.
"The island has won us over," writes one woman, "I don't want to go anywhere else anymore." This repetitiveness is not only due to the natural beauty or the food. It has to do with the relationship that develops with the place, the people, the routine of summer.
Every year tourists come back to the same neighbourhoods, the same waiters, the same accommodation. They recognize each other, exchange smiles, greet each other like old acquaintances. And this sense of familiarity is the most precious gift a place can offer.
Kefalonia does not promise experiences of a lifetime. It offers them, without advertising it. The foreigners who visit it do not seek perfection, but authenticity. And they find it. On the beach without wifi. In the smile of the local. In the cat sleeping under the chair. In the light. In the blue. The simplicity. And finally, they return. Again and again.
Because in Kefalonia, you are never just a visitor.
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