Fiskardo, Kefalonia: the harbour the earthquake spared

What Fiskardo is like

Fiskardo sits at the northern tip of Kefalonia, across a narrow strait from Ithaca. It is small, with fewer than 200 people living in the village itself in the 2021 census, and most of it is a horseshoe of two- and three-storey houses around one sheltered harbour. In summer the quay is lined with yachts moored stern-to, with local fishing boats squeezed in between.

What makes Fiskardo different is what did not happen to it. The 1953 earthquake destroyed almost every town and village on the island, but Fiskardo came through largely intact, so its pastel facades, tiled roofs and wooden shutters are the real thing rather than post-war rebuilding. The harbour was known in antiquity as Panormos; its modern name comes from Robert Guiscard, the Norman duke who died on Kefalonia in 1085.

The flip side is that everyone knows this. Fiskardo is the most upmarket and most expensive place on the island, and from late morning to mid-afternoon coach tours and day boats fill the waterfront. Early morning and evening are when it is at its best.

Things to do in Fiskardo

The village is compact and walkable, though several lanes are stepped. Follow the path from the ferry quay along the northern headland and through the pines to the lighthouses: a stone tower from the Venetian period and a later one beside it, with views across to Ithaca. On the way you pass the ruins of a medieval church in the Norman style, often linked to Guiscard, and near the harbour you can see the remains of a Roman cemetery excavated in recent decades.

Most people spend the rest of the time on or by the water. Small motorboats can be hired by the day from the harbour, which is the easiest way to reach the coves along the north coast or to cross to Ithaca's west coast on a calm day; our boat trips and boat hire guide explains the rules and safety. Organised trips run to Ithaca and along the coast in season. The pine woods behind the village are very dry in summer, so never light a fire or drop a cigarette.

Ferries and boats to Ithaca and Lefkada

Fiskardo is the island's port for the north. From spring to autumn, car ferries run to Vasiliki on Lefkada, a crossing of about an hour; West Ferry's own 2026 timetable runs from April to October, and booking platforms also list Ionion Pelagos on the route. A seasonal service also links Fiskardo with Frikes on Ithaca in about 45 minutes, but it is listed with only one sailing a day at most, so it rarely works as a return day trip.

For a day on Ithaca, most visitors either take an organised boat trip or drive to Sami for the year-round ferry to Pisaetos. Our Ithaca day trip guide compares the options, and the ferries page covers the wider network. Timetables change every season, so check the operator before you plan around a sailing.

Beaches near Fiskardo

There is no proper beach in the village, but there are several pebble coves within a few kilometres, with clear, calm water on the sheltered east side. Foki, about 1.5 km away, is a narrow inlet backed by olive trees, which give real shade, with a taverna on the road above. Its name means seal in Greek, and Mediterranean monk seals are occasionally seen along this coast: if one appears, stay well back and never follow it.

Emblisi, also known as Emplisi and only a short drive or a longer walk from Fiskardo, is a small bay of pebbles and flat rocks with views towards Ithaca and a refreshment van in season. It gets very busy in July and August, so go early. Further on, Kimilia has flat rocks around the bay and Dafnoudi is reached by a short walk through woodland near Antipata. For sand and bigger beaches you need to drive south; see our Kefalonia beaches guide. Water shoes help on all of them.

Eating and evenings

Fiskardo's restaurants line the harbour and the lanes just behind it, with seafood, grills and some more ambitious modern Greek cooking aimed at the yacht crowd. Expect higher prices than in Argostoli or Sami, and book a waterfront table for dinner in high season. Evenings are lively but not loud: a long dinner, a drink on the quay and a walk around the harbour is the whole programme.

Staying in Fiskardo

A hotel in Fiskardo suits couples, sailors and anyone who wants a car-free evening in a good-looking village, with small boutique hotels, apartments in the old houses and villas with pools on the slopes around. It suits families less well: there is no sandy beach, the lanes are stepped and the main sights of the island are a long drive away.

If you stay here, plan on having a car or using boats. Myrtos is roughly half an hour to 45 minutes' drive and Argostoli more than an hour, so many visitors on Fiskardo holidays split their stay with somewhere more central. Compare the areas in where to stay in Kefalonia, or look at Assos and Agia Efimia for other small harbours in the north.

Getting there and parking

From Argostoli the drive is about 50 km on a mountain road, which takes roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter; from the airport add about 15 minutes. The road is good but winding, with the turn-off to Myrtos and the Assos viewpoint on the way. KTEL buses are infrequent and mainly serve residents: in the autumn 2026 timetable there was a single bus a week to Fiskardo, so do not rely on them. See car hire in Kefalonia.

Cars are not allowed into the village. Use the free car park above the harbour and walk down; when it is full in midsummer, people park along the approach road. Arrive before 10:00 in July and August, or come back for the evening when the day-trippers have gone.