Ithaca as a day trip or couple of nights? (From Kefalonia)

We were in Kefalonia (Argostoli) for a week in September and looked at doing a day trip to Ithaka (via Sami). From where we were staying, we determined it was going to be a very long (and expensive) day so not worth it, tho Ithaka does look very beautiful and we do hope to get there some day. Talking to some of the people who worked there we also heard that those ferries can be a bit unreliable, but I don't have any actual data on that. So, if you want to go, I think better to stay overnight. We did a day trip to Maddalena islands from Santa Teresa di Gallura as well and this trip was going to be significantly longer that that, at least from Argostoli.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the north, we did a little van trip around the island and really liked Asos a lot. We've also heard Fiskardo is beautiful but didn't make it there this trip. Antisamos had a really lovely beach but the wasps were relentless and unless you were in the water they were all over you. You've probably read about Myrtos, the most famous beach in the north- this was really nice as well and not crowded at all when we went. Altho we did experience a small earthquake while sitting on the beach there- these are pretty much constant in Kefalonia but usually too small to notice.

There are some beaches you can only get to by boat, but we visited these by using one of the big tour operators at the port in Argostoli rather than trying to do it ourselves.

For me, when we go to Greece I like to slow down a lot and not change hotels- Kefalonia isn't that big (tho travel can be slow as the centre is all mountains) so I would just stay in one place. But everyone's pace is different so you may like the chance to stay in different locations.

I too would suggest you stay for 1 or 2 nights (2 is better!) on Ithaca, particularly as you have a car. It is a stunningly beautiful island and well worth a visit. Gorgeous villages, Kioni is out of this world, pretty beaches, great food and not too busy. I've spent some time on Ithaca and would go back in a heartbeat. However, it is possible to do a day trip if that suits your plans better. It's not a large island and the roads are decent.
In terms of boat hire, you may be best to do this in Northern Kefalonia, Fiscardo could be perfect, where the coastine is arguably more interesting than in the south of the island. Or hire from central Kefalonia, e.g. Agia Efimia or Sami, which has some great scenery and beaches you can access by boat.

If the OP is still around....
If you are thinking of taking a rental car on a ferry, I would check with the company to see if they allow this. Many do not.

We found Fiskardo to be like a British outpost. We heard very little Greek... pretty much exclusively English, everywhere, and when greeting restaurant waitstaff in Greek, the reply was in English. Nothing wrong with this, but hardly an authentic Greek experience.

We rented a small boat in Fiskardo and it was the best day of the trip. Diving off the front of the boat into that gorgeous clear water was amazing... Unfortunately, it was too windy to get to Ithaca, but it looked much quieter.

Thank you all SO much, this is very helpful.

@missmarleygirl - great to know about Fiskardo.

I've finally finalized part of our itinerary. To be honest, the timing of our arrival (Saturday) combined with the timing of the wedding (Monday) makes it a little tight. I'm torn between three options:

Option 1: Immediately go north upon arrival. We could go to Ithaca the day after we arrive (Sunday), stay the night, and get back to Lourdata for a 3PM wedding.

• Saturday - Arrival on Kefalonia in the afternoon. Stay north.
  • Sunday - Go to Ithaca in AM. Explore all day, stay the night (or possibly go back to Kefalonia).
  • Monday - Wake up in Ithaca, catch ferry around 11:00 AM, get to Lourdata for 3PM wedding. Stay in the south/Lourdata area for the reminder of the trip.
  • Tuesday - Lourdata
  • Wednesday - Lourdata
  • Thursday - Leave around 7PM for Athens - so the day is mostly open
  • Friday - Full day in Athens
  • Saturday - Leave early AM

Option 2:
- Saturday - Arrival on Kefalonia in the afternoon
- Sunday - Lourdata
- Monday - Wedding (Stay in the south/Lourdata area)
- Tuesday - Wake up in Lourdata, drive to north, catch ferry to Ithaca
- Wednesday - Day in Ithaca, Night in Ithaca
- Thursday - Ferry back from Ithaca in afternoon - Leave around 7PM for Athens - so the day is mostly open
- Friday - Full day in Athens
- Saturday - Leave early AM

Option 3: Skip Ithaca and just settle into Kefalonia; consider a boat day instead.

Tough choice!! I might just be romanticizing Ithaca :)

If it was me, I would go with Option 2...Option one has a couple of issues that would make me nervous. Depending on when you arrive, you want to make sure that you are not driving north after dark. I believe sunset is around 6:30. Been there, done that. Don't advise. Also, should your ferry be canceled or delayed for some reason (they can, and do, get canceled due to weather), you'd end up missing your wedding. Not a chance I would be willing to take. Everyone has their own tolerance for risk. Mine is very low! :)

Thank you! I didn’t think about the risk of missing the wedding…which would be a huge bummer!