Travel Dates: May/June 2019 for 2 weeks
Ithaca is a small island off the west coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea. You probably remember the name from high school English class when you had to read The Odyssey, as Ithaca is the home of the hero Odysseus. But beyond the book, Ithaca doesn’t get nearly the amount of tourist attention as the islands in the Aegean Sea, such as Santorini or Mikonos. This is possibly because there are no direct flights or ferries from Athens. One has to fly to the neighboring island of Kefalonia, drive across the island to the town of Sami, and take a car ferry over to Ithaca. For travelers coming from afar, these extra steps seem to detour the hoards from Ithaca, and made it extra appealing for us seekers of secluded beaches. The seeming majority of tourists to Ithaca are sailors who dock in the bays, and spend the day in town before retreating to their boats at night.
Our two weeks spent on Ithaca were based out of the town of Vathy which sits in a bay. Our lovely stay was a bit up the hill, providing a sweeping panorama of the town from the balcony. Arriving on my birthday, Monica arranged for a cake and wine to be waiting for us. She’s the best!
The town has a relaxed feel with kind locals who extend a jovial “yassas” (hello) as you pass by. There are many tasty restaurants along the water serving up all kinds of seafood, grilled fish and local specialties such as Moussaka. We felt welcomed by the locals. We have not been to the more popular islands in the Aegean Sea, but have heard that tourism is beginning to test the patience and welcome by the locals there. We did not get this sense on Ithaca.
From Odyssey Outdoor Activities in Vathy, we took a guided sea kayaking tour. With our local guide George, we launched from the north tip of the island and paddled along the coast to the town of Frikes, stopping at beaches only accessible by boat. The water is impossibly clear, turquoise, and just warm enough to swim in. George used his drone to capture some of the awesome shots shown below.
Odyssey Outdoor also had stand up paddle boards that we rented to paddle around Vathy bay. It was super tranquil and the view of Vathy from the water is charming. We even saw a wild octopus!
We took an afternoon trip to the small town of Kioni to visit our new Australian friend, Sara, who we met while sea kayaking. We all did the hike to the three old windmills on the peninsula near Kioni. It is a short hike and if you’re lucky you’ll see a bunch of goats near the windmills.
One of our favorite elements of Ithaca is that there are many beaches easily accessible, with very few people on them. From Vathy, a nice walk takes you to Sarakiniko beach, and Filiatro beach. Both are tucked in a bay and are prefect places to relax with a book and take a swim.
Perhaps our favorite beach was Gidaki beach. A short drive from Vathy to a trail head, then a quick hike takes you to the secluded beach. We liked it so much we came back a second time.
The island also has the beginnings of good trail systems. When we visited we found trail map boards in towns and small blue markers at many trail heads. However at the time of writing this, there is not an official website for this information. We found that a quick web search will bring up blogs of other travelers with more detailed information.
Ithaca’s special charm made it hard to leave, and it is a place we would definitely return to. With its warm weather, beautiful waters, kind locals, and plenty of activties, what’s not to like?
