Atheras

In the far north of the Paliki peninsular is Atheras. This remote village is surrounded by farms, on which the economy of the villages and nearby hamlets are based. It’s a longish drive out here in your hire car but it’s worth the trip.

Atheras is a rather mundane looking village for the most part, its concrete buildings offset by some colourful gardens. Look out for the one garden where its occupant has even made a planter out of an old World War Two sea mine!

The beach itself is more of a thin strip of sludgy sand, but it certainly is not crowded and the area behind fine for a picnic. It has a wonderfully remote feel to it. The hillsides behind the beach resound to birdsong and goat bells.

Petani

Taking your car hire south you will arrive at perhaps one of the most spectacular beaches on Kefalonia is Petani. If you have a hire car, it is well worth the effort of getting out to this dramatic horseshoe bay. Petani beach is one of the hidden secrets of Kefalonia but how long it will remain so unspoilt is anyone’s guess. Already there are already a few rather unattractive apartments being built immediately behind the beach.

Kipoura Monastery

Leaving Petani you will have to take to the back roads in your Kefalonia hire car if you want to make it to the Kipoura Monastery. Situated on the extreme western coast of the monastery clings precariously to the cliff top. In this remote position, the monastery receives the full lashing from the elements.

A church was first built at this spot in 1759, although monks from another monastery of Kefalonia were already cultivating the land nearby before the church was built.

During the Second World War a French battleship fired on the monastery, unfortunately mistaking smoke from the chimneys for that of an enemy ship. The monastery was damaged but survived the attack

The tiny little pebble bay of Lagadakia is secreted into the far south-western corner of the Paliki peninsular. Take your car hire along the concrete road and into a strange, barren and eerie landscape. With rocky outcrops that surround the bay, Lagadakia is a great place for a spot of snorkelling and a totally get away from it feel

Xi

is the major resort of Paliki but even this resort is hardly overdeveloped. Xi is dominated by the Cephalonia Palace Hotel, which although large, is surrounded by pretty gardens. Aside from this hotel, there are numerous apartments dotted around the flat land behind the beach and a few shops, tavernas and bars. The resort seems trapped in a rather pleasant, yet strange, retro 70's feel.

Lixouri

is the capital of the Paliki Peninsula. Lixouri is also the second largest town on Kefalonia and is home to one of Greece's oldest Philharmonic school.

Essentially an agricultural town, it is somewhat looked down upon by the more cosmopolitan inhabitants of Argostoli across the Bay of Argostoli. Lixouri is not noted for being as a particularly attractive, the town was hit hard by the earthquake of 1953 destroying all but a handful of buildings.

It is from harbour at Lixouri that you can take the ferry back across the water to Argostoli or else drive up back up the peninsular along its eastern flank.

Western Kefalonia Excursion

Paliki is one of the real market gardens of Kefalonia with its patchwork of tiny fields and villages . Few visitors explore this peninsula which is a terrible pity considering how beautiful it is.

Leaving Argostoli in your Kefalonia hire car head north towards Assos and Fiscardo before turning onto the Paliki peninsular

The majority of villages in Paliki sit along the high ground which to the north of the peninsula. Villages like Monopolata, Skeineas, Delaporta and Kondogenada. This region has the most fertile land. Beyond the villages, cypress clad hills rise onto a wild and remote coastline.

Paliki Peninsula - A Car Hire Guide

Photos from around Paliki Peninsula & west Kefalonia

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Planning to hire a car on Kefalonia, check out the gallery for more photos from around the island