sign in sign up
<<
Home , Agalas, Antikythera, Asos, Cephalonia, Corfu (regional unit), Fiskardo

The Ionian The is an archipelago of eleven islands, large and small, strung out along the west coast of mainland and totalling 2,200 sq. km. in area.

The six large ones are , , , Kefalonia, and Paxoi, while the small ones are Antipaxoi, Ereikousa, , , and the cluster of uninhabited islets to the south of Zakynthos, the . Together with Kythera, which is cut off from the rest, opposite the southern and the shores of Lakonia, as well as neighbouring , they constitute the Eptanese.

The historical past of the Ionian Islands, known to us from the lines of s Odyssey, goes back millennia. Ithaca was home to the cunning King , some of whose adventures took place in the , while Corfu (ancient Corcyra) is identified as the Homeric island of the Phaeacians. Important landmarks in the history of the Eptanese are: their colonisation by Peloponnesians and Euboeans in the mid- eighth century BC - involvement in the Peloponnesian War between and Sparta (431-404 BC) - subjugation by the Romans in 197 BC - Venetian Occupation (1204-1797) - (1800- 1807) - French Occupation (1807-1814) -British (1814-1864) - Union with Greece (1864). (Kephalonia) Generously endowed by nature, a place with rare geological phenomena, mysterious caves, interesting subsoil, therapeutic springs and subterranean water, with superb beaches, traditional villages and rich archaeological finds, Kefalonia is an island of unique experiences. In 2001 John Madden shot the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin on location in Kefalonia.

The largest island in the Ionian Sea, 786 sq. km. in area and with 254 km. of coastline, Kefalonia lies opposite the west coast of the Peloponnese. To its northeast is Ithaca, from which it is separated by a narrow sound, the Straits of Ithaca. The two islands comprise the Prefecture of Kefalonia.

Its terrain is basically mountainous with Ainos a national forest park - as its highest peak, in the southwest (1,628 m. a.s.l.). The island essentially comprises four interconnected peninsulas and has a highly indented coastline with deep bays. The rich woodlands and the extensive vineyards, which produce the delicious Kefalonian , were renowned from Antiquity. The Kefalonians, kind-hearted and welcoming, have the reputation of being the most-travelled , since for centuries they have been ploughing the seas as mariners and merchants, or voyaging as migrants to all corners of the earth. The island also has a flourishing tradition in Arts and Letters, boasting a number of eminent creative spirits.

Its name is possibly due to the mythical king Kefalos, while the first mention of the name of the 'Kefallanians' is in Homer. The island was first inhabited in prehistoric times and around the sixth century BC it was divided into four kingdoms, at war with one another: Krane, , Pronnoi and Pale. By the time the Romans gained power in Greece, Kefalonia became a , while during the Byzantine Age it was plundered repeatedly by pirates. The pillage continued throughout the eleventh and twelfth centuries, at the hands of the Normans and the Crusaders. Kefalonia was subsequently conquered by the Ottomans, the Venetians and the French. Then came the period of the 'Septinsular Republic' under the suzerainty of the Sublime Porte, and not long after of British rule. It was finally united with Greece in 1864.

THE TOWNS

On the small peninsula of Fanari, in the inner recess of a sheltered bay, is the island's capital and main harbour, , in the territory of the ancient kingdom of Krane (or ). It was declared capital in 1757 and is now a modern town it was rebuilt from scratch after the catastrophic earthquake in 1953 - with handsome buildings, many of which preserve their former grandeur, large squares and picturesque neighbourhoods. Recent studies identify the area with ancient Melite, referred to in the Acts of the Apostles.

The Lithostroto (lit. paved street), the main commercial thoroughfare of the town, Vallianou Square and the historical Kampanas Square with its distinctive clock-tower, are the venues where locals and visitors alike congregate. Buildings of particular interest are the Prefectural Headquarters, the Law Courts, the Conservatory, the 'Kefalos' Theatre, the Korgialenios Library and the Kosme-tatos Mansion, the Drapanos Bridge with the characteristic arches, built by British engineers in 1813, and the Sts Theodores Lighthouse (Fanari area) which was toppled by the 1953 earthquakes and rebuilt according to the original architectural plans of the British (1820).

The Katavothres (lit. sink holes) at the entrance to the harbour should not be missed. This is a rare geological phenomenon in which the sea-water disappears in clefts in the rock and reappears outside (Sami area) and in the Koutavos Lagoon, where there are remains of ancient Kranaia.

The Greek Orthodox cathedral of the Evangelistria was built in 1957 and has an important iconostasis and icons by the significant later painter Th. Poulakis. Other notable churches in the town are of St Spyridon with its magnificent gilded iconostasis, of the Archangels, the Roman Catholic church of St Nicholas with the renowned icon of the Virgin Preveziana (of ), and others. Three kilometres south of the town is the cave of Aghios Gerasimos where the island's patron saint dwelt as a hermit, while in the Omala Valley, at the foot of densely forested Mt Ainos, is the monastery of St Gerasimos where his is housed.

The second town on Kefalonia is , a port built on the peninsula, northwest of the capital. It has an important archaeological collection and public libraries (Jacobatian and Petritsian). A short distance away is Palaiokastro where remains of the ancient city have been revealed, while at Kontogenada there are Mycenaean tombs as well as churches with Postbyzantine icons.

In this area there are also noteworthy monasteries with wood-carved iconostasis and precious icons (Virgin Koronatos 17™ c., Virgin Kehrionos, Kipouraion and Taphion). At the southernmost tip of the peninsula, near the village of , is the 'Kounopetra', a rock in the sea, which rocked (Gr. kouno) in a weird way until the 1953 earthquakes, after which it was stabilised.

Lovely beaches for swimming and water-sports near Argostoli are Platys and Makrys Yalos (at Lassi), Gradakia and Kamaroules, while at Lixouri the beaches at Lepeda, Xi (with red sand), Megas Lakkos, as well as Petani and Atheras, farther north, offer good swimming.

THE ISLAND To the northeast of Argostoli is Sami, the main port of Kefalonia, from which there is a sealink to . It is built in the homonymous gulf, in the vicinity of ancient Same. Excavations have brought to light finds from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, as well as remains of Cyclopean walls. In the same area are the ruins of the monastery of the Revealed Saints (Aghii Phanentes), with excellent examples of Postbyzantine wall- paintings. Sami is an attractive town with considerable , well catered for with accommodation, shops, restaurants, tavernas, bars, clubs and so on. Nearby is Lake Karavomylos, which is formed by waters that enter the sink-holes at Argostoli, and close to it is the lacustrine grotto of Melissani with the phosphorescent blue-green waters. Five kilometres southwest is the Drogarati cave with impressive stalactites and stalagmites, and extraordinary acoustics. Other interesting caves are Angalaki, Aghii Theodori, Aghia Eleousa and Zervati.

North of Sami is Aghia Evfymia with its pebble beach and pretty harbour, and not far away is the noteworthy monastery of the Virgin of the Themata, in a densely wooded setting. Sailing yachts and excursion craft moor in its harbour, while from here visitors can take a trip by sea to the beaches on the northeast side of the island (Agriosyko, Aghia , Kalo Limani, Kapsolimnionas and others).

The beautiful town of is situated in an idyllic landscape on the narrowest point of the homonymous peninsula to the north of Argostoli. On the hill are ruins of the Venetian castle and the fortification wall, built in the late sixteenth century to protect the inhabitants from piratical raids. Southwest of Asos, in Myrtos Bay, is one of the loveliest pebble beaches in Greece.

Farther north, at the tip of the Erissos peninsula, is enchanting , with traditional architecture (it is the only village unscathed by the 1953 earthquakes), restored old houses, a yacht marina and seaside tavernas. The village, which is very popular with tourists, is set in the midst of an impressive cypress wood that reaches down to the water's edge (beaches of Emplysi, Foki, Cape Dafnoudi and others).

One of the island's most interesting coastal towns is (41 km. east of Argostoli), in a verdant area, with a harbour and a marina, plenty of accommodation and traditional shops. A short distance from here is the monastery of the Mother of God of Atros, the oldest monastery on Kefalonia (8m c.), and beyond this is Lake Avythos (near the village of Aghios Nikolaos). Just outside the village of Asprogeraka are ruins of Cyclopean walls. Close to the village of Travliata is the monastery of St Andrew with valuable icons, and opposite this is the Venetian fort of St George (13™ c.) on the site of the island's Medieval capital. It is quite well preserved, with imposing walls and underground passages. Inside the castle are the ruins of the residence of the Venetian provedittore, barracks and the Catholic church of St Mark.

Interesting villages in the environs are Domata, close to which is the church of the Virgin with a wood-carved iconostasis of exquisite art, , , Lakithra with a wonderful view, Kourkoumelata (a model of settlement development), Pesada and others. A short distance from the picturesque coastal village of is the monastery of the All Holy Mother of God of Sisies (13m c.), which tradition has it was founded by St , while close to the village is a therapeutic spring. The beach nearby and the one at Trapezaki are ideal for swimming.

In the south of the island is the village of Kateleio, in the gulf of that name, with golden sand. Nearby is Skala, where a building from the Roman period (2n" c. AD), with well-preserved mosaics, was discovered. Ruins of a Doric temple of Apollo (5m c. BC) have been brought to light hereabouts, while the Sakkos Cave is also of archaeological interest.

Lastly, there are numerous delightful villages in the island's interior, with abundant greenery, refreshing water, local architecture, authentic Kefalonian customs and tranquility. Corfu Corfu, which is identified as the Homeric island of the Phaeacians, Odysseus' penultimate stop on his voyage home to Ithaca (Odyssey vi), is one of the best-known and most highly developed tourist islands in the Mediterranean. Its natural beauty and mild climate, many places of interest, sparkling sea, ultra-modern hotels, abundant opportunities for entertainment and sports, its combination of a cosmopolitan character and couleur locale, its aristocratic town and picturesque villages are the principal poles of attraction for visitors.

The northernmost of the Ionian Islands, Corfu is 611 sq. km. in area and has 200 km. of coastline. Its terrain is fertile, with lush vegetation and lots of water, vast groves, vineyards, pine forests, orchards of fruit trees and vegetable gardens. The geomorphology of the coastline varies. Steep. rocky cliffs on the west and gentle shores on die east and north, ending in tranquil bays in which the greenery of the land is reflected in the limpid waters of the Ionian Sea.

Human habitation can be traced back to the Palaeolithic Age but the island enjoyed a particular heyday in the eighth century BC and was enhanced as a great maritime and mercantile power later. During the Peloponnesian War it allied with the Athenians but later came under Spartan influence. From 229 BC to AD 337 Corcyra was occupied by the Romans. In 1537 it suffered a devastating attack by Barbarossa. In more recent times the island experienced many conquerors (Venetians, Russians, Ottomans, French, British and Italians), which largely explains the diversity of its monuments, witnesses to the long and troubled course of the island's history. On 21 May 1864 Corfu was united with Greece, along with the other Ionian Islands, while during World War II the town of Corfu was badly damaged by incendiary bombs.

Corfu has a splendid cultural tradition, particularly in the Arts and Letters, which continue to be cultivated to this day.

Corfu Town - The island's capital and port, of the same name. is located in about the midpoint of the east coast. opposite on the mainland. It is the largest medieval city in Greece still inhabited and one of the loveliest in the Mediterranean. The medley of cultural traits endows this Eptanesian town with its unique noble ambience, with a particular charm. Quite fascinating are the foreign architectural influences and the various orders that are blended with the local vernacular features and the spectacular natural landscape, creating an aesthetic result without parallel.

The old town of Corfu was included in the UNICEF world heritage list in 2007.

The town of Corfu has one of the largest public squares inGreece, the impressive , the left side of which is dominated by the magnificent building complex with its distinctive arcades, a meeting place for locals and visitors. On the north side of the Spianada stands the palace of Sts Michael and George, which dates from the period of British rule (1814-1824), while on the west looms the imposing and intriguing Venetian Old Fort, constructed on a peninsula in the fifteenth century.

Of interest too are the New Fort, built on St Mark's hill in the sixteenth-seventeenth century, and the buildings of the Town Hall (17th c.), the and the Ionian Parliament, the Reading Society (the oldest intellectual foundation in modern Greece) and the old Prefecture headquarters (Capodistrias Building - 1832), which now house the offices of the .

It is worthwhile wandering through the quarters of the town: Kampielo, the oldest neighbourhood, with Venetian kantounia (narrow cobbled streets); Mouraya, one of the prettiest neighbourhoods by the seaward walls of the city; Mantouki near the new harbour; Ovriaka, the old Jewish quarter; Saroko Square, the centre of the new town; Garitsa Bay with its quaint alleyways, detached houses and two-storey residences, where the Menekrates Monument is located.

Of the town's churches, the most famous is that of St Spyridon (1859), on account of the presence of the sacred relic of the town's patron saint and the distinctive campanile. Important too are the churches of Sts Jason and Sosipater in the Anemomylos (windmill) quarter, a Byzantine cross-in-square church with octagonal dome (10m c.), the Greek Orthodox cathedral of the Virgin Spiliotissa or St Theodora (1577), the Platytera monastery at Mantouki (18m c.), which houses the tomb of the first Governor of Greece, I. Capodistrias, the Virgin of Foreigners (1689), the Roman Catholic cathedral (Duomo) of St James in Town- Hall Square and others.

The Archaeological Museum (tel. 26610-30.680), the Museum of Byzantine and Postbyzantine Art in the church of the Virgin Antivouniotissa, the Museum of Asian Art (Palace of Sts Michael and .George, tel. 26610-30.443) Municipal Gallery (tel: 26610 48.690), the Museum of Dionysios Solomos (tel. 26610-30.674) and Corfu Gallery (tel: 26610 41.085-8): all merit a visit.

Three kilometres from the centre of the town is Mon Repos, initially the summer residence of the British Governor-General of the island and later the summer palace of the , converted into a museum. The Palaiopolis basilica, also known as the basilica of St Kerkyra (5m c.) is nearby.

On Analipsis Hill, ruins of a Doric temple from the 6m century BC and a fountain (Kardaki) were found, as well as the monastery of Sts Theodores and the ruins of the temple of Artemis (6m c. BC), to which the Archaic pediment with the Gorgon belonged (now in the Corfu Archaeological Museum). Kanoni at the edge of the peninsula (Halikopoulos Lagoon), south of the town, is a modern tourist resort, linked by a little bridge to the islet on which the much-photographed Virgin of Vlaherna monastery stands. A short distance away is densely wooded , with the Byzantine chapel of Christ Pantocrator (13th c.) in the midst of the greenery. Ithica An island known worldwide from Homer's Odyssey, a mythical and symbolic place, the desired homeland of return for King Odysseus and his companions. Ithaca covers an area of 96 sq. km., has a coastline 101 km. long and lies 2 n.m. east of Kefalonia. Its western part is mountainous and treeless, with precipitous coastal cliffs, whereas the east, in contrast, has rich vegetation and slopes gently to the sea. Myth has it that the island, inhabited by man since prehistoric times, is named after Ithakos, son of Poseidon and Amphimele. During the Mycenaean period it acquired great power, as is attested by the Homeric epics (Iliad and Odyssey). Nevertheless, despite archaeological investigations, the Homeric capital of Odysseus and his palace have not been found, possibly because of the catastrophic earthquakes that have struck the region many times since time immemorial. An important turning point in Ithaca's history was its capture by the Normans and later by the Orsini family (12th c.). During the ensuing centuries its fortunes were the same as those of the other Ionian Islands.

THE TOWN The island's capital and port is Vathy, a pretty Eptanesian town built on the site of the Homeric harbour of Phorkys, in a gulf that is sheltered and deep (Greek. vathys), hence its name. Inside the enclosed bay is the verdant islet named Lazaretto (or Soteras) with a small chapel of the Saviour and ruins of Venetian buildings (in the period of British rule it was used as a quarantine station).

The Archaeological and the Folklore-Maritime Museum, as well as the Library of the town are of particular interest, while the Greek Orthodox cathedral of the Virgin has a noteworthy wood-carved iconostasis (1793) and belltower (1820). At the entrance to the harbour are the ruins of a Venetian castle.

THE VILLAGES -SIGHTS OF INTEREST The shadow of the Homeric king still hovers over Ithaca and several place names refer to him. The area of Aetos (a narrow isthmus linking the north and south parts of the island) is well worth a visit. Known as 'Castle of Odysseus' (ancient city of Alkomenae), this is where the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, while searching for the 'Odysseiakon Asty\ discovered remains of walls and temples as well as significant finds, most of which are now in the British Museum, London. Also associated with mythology and the Odyssey is the Cave of the Nymphs, 3 km. west of Vathy. In the north part of the island is the isolated hamlet of Anogi, built on a plateau upon Mt Niritos, with a spectacular view of the open sea and a notable church of the Dormition of the Virgin, decorated with Byzantine wall-paintings. Dispersed around the village loom tall rocks, the so-called Menhirs, while a short distance beyond, at an altitude of 600 m., is the Katharon monastery, dedicated to the Virgin.

Other pretty villages in the north of the island are Aghios loannis, Lefki, built on the west slope of Mt Niritos, with its outport of Ammoudaki, and Stavros. The latter is the largest village on Ithaca, 17 km. northwest of Vathy, in an area of considerable archaeological interest. About 1 km. north of Stavros is Pilikata Hill, where excavations have brought to light remains of a small settlement of the third millennium BC, with a section of a Cyclopean fortification wall and a paved street. On the basis of the finds recovered, which are exhibited in a building in the area, archaeologists suspect that the ancient city of Ithaca was situated here.

Close to the small harbour of Stavros, in the Bay of Polis, is the Loizos Cave. This is a very ancient place of worship in which were discovered potsherds with graffiti that bear witness to the cult of the goddesses Artemis, Hera and Athena. Twelve tripods, reminiscent of the Phaeacians' gift to Odysseus, were also found here.

Farther north is Exogi, the remotest village on Ithaca, built at 500 m. a.s.l. and with a superb view. Next come Platrithia, in a verdant landscape with Mycenaean remains in a nearby locality known as 'Homer's School', and the coastal village of Frikes (on the east side), with the picturesque little harbour (from where the ferry boats depart for Kefalonia and Lefkada) and the windmills. Last is the very beautiful village of Kioni (which has been declareda protected settlement), with its cosmopolitan ambience and natural harbour. The villages of Mavronas and Rahi are also located in this region.

In the south part of the island is the small inland village of Perahori, to the southwest of which is the monastery of the Taxiarchs, which was founded in 1645. A rural tourism co-operative has been formed in the village, which markets organically farmed produce and lets traditional houses as accommodation for visitors. Hereabouts too are the ruins of the Medieval settlement of Palaiohora, which was capital of the island until the mid-sixteenth century. Visible are remains of stone-built houses and Byzantine churches.

Farther south, on the coast opposite the islet of Pera Pigadi, tradition has it that the Spring of Arethousa and the Homeric 'Korax Petra' (crow stone) were located, while according to myth the pigsty of Evmaios, Odysseus' swineherd, was at neighbouring Elliniko. Levkas You do not have to travel by boat to Levkas (Lefkada). It can be reached easily by motor vehicle, after crossing the two small bridges over the channel that separates it from the opposite coast of .

The island is 295 sq. km. in area and has 117 km. of coastline. Its terrain is mainly mountainous, with Elati as the highest peak (1,182 m. a.s.L), a few plains, dense vegetation cover in the eastern and southern parts. The east coast rolls gently to the sea and is sheltered and bordered by verdant islets. In contrast, the west coast is steep and forms small coves with golden sands. The lagoon just outside the town is an important wetlands habitat with rare fauna and flora.

The island was settled in the Neolithic Age and the first inhabitants were Lelegians. At that time it was part of Central Greece, but tradition has it that the Corinthian colonists who founded the city of Leukas in the sixth century BC cut through the isthmus that linked the peninsula with the mainland. During the Peloponnesian War Leukas supported the Corinthians, later it was subjugated by the kingdom of Macedon and subsequently became a Roman province (197 BC). In Byzantine times it fell into decline and after the Sack of Constantinople by the Franks (1204) it became part of the . It subsequently came under the yoke of the Ottoman Turks until 1684. It was united with Greece in 1864.

THE TOWN

Capital and main harbour of the island is the serene Eptanesian town of Lefkada that spreads along the seaboard, facing the coast of Akarnania. It is very picturesque with colourful, tiled-roofed houses, lovely squares, narrow streets and the waterfront promenade which is always busy.

It is worth visiting Bosketo Park, adorned with busts of distinguished sons of the island, and the house where the national poet of Japan, Y. Koizumi (Lefkadios Herne) was born. Particularly impressive is the castle of Santa Maura, built in 1300 by the Sicilian Giovanni Orsini, next to the man-made canal on an islet in the lagoon, and subsequently added to by the Venetians and the Turks.

At the centre of the town is the church of St Spyridon (late 17th c.), while other churches of considerable interest are St Nicholas (1687), Christ Pantocrator (1684), St Menas (1707), the 'Penniless Saints' (Aghii Anargyri), the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple (Eisodia tis Theotokou).

Noteworthy are the Archaeological Museum (with finds from excavations on the island, spanning the Palaeolithic Age into Roman times, tel. 26450-21.635), the Folklore Museum (with reproduction of a traditional Lefkadian house), the Public Library (tel. 26450-22.502), the Collection of Postbyzantine Icons (housed in an impressive mansion) and the private Museum of Phonographs-Old Mementoes (it includes old gramophones, gramophone records, objets d’art, old banknotes etc.).

Outside the town are the monastery of the Virgin Phaneromene (near the village of Fryni), the most important place of pilgrimage on Lefkada, with notable icons and a katholikon built in 1634; the monastery of the Virgin Odegetria, the oldest monastic foundation on the island, built around 1450 with a single-naved timber-roofed church; the church of St John of Antzousis in which, tradition has it, preached Christianity. Six kilometres southeast of the town are the ruins of ancient Leukas, one of the largest cities in area in Greece, with remains of a theatre and fortification wall. Eleven kilometres farther south (in the area of Kavalo) is the Melissa Gorge, where there are ten old watermills in and amongst the plane trees. Paxos and Antipaxi Paxos (Paxoi) is the smallest of the “large” islands, just 25 sq. km. In area and with 46km of coastline. It lies just 7 km. South of Corfu and it’s history if closely linked with that of it’s neighbour. According to one myth the two islands were originally joined together and rent asunder by a blow from the trident of the sea-god Poseidon.

Capital and main harbour of the island is Gaios (on the southeast side), built in the creek of a closed bay protected by the richly wooded islets of Aghios Nikolaos and Panaghia. In summertime it is brimming with yachts and other seacraft. Gaios has a distinctive local colour and ambience, exerting a powerful fascination. Of particular interest are the church of the Holy Apostles (Aghii Apostoli), with important religious paintings, and the monastery of the Virgin on the islet of Panaghia. On the islet of Aghios Nikolaos is a Venetian castle (1423) and beside it a windmill of the same period. Notable too is the Folklore Museum, which is housed in a seventeenth-century building.

Antipaxi, an island covered in vineyards, lies 3 n.m. from . It has wonderful beaches with transparent aquamarine waters and a somewhat exotic charm. Vrika and Voudomi are the most popular beaches, whereas the pebble beaches of Rodovani and Sarakiniko are usually deserted. Zakinthos The Venetians' 'Fiore di Levante" (flower of the East), Zakynthos or Zante, is famed worldwide not only for its natural beauty but also for the sea turtle Caretta caretta.

Myth has it that the island was named after the first founder- hero, the Arkadian Zakynthos. It enjoyed a great heyday during the Classical period, but because of its strategic position was attacked many times and captured successively by the Macedonians and the Romans. In the Byzantine Age it was plagued by pirates; afterwards came the Venetian Occupation; in later times its fortunes followed those of the other Ionian Islands, until their union with Greece in 1864.

Zakynthos covers an area of 406 sq. km. and its coastline is 123 km. in length. On the east side of the island the vegetation is luxuriant and there are tracts of plain, whereas the west part is mountainous. Correspondingly, the east coast is smooth and sandy, whereas the west is steep and rocky.

THE TOWN The island's capital and port, also called Zakynthos, is located on the southeast coast. Although the 1953 earthquakes destroyed public buildings and churches of great architectural value, this is still a beautiful town, with spacious squares, elegant buildings, charming arcades (the most characteristic is the Rouga) and important churches, adorned with works by Zakynthian and Cretan icon-painters (Virgin of the Angels, Virgin Phaneromene, St Nicholas of the Mole, all built in the 17th century).

On the broad waterfront avenue (Strata Marina) stands the impressive church of the island's patron saint, St Dionysios. Built in 1708, it was renovated in 1764 and decorated with valuable icons, works by the Zakynthian painters Koutouzis and Doxaras. The church houses the coffin with the relic of the saint, which was translated here in 1717 from the Strofades monastery, where Dionysios had been buried.

Other buildings of particular interest in the town are the Byzantine and Postbyzantine Museum, the Museum of Solomos and distinguished Zakynthians, as well as the Municipal Library and Art Gallery.

Two kilometres outside the town stands Strani Hill, with a marvellous view over the port and the bust of Greece's national poet, Dionysios Solomos, who is said to have been inspired on this hill to write his 'Hymn to Freedom', which was later set to music and established as the national anthem of Greece. The ruins of the Venetian Castle crown the top of the adjacent Bohali Hill, while directly beneath is the delightful, flower-filled suburb of Zoodohos Pigi, named after the church dedicated to the Life-Bearing Source. Here too is the historic chapel of St George of the Philiki, where new members of the Philiki Etaireia (Friendly Society) swore their oath during the struggle against the Ottoman Turks.

BLUE GROTTO Perhaps the most notable of the island's many sights is the Blue Grotto, one of the loveliest cave complexes in Greece. Located close to the northernmost promontory, Cape Skinari, it was discovered by chance in 1897. In this sea cave consisting of two interconnected caverns, the reflection of the sun's rays on the water creates stupendous scintillations of blue and sapphirine shades in the depths. Farther south is another sea cave known as Xygia, in which there is a spring of sulphurous water.

THE VILLAGES There are many traditional villages in the hinterland of Zakynthos, most of them drowned in verdant vegetation, with attractive vernacular architecture, interesting churches, monasteries with distinctive belltowers, springs of cool fresh water and hospitable local people.

In the south are the villages of Ambelokipi, , , Pantokratoras, Mouzaki, , Lagopodo (a short distance from the Eleftherotria monastery).

At the southernmost edge of the island (west of Lagana Bay) is the picturesque village of Keri, built in a daunting setting near the homonymous headland with its precipitous cliffs and lighthouse offering a breathtaking vista of the open sea. The village church of the Virgin Keriotissa (1745), built in Renaissance style and with an elaborate iconostasis, merits a visit. Close by (northwest of Marathia) is Lake Keri, an area known since Antiquity because of its bitumen sources.

In the heart of the island are the villages of Mahairado with its notable church of St Maura, Melinado with the remnants of an ancient temple of Artemis, Vouyato, Lagadakia, Aghii Pantes, Fiolitis, Galaro, Aghia Marina with its three-naved basilica of St Marina that boasts an elaborate wood-carved iconostasis, Aghios Dimitrios, Aghios Kirykos, Sarakinada, Kalipado with a church of St John decorated with wall-paintings, Tragaki and Kypseli with brooks and streams.

Farther north is and not far from here is the monastery of St John of Lagada. Continuing our way to the northernmost point of the island, we pass through Orthonies, with the monastery of the Virgin Spiliotissa (16m c.), and a short dis-tance from there is Volimies, an important village comprising two settlements. Of interest in Meses Volimies is the church of St Paraskevi, in Venetian baroque order with a wood-carved and gilded iconostasis and a characteristic bell-tower, identical to that of St Dionysios in the town of Zakynthos.

Closer to the west coast of the island, some very pretty villages nestle in the foothills of Mt Vrahionas, with splendid countryside and spell-binding view: Aghios , Kambi, with a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene, and Anaphonitria with the notable monastery of the Virgin Anaphonitria, in which St Dionysios was a monk. At the entrance to the precinct is a medieval tower (15m c.) and the church has an exquisite wood-carved iconostasis gilded with gold leaf, wall-paintings and precious icons.

In a pine forest farther north, with panoramic view of the island's western shores, is the monastery of St George Kremnon (16m c.).