The capital of the Kefalonia island, Argostoli, was almost completely destroyed by a devastating earthquake which affected the whole island in 1953. Entire buildings built in the Venetian style disappeared altogether, and about 100.000 inhabitants left the island and moved mostly to the USA, Canada and Australia.

Today, Argostoli is a very busy and modern town with about 10.000 inhabitants. It offers plenty of restaurants and cafes, and it also has a big gorgeous square, an interesting promenade and a lot of narrow streets in the pedestrian zone, full of colorful shops with goods for everyone’s taste. The port has one of the main touristic attractions of this town - caretta caretta turtles that you can watch from the shore every day.

Argostoli is a great choice for those who fancy bigger cities because it offers the hurry of city life, a lively night life, many options for shopping and urban nooks where you can have your ice coffee and refreshments. It’s the biggest city on the island and it’s been the capital since 1757, which is when it was founded too. It was first built in the shape of an amphitheatre, but the earthquake didn’t leave many parts which resemble the actual architecture of the old town in its typical Venetian style.

The ones who decide to spend their vacation in Argostoli can expect many accommodation options, including luxurious but also cheaper hotels, as well as rooms for rent. The city is alive at all times of the year and during the evening hours, it’ not a rare thing to see some local ensembles that play and sing traditional Kefalonian songs and therefore complete the way you experience the beautiful atmosphere of hot summer nights.

In case you feel like going for a romantic walk, Argostoli offers a gorgeous promenade in the port, with an avenue of palm trees, and during the morning hours, in this same place, you can watch local fishermen carry freshly caught fish that they use to provide the local restaurants.

Argostoli has an Archaeological museum and a library, for those who wish to inform themselves about the history of this magical island more.

Only a few kilometers away from the city, there’s a tourist attraction known under the name Fanari, or the Lighthouse of Saint Theodore. The original lighthouse was constructed in 1829 during the time of the British rule. It’s a circular building built in the Dorian style with 20 pillars and an 8 m tall tower. It was seriously damaged by the earthquake in 1953, but it was renewed in 1960.

In the opinion of many visitors, this lighthouse is considered to be an incredibly romantic location which is worth visiting during your stay on Kefalonia, if not for anything else, then for the pictures and a nice view of the city Lixouri which is located on the Paliki peninsula.