One day in Fiskardo with kids – exploring Kefalonia

Tucked away in the far northern corner of Kefalonia, Fiskardo is best known as the largest village on the island that escaped being destroyed by the 1953 earthquake – and if that alone isn’t reason enough to visit Fiskardo with kids, this is easily one of the prettiest spots on the island.

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That’s no mean feat, given it’s up against plenty of tough competition in this gorgeous corner of Greece. So wherever you’re staying on Kefalonia, it’s well worth saving time for a day in Fiskardo with kids.

If you’re travelling from the area around island capital Argostoli, as we were, you’ll also get to travel one of the island’s most dramatic roads on your hour-long journey to the north.

Climbing into the mountainous interior, the road twists and turns, passing through colourful little villages and small herds of goats who stand unconcerned on sheer edges or relax under the shade of the trees.

From time to time, the sea will suddenly come into view, a flash of turquoise backed by deep sapphire, so save time to stop at one or two of the viewpoints – especially if you’re driving, as you miss the best bits otherwise.

If you’re planning to hire a car to explore Greece with kids, one of my favourite sites is Zest Car Rental which I used for our most recent trip to Kefalonia

If you don’t have a car, you can get day trips to Fiskardo, although if your kids get travel sick, then taking a coach along the winding road might not be the best plan. There are also ferry routes during summer which run to Lefkada – the journey takes around an hour and two companies operate around five sailings per day in total.

It’s certainly not the most alarmingly twisty mountain road I’ve driven in Greece – heading through the White Mountains in Crete was far more hair-raising, and Kefalonia’s drivers are generally laid-back so it’s fine to go at your own pace.

And the reward of Fiskardo is worth every twist and turn. Our route towards the harbour took us past Zavalata beach, a little patch of shingle next to brilliantly clear water. There’s a little bit of shade under a tree too.

If you want more time at the beach, Foki and Emplisi beaches are both just outside Fiskardo, one to the north and the other to the south, so it’s easy to stop for a swim during your day out.

Check out my pick of the best beaches in Kefalonia with kids

The path takes you on past an old Roman cemetery, discovered by chance in 1993 and only partially excavated – dating from the 2nd-4th century CE, around 27 tombs were found along with remains of a theatre, house and bath complex.

There’s not a huge amount to see, with the site split across the road down to Fiskardo harbour, but it’s an interesting glimpse into the island’s history – two thousand years ago, the area was known as Panormos and is thought to have been a busy trading port.

Following the water, you come on to the modern-day harbour, which is rather more laid-back. It’s filled with little catamarans and bigger yachts, plus you can hire boats yourself to head out onto the water – watch out for the huge ferries running from Lefkada as you go.

If you don’t fancy being the skipper yourself, you can also pick up a string of boat trips – Ionian Discoveries and Vathos Sailing are two great options but you won’t be short of choice. There are even little boats to hire just along from the harbour if you want a quick trip out on the waves.

Or if your kids can dive (or want to try), there are also dive tours run by Fiskardo Divers Eco-Dive-Resort, including trial dives suitable for age 10+.

Otherwise, Fiskardo is made for mooching around. Cafes and restaurants stretch around the waterfront, with steps leading up to the streets above from the harbour.

Every building seems more colourful than the last, with flowers adding even more rainbow splashes as you go, including some towering sunflowers.

Between the cafes are souvenir shops galore; not just fridge magnets and hats, although you can find plenty of those. If you’re looking to splurge, there’s some lovely (if pricy) jewellery, or local food and drink, including mantoles (or mandoles) – almonds covered in bright red sugar, other with sesame seeds, plus olive oil, skincare and soap, to name just a few.

Realistically, Fiskardo isn’t somewhere you visit to tick off a series of sights – it’s somewhere to amble, to stop for an espresso freddo or an ice cream, to have fresh fish at one of the restaurants lining the waterfront and to soak up the atmosphere.

For more ideas of the best things to do in Kefalonia with kids, including Argostoli, Kefalonia’s best beaches, Melissani Cave and Kefalonia’s best boat trips, check out my other posts

One day in Fiskardo: need to know

There’s free parking around the square as you drive in to the town, only a short walk down to the waterfront. It does fill up quickly – we snagged one of the last spaces when we arrived just before 10am – but there’s also an overflow parking area nearby.

It’s just on a patch of rough ground, so it’s worth having a windscreen shade, but it does mean you’ll have a good chance of getting a spot here later in the day.

We visited Fiskardo then Assos on the same day, and with hindsight, we’d have been better going to Assos first – although there’s a reasonably big free car park there, that also fills up very quickly, and we ended up driving around in circles (including some faintly terrifying narrow streets through Assos village) before managing to find a spot.

So if you want to combine both, I’d recommend going to smaller Assos first, then driving up to Fiskardo where you’ll have more chance of a parking space and there are far more places to eat.

Myrtos Beach is also on the route from Argostoli to Assos and Fiskardo, and the road down to the beach is open once more. Again, this is somewhere where it pays to arrive early – always a bit of a problem in Kefalonia, if you want to visit more than one place in a day!

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