The community of Skala is comprised of the villages of Kefalonia Skala,Ratzakli,Alimatas,Koytrokoy,Fanies
and Spathi. The actual resort of Skala is in the south of the island,
it has an excellent sandy beach surrounded by pine trees.The resort has
many restaurants and tavernas as well as small supermarkets, a travel
agents, bars, and car rental facilities.There are lots of apartments but
they tend to be block booked by the tour operators so I would not recommend
arriving here without a room booked in advance, in high season. Few of
the hotels or apartments have a swimming pool but there are excellent
pools and bars at "the pikiona", Paspalis Hotel and the Nine
Muses Hotel, all near the beach, which are open to anyone, and serve drinks
and snacks all day.
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From personal experience and that of relatives, I would
recomend The Pines, Zorbas (now called the Old Village) and the archontiko
to eat at. Of these The Pines is the most "upmarket" with
excellent service. Prices are a little higher than elsewhere in the
resort but are definitely worth it. I particularly recommend the pines
special lamb with pinenuts. Zorbas is good for grills- particularly
the chicken fillet and pork chops, they also have good freshly made
pizzas. |
There is also a Pines too snack bar on the beach, which is the venue
to meet the kefalonia marine turtle project team, who give a weekly talk
and slide show. Kaminia beach famous for its caretta caretta sea turtle
is nearby on the road towards katelios.(proceed down the track opposite
the hotel Aliki) Skala is an excellent choice for couples or families
looking for a relaxed atmosphere with a good range of tavernas away from
the bars and discos and bright lights! Those looking for a livelier resort
should head for Lassi instead! Katelios itself , a small resort is definitely
worth a visit for its fresh fish tavernas (blue sea is particularly recommended)
and nearby Mounda and kaminia beaches where the turtles nest.
If you want to sit around a small harbour and just relax and watch the
world go by this is the place!
Car Hire in Skala
If you are staying in Skala or Katelios I would advise hiring a car for
at least a few days, particularly if you wish to visit Assos, Fiskardo
and Aghia Efimia. It takes around 1 hr 50 minutes to drive from skala
to Fiskardo, if you wish to go by bus it would take a couple of hours,
as you have to go to argostoli and then change busses. We have found that
it is much cheaper to book a car independently, rather than through your
holiday rep. If you are staying in Skala or Katelios I would recommend
a new carhire firm for friendly and excellent service Greekstones who
now have offices in Skala (opposite the Noufaro restaurant's garden) and
Svoronata (on the main street near the Ireena Hotel). Please mention this
site when booking thanks and say hi to Melis from me!.
Mountain bike hire is also available in Skala. They can be found toward
the bottom of the village opposite the skandinavia restaurant. A word
of warning though, its uphill and the roads are full of potholes!
If you are feeling particularly energetic you could walk up to the old
village of Skala. This is where the village was situated before the earthquake
of 1953, when it was decided to relocate nearer the coast. Its quite a
trek, and only suitable for those in good health. We obtained a sketch
of the route from the Thomsons Panem office in the village. Just head
up the hill towards the back of the village and keep on walking, past
the football field and you will eventually see the collection of ruins
and olive pressing machinery that remains. Not particularly impressive
apart from the baths and laundry ruins but you definitely get an eerie
feeeling of the past here. The view is worth all the effort though.
The beach at Skala surrounded by pine trees. |
