At Sami there’s a car ferry making the short crossing to the island of Ithaca, home of the mythological hero, Odysseus.

Looking at Ithaca from Kefalonia the island seems impenetrable, with almost vertiginous slopes climbing from its shore on two peninsulas joined by a slender isthmus.

In the spirit of Odysseus, Ithaca is an island to discover from the water, and at the charming main port of Vathy you can hire a low-powered motorboat without needing a permit and can go on your own voyage in search of coves that can only be approached by water.

On land you set off on invigorating hikes up to the Pernarakia and Kathara Monasteries, both of which have epic panoramas of the Ionian Islands.