When you begin your journey to Ithaki wish that it shall be a long way full of adventures, full of knowledge"
According to the findings of the archaeologists, Ithaki has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC.The most important period of its history was in the 12th Century BC, during Odysseus' reign.
In the Greek epic poem "Odyssey" Homer gives a very detailed description of the palaces and the surrounding areas.
Ithaki the island symbol of adventure and longing for homeland but also the symbol of the path to education and self knowledge.
Homer's "Odyssey", the epic poem of the wanderings of Odysseus from Troy to his homecoming, made his adventures famous world-wide.
The traveler of today will easily find the way to this little ionian island still unaffected by tourism.
First stop is the harbor and capital Vathi, well protected in the arms of an enclosed gulf ,almost in the middle of the island.
There are many worthwhile places to visit in the town : the archaeological museum, the remains of a Venetian castle at the entrance of the harbor and the library with rare books.
Ithaki is one of those islands which are worth getting to know by foot, as all the distances on the island are short
Continuing our excursion we come across the charming villages of northern Ithaki. At Lefki we find wonderful lacy shores , similar to that at Agios Ioannis Ammoudaki and Lefko Gialo.
According to tradition and the epics of Homer, Ithaki was the island of Ulysses.
It is a place of exquisite beauty, with an old-age spiritual and cultural history.
An example of the island's architecture
Its historical destiny, directly linked with that of Cephalonia, reached its peak during the periods of Venetian and British domination.
It is worth pointing out of the role which it played during the struggle of the Greeks against the Turks.
Prominent citizens of Ithaki participated in the secret "Filiki Etairia" which was instrumental in organizing the Greek Revolution of 1821, and Greek fighters found refuge there.
In addition, the participation of Ithacans during the siege of Messologi and the naval battles with Turkish ships at the Black Sea and Danube was significant.
Besides having a strong historical and cultural character, Ithaki is an island of great nature beauty.
A panoramic view of Vathi
Its capita, Vathi, stretching around a bright green bay, climbs like an amphitheater up the surrounding hill.
A picturesque natural spot with splendid mansions, Vathi is encircled by the relics of Venetian castles commemorating periods of glory.
The "Aetos" hill rises majestically above the Pissaetos port. The classical walls belonged to the ancient city of Alalkomenes, where, according to tradition, Ulysses was born.
Kioni
From Stavros, the largest village of Ithaki, with the lovely "Polis" beach close by, to Frikkes, picturesque Kioni, with its deep blue creeks, and Perahori with its marvelous Byzantine churches, the island offers the visitor a journey through its beauty and history...
