According to travelationary, Kefalonia (Greek: Κεφαλονιά) is an island in the Ionian Sea that is part of Greece (Europe). The capital of Kefalonia is Argostoli. A number of major cities on Kefalonia are: Lassi, Lourdas (Lourdata) and Skala.
Kefalonia is a quiet island. Tourism is not yet overwhelming. Yet there is much to experience for the tourist. There is the tourist port of Fiskardo and the views of other Greek islands, but the giant tortoises also attract a lot of attention. The island is very mountainous with the highest point being the Enos (1628 m). The coastline is mostly rocky with many steep rock walls and several golden sandy beaches on the clear blue water. The island is also known for various stalactite caves and red/white wine. See themakeupexplorer for trade unions in Europe.
Where is Kefalonia located?
Travel information of Kefalonia
Official name: Kefalonia
Continent: Europe
Area: 904 km²
Capital: Argostoli
Country code: GR, GRC
Population: 35,590 inhabitants (2011)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 1,628 m (Mount Enos, Ainos)
Distance (Amsterdam – Argostoli): 2,000 km
Flight time: about 3 hours
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place on Kefalonia that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Kefalonia, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Kefalonia. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Kefalonia?
Weather and climate
Kefalonia has a Mediterranean climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 10 to 15 degrees and in the summer months around 30 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Kefalonia can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Kefalonia can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Kefalonia. In these months you have the best chance of good weather.
Language
Greek is the official language on Kefalonia. In addition, a lot of English is spoken because of tourism.
Would you like to translate from or into Greek for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Greece: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch Consulate in Patras (also for Kefalonia): netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Greek Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Greek Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Kefalonia.
Money and Currency matters
On Kefalonia you pay with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs on Kefalonia can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on Kefalonia are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -22% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (30% cheaper), food (7% cheaper), imported beer in catering (8% cheaper), cigarettes (43% cheaper) and public transport (50% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
On Kefalonia it is customary to tip, even if this is already included in the bill. Good service is about 5-10% tip.
Time difference
On Kefalonia it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time on Kefalonia is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Kefalonia can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
On Kefalonia you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle on Kefalonia.
An overview with all ferry connections between the various Greek islands can be found on GTP.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Kefalonia.
Electricity
On Kefalonia the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity on Kefalonia can be found on our electricity page (see Greece).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112 or 100
– Fire: 112 or 199
– Ambulance: 112 or 166
Tap water
The water from the tap is drinkable, but due to the high chlorine content in many places, we recommend drinking bottled water.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Kefalonia can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Greece (Kefalonia) can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Kefalonia end with.gr.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone on Kefalonia is 0030 or +30.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Kefalonia? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Kefalonia Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Kefalonia.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Kefalonia.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Kefalonia.
Holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays on Kefalonia can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Greece (Kefalonia) in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on Kefalonia, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Kefalonia?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Kefalonia. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Kefalonia can be found on Protected Planet.
Kefalonia is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Kefalonia? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, medicines and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business on or with Kefalonia, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Kefalonia, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Kefalonia.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum allowed blood alcohol level is 0.5 for cars and 0.2 for motorcycles and novice drivers up to 2 years old.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Sea turtles live on Kefalonia?
… Approximately 10,000 Italian soldiers were killed on Kefalonia during WWII?
…Kefalonia regularly has to deal with large forest fires?