Almyra Hotel

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The tiny fishing port of Fiscardo (AKA Fiskardo) in Cephalonia (sometimes called Kefalonia or even Kefallinia) is not designed for tourism. This has its advantages - the languid pace of life, quietness and warm charm of the locals is a world away from the noisy clubbing districts of, for instance, the Balearics. We didn’t see any clubs at all in Fiscardo.
Those in search of wild excitement would have to settle for the Nicholas Taverna, where the owner and his family frequently rope diners into displays of the local traditional dances. Like everywhere in Fiscardo, it’s a taste of quaint old-fashionedness with a certain post-modern knowingness to the experience.
With typical contrariness, a place that describes itself as almost anti-tourist has an incongruous multitude of eateries. You could eat out eat out every night for a fortnight and never eat in the same place twice - from the cheap-n-cheerful Panorama taverna to Gaeta’s superlative grill house. There is even a local celebrity chef, in the shape of Tassia Dendrinou, whose eponymous restaurant sells the best mousakka in the world!
The Almyra Hotel, again, like everywhere in Fiscardo, is staffed by friendly and helpful staff. The rooms are clean and amazingly spacious, with fabulous balcony views across to neighbouring Ithaca.
Cephalonia as a whole is a place of retreat and relaxation. The Italian-influenced Island has a rich history, but few tourist attractions and the sights-to-see are more picnic spots than places to spend a day. The best way to get around is in the form of a hair-raising taxi tour, or risking the treacherous mountain roads in a hire car. Or, you could simply kick back and relax on one of the picturesque beaches until it’s time to sample yet another example of the unforgettable Mediterranean cuisine.