Agia Efimia

Agia Efimia lies on the east coast of Kefalonia, about 9 km north of Sami, in the area known as Pylaros. It was the seat of the old municipality of Pylaros and today has around 640 permanent residents. It grew up as a fishing village, and fishing boats still work from the harbour.

Like most of the island, the village was badly damaged in the earthquakes of 1953, and many of its old buildings were lost; a few original houses survived and stand among the rebuilt ones. Today the harbour in the middle of the village is a favourite stop for sailing holidays and flotillas, which gives the waterfront a cheerful, international feel in summer without the bustle of a big resort.

The waterfront. The heart of Agia Efimia is its harbour, lined with tavernas, cafés and a few shops. It is a pleasant place to eat fresh fish, watch the boats come and go, and look across the channel to Ithaca.

The Roman villa. In the centre of the village, on the road just above the waterfront, are the excavated remains of a Roman villa, found during excavations in 2000. Its courtyard floor was decorated with mosaics in geometric patterns, which have been conserved. Burials found on the site suggest that the villa was abandoned in late Roman times and the area later used as a cemetery. It is a small site, but a surprising find in the middle of a modern village, and there is no entrance fee.

Swim nearby. Small pebble coves line the coast on either side of the village, with clear, calm water typical of the sheltered east coast.

A base for the north. Agia Efimia sits right where the roads to the north-west and the north-east meet. Myrtos Beach is a short drive over the hill, and in summer a local bus has run from the Agia Efimia area down to the beach. Assos, Fiscardo and Melissani Cave are all within easy reach.

Because it sits in the middle of the east coast, Agia Efimia makes an easy, unhurried day out without long drives:

• Morning: Start early at Melissani Cave, a few minutes south, before the queues build up — or wait until late morning if you want the brightest light on the water.
• Midday: Drive over the hill to the Myrtos viewpoint for the classic photograph, and continue down to the beach for a swim if the sea is calm.
• Lunch: Come back to the harbour in Agia Efimia for fresh fish by the water.
• Afternoon: Head north to Assos for the castle walk in the softer light, or south to Sami and Antisamos Beach.

The harbour is liveliest from June to September, when the yachts are in. Late spring and early autumn are quieter, and the coast road towards Sami and the hills behind the village are perfect for walking.

• By road: Agia Efimia is on the main road along the east coast, about 9 km from Sami and a short drive from Myrtos and Melissani.
• By sea: The harbour welcomes visiting yachts, and boat trips along the east coast pass by.
• On an excursion: Island tours of the north often stop in Agia Efimia for lunch by the harbour.

• Parking near the harbour can be tight at lunchtime in summer.
• The village is a quieter alternative to Fiscardo for an evening by the water.