As both the island’s capital and the setting for Louis de Bernières’ wildly successful novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Argostolion’s name carries more weight than most on Kefalonia. Those expecting lemon-coloured Venetian archondiká mansions glimmering in the crystal-blue waterfront will be disappointed however. These met the same fate as the rest of the island during the earthquakes of 1953, and what replaced them is decidedly pragmatic: blockish cement replicas better able to resist the aftershocks.
Yet the town is not without a life of its own. The vast palazzo of Platia Vallianou, named after a Kefalonia-born 19th-century shipping magnate, is a particularly lively spot. Its café-bar terraces fill quickly in the evening and sway to the strains of wandering kantadoroi, while by day it offers respite from the bustle of Lithostroto shopping street, to the south. At the far end of Lithostroto stands the city’s bell tower, which has fantastic views but is sadly closed to visitors these days.
Many drift through Argostolion for the use of its port. This has regular car ferries connecting it to Lixouri and the beaches and wilderness of the Paliki Peninsula across the bay. The coast south of the city is well known for its shoreline, with the majority of the island’s ever-growing resorts confined to the sands around the village of Lassi and below.
