4 Best Sights in Sami, Kefalonia

Little in modern Sami points to the power this area once held. Its exploits during the Trojan War (1260–1180 BC) were once sung of by Homer, and by the 5th century BC it had become an independent state, controling the entire east coast of the island. It only lost its autonomy when the Romans invaded in 188 BC but thereafter flourished for three centuries as a trading link between Greece and Rome, before the twin threats of pirates and earthquakes quickened its demise. What few relics of its heyday remain are found today at the end of a pleasant 2 km walk uphill from the town. Here, past the ruined monastery of St. Fanentes and sloping pine forests, you'll eventually reach the skeleton of the old acropolis (Kyatis), where anonymous clusters of fallen stone only hint at its past. If you don't fancy the walk, you can also drive there.

A few kilometers' walk or drive from Sami lies one of the island's more famous beaches: a forested bay wrapping narrow white-pebble shores and glistening emerald-blue waters. It got a boost in popularity after featuring in the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin, though it's a tad more active than the usual beauty spots, with a range of watersports on offer. Toward the end of the bay, a rock provides enough seclusion that naturism is generally considered acceptable. How that goes down with those who run the 18th-century-built Agrillion Monastery, atop a nearby hill, is anyone's guess. Amenities: canoes and paddleboats for rent; food and drink; sun beds and umbrellas; parking (free). Best for: watersports; nudists; swimming; families.

A 4-km drive from Sami, this 150-million-year-old cave was only discovered after a land collapse revealed its entrance. Earthquakes and trophy-seeking tourists have since damaged its more impressive stalactites but it remains a compelling sight, especially its 900-square-meter Chamber of Exaltation, which has also been known to double as a concert venue on occasion.

An atmospheric Greek-style cenote, the collapsed roof of this limestone cave lake creates a magical setting, albeit one firmly capitalized on by mass tourism. Discovered in the 1950s, it is thought to have been a place of worship during antiquity. In recent years a tunnel has been burrowed down to reach the water, and now rowboats await at the bottom to drift sets of visitors across its cool, cobalt blue, briney waters, said to originate 31 km away.