3 Best Sights in Kefalonia, Greece

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.

The British occupation (1809–64) of Kefalonia transformed Argostolion, rebuilding its streets and beefing up the island's infrastructure. The crowning achievement of this is the bridge built in 1813 by Charles Philip De Bosset, a Swiss engineer in the employ of the British Army. Created to connect Argostoli to the village of Drapano, it reaches out across what was the Kouvatos Lagoon, a swampy area of land once rife with mosquitoes and malaria, that separates the Fanari Peninsula from the mainland. Its original wooden structure was recreated in stone in 1842 and has been reinforced over the years due to earthquake damage, yet it remains in service today. Part way across, look out for the "Kolona" obelisk rising out of the water, a gesture of thanks to the British erected in 1813 by the Kefalonian Parliament. Its inscription, "To the glory of the British Empire," was symbolically erased when the Greeks took back control of the island in 1865 and has repeatedly changed over the years according to who controls the island. The walk makes for a bracing, and now record-breaking, stroll since this was named the world's longest (690 m) stone sea bridge in 2018.

Kilometer-long Mars-red sands sheltered by bright-white cliffs make this one of the most distinctive shores on the island. It's also the most popular, in part due to shallow waters that make it especially good for familes. Its popularity also means that it's well catered for, with a number of excellent restaurants and bars having sprouted on its fringes. Umbrellas and sun beds dot the shore. Good access and a mix of watersports and plenty of families ensure this is one of the noisier shores on the island. It can even be reached by bus from Lixiouri. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: families; after-bathing drinks.