1. Assos Kefalonia
Asos is a picturesque, traditional village on the northwest side of Kefalonia. It was built at the end of the 16th century, during the years of the Venetian rule. In older Greek texts the village appears with the name Assos but also Naxos. It is built amphitheatrically around the homonymous peninsula and is surrounded by beautiful green landscape. The peninsula of Assos dominates the landscape. It is joined to the rest of the island by a narrow strip of land, on which part of the village has been built. One side of the peninsula overlooks the open sea while the other part, a bay where the sheltered harbor of the settlement is located. The small port of Assos attracts thousands of tourists during the summer season. What makes the village popular is the fact that it retains its traditional Ionian architecture.
Coloured houses nestling into the craggy hillside, dot the scenery with colours beyond the dominating blue and green. One of the places worth visiting is the castle. The view from up there is unique. The Venetian Castle was one of the two large castles of the time, along with that of St. George and was built in the late 15th century to protect the inhabitants from pirate raids. Later and for a few decades the castle of Assos was used by the Greek state as a prison. The beach of Assos is located in the center of the village, opposite the Kastro peninsula and gives the impression of a protected lake. It is covered with pebbles and the seabed is very shallow, covered with white sand. The beach is suitable for children as it is very shallow and safe. At the small village square there are a few cafes, tavernas and restaurants. The charming village is 30 km away from Argostoli and close to the famous beach of Myrtos.
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2. Palia Vlachata
Palia Vlahata is located just above the village of Karavomylos near Sami. The ruined village was abandoned in 1953 following the earthquake (7.2 Richter) and the residents moved down mostly to Karavomylos. The village was very badly damaged. Facades of buildings, walls, streets, wells, old cisterns and stone ovens is what left to give the visitors a glimpse into the past. Before the earthquake, the village had around 800-900 inhabitants, two schools, three churches, several shops and an olive press. Now, it is a peaceful, poignant place to wander through with great photography opportunities. It is definitely worth a visit.
Each year a three-day art and music festival called Sariasta Festival is organized here. The festival fills the empty village with music, dancing, exhibitions and all manner of creative expressions. Seeing the ruins artistic decorated and wonderful illuminated is a totally different perspective. The festival attracts large number of people from all parts of the island. If you are lucky to be on the island, on one of the 3 days that the festival takes place, do not miss it.
