Ithaki

At a distance of 17km from Vathi, lies the village of Stavros, which is the market center of Northern Ithaca. The village is built at an altitude of 110m, overlooking the bay of Polis, the channel, and the island of Kefalonia. It is a beautiful large village in the island’s north side, founded in the 16th century when the presence of pirates decreased, allowing the people from the neighboring mountain villages of Anoghi and Exoghi to settle there.

In the center of the village there is a small park featuring the only sculptured bust of Odysseus which was made several decades ago. It is also home to the effigy of the Odyssean Palace, which is a depiction of the palace that the famed king would have lived in. It was created by Italian architect Bruno Mazzali back in 1993. After a series of excavations in the hill of Pilicata just outside of Stavros, evidence of a Helladic acropolis was found, therefore archaeologists believe that Odysseus’s palace was in that area. Several of the objects found are now exhibited in the museum which is located at Pilicata. Very interesting is also the collection that includes finds from the Loizos cave near the picturesque bay of Polis which is not far from Stavros. The bay with its large beautiful beach is a popular place for swimming and is used by the fishing boats which use the channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca.

In the main square stands the Byzantine church of Stavros, "Sotiros" (Jesus, the Savior). The festival of Sotiros is the biggest on the island taking place over two days, the 5th and 6th of August, attracting people from all over Ithaca and from neighboring islands who come to enjoy the food, live music and dance. In this square, surrounded by white painted big trees, there are some cozy taverns and restaurants as well as some shops. In Savros visitors can find many private rooms and studios to let.