Fanari Circular Walk, Lassi, Kefalonia, Greece
The road from Lassi to Hotel Limanaki
Walk along the shore - a variety of beaches
To Katavothres water wheel and Lixouri marina
The hill road and the memorial to Italian soldiers
The road from Limanaki Hotel to the lighthouse, and back
Postscript - dinner and dancing at Oskars
This story of the route is drawn from more than one walk during our holiday, so I hope it's clear enough. Basically there is a narrow quiet road which leads off the main coast road at the north end of Lassi (the main road heads straight over to Argostoli), and follows the edge of the peninsula, past the fanari (lighthouse) at the northern end, then turning towards Argostoli, past the Katavothres water wheel.
On the edge of Argostoli, near the marina, another narrow road crosses the hill to rejoin the peninsua road, passing the memorial to Italian solders on the way. The walk can be followed as a short circuit from the Hotel Limanaki, or a longer walk from Lassi (or Argostoli).
The road from Lassi to Hotel Limanaki
We arrived at Kefalonia for our holiday around midday, and found out from the car hire receptionist at the airport that the Hotel Limanaki was on the Fanari road leading out of Lassi. The road was only about 15 minutes' drive from the airport through Lassi. We saw the turnoff on the left at the end of the row of restaurants and shops, just as the main road climbed and bent to the right on the way over to Argostoli. The supermarket on the corner was handy for fresh bread and cold drinks later during our stay.
[This part of the route description will be useful for anyone walking from Lassi]. The narrow road wound its way past a couple of restaurants and studios. It was a sunny start to our holiday, and there were fine views across the bay towards Paliki. We passed several people who were obviously on holiday, enjoying the walk and the scenery, hiking along the quiet road. After Oskar's restaurant (see below ) the road passed under a line of pine trees bent over it, and not much further on we saw our hotel on the left.
We checked in, and were delighted to get a room with a balcony looking out across the fields and Argostoli bay, towards the hills of Paliki on the left and the higher mountains to the right. After quickly unpacking some of our stuff, we grabbed the bucket and spade and a towel and set off to find a beach.
[For anyone not staying at the hotel, it would nevertheless provide a good place to stop off on route from Lassi, or to start and finish at if coming by car. You can enjoy some refreshment from the bar, sitting out in the sunshine.]
Walk a long the shore - a variety of beaches
The hotel receptionist told us about the path leading down behind the hotel to the shore, where there were some beaches. It was easy enough to find the trail through the pine trees, and I noticed another low tree with prickly leaves that looked like a miniature holly. Except that it also had lots of acorns, so this must be an evergreen Mediterranean oak tree. Must check what it's called when I get home, I thought to myself.
The track joined another one that followed the shore, along a line of low cliffs, and we turned right along it. This sloped downwards, and then we found a route onto the beach, taking care descending over small rocks. It was a peculiar beach - grey in colour, and covered with a strange layer of material. It didn't look like seaweed to me, but later on I learnt that was what it was - millions of long thin fibrous brown dried leaves, several inches deep. Frances found a wooden stem to play with, and we had a quick look into the cave at the back of the beach before making our way back up to the coastal path.
There was a good viewpoint looking over the limestone rocks projecting out into the sea. The path was easy enough to follow alongside the rocks and we caught sight of the white shape of the lighthouse a few hundred metres in the distance. It looked like a good point to aim for, although Frances wasn't convinced. The path joined the coast road, and then we reached another beach in an attractive-looking bay. We scrambled down to it, and were disappointed to find that it had a large heap of refuse piled up on the sand below the small cliff. Most of it seemed to be bits of shoes, but there were plastic bottles and other rubbish. Such a pity - the views out to sea were gorgeous.
We could have walked back to the hotel along the road, but instead continued along it towards the lighthouse. A third small beach looked cleaner, although it was more difficult to get down to it, and we carried on along the road past trees and clumps of bamboo. There was a house on the left with a couple of small date palms at the gate, and the yellow strands of young fruit hanging down. In the garden alongside, a cat crept among the trees, and the sound of a cricket could be heard.
Then the lighthouse came into view again, at the end of a stone and tarmac pier - a white pagoda in a circle of columns, with the dark rocks stretching out from it into the sea. There were a few other visitors, who had come by car.
According to the guidebook, the Agios Theodori lighthouse was built in 1829 under the British administration of Sir Charles Napier, and then rebuilt after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1875. It's become one of the distinctive symbols of Kefalonia, and still operates as a lighthouse guiding passing boats around the rocky peninsula into Argostoli harbour.
We spent some time enjoying the view, then Frances found some patches of sand next to the pier and played there for a while with the bucket and spade. Soon she had built the first sandcastle of the holiday.
To Katavothres water wheel and Argostoli marina
On this occasion we walked back along the road (see below), but if we'd continued round the corner of the peninsula we would have reached Katavothres. We visited it a couple of days later, parked beside the building which turned out not to be a visitor centre but a sophisticated nightclub! Walking round in front of it, we reached the famous waterwheel, which used to generate power from the flow of seawater into a swallow hole. The wheel is now broken and the axle snapped, but it is still an impressive sight. Apparently the flow of water has been traced, and it reappears in a lake on the other side of the island!
From here, there's a path alongside the road, in the shade of trees, leading along the shore to the marina on the northern edge of Argostoli. It's not much further to the harbour, the boats to Lixouri, and then the town centre.
The hill road and the memorial to Italian soldiers
Just before reaching the marina, a road leads uphill to the right, past houses then winding up a wooded hillside to the top of the ridge. Here is the memorial to the thousands of Italian soldiers of the Acqui Division slaughtered in cold blood by the Germans in September 1943, as featured in "Captain Corelli's Mandolin". It's a sobering sight. You can read a fuller account of the events, and the links to the film, on this website. A less disturbing view can be enjoyed back over Argostoli bay towards the mountains in the north.
The road winds its way down the west side of the hill to rejoin the coast road, and opposite the junction is the actual pit where the executions of some of the Italian soldiers took place.
This road over the hill enables walkers to enjoy a circular walk taking in a variety of scenes, sights and symbols of Kefalonia in only about 3 km, perhaps an hour's walk.
The road from Limanaki Hotel to the lighthouse, and back
We returned to the lighthouse on foot along the road a couple of days into our holiday, and walked back the same way. We met a couple looking at the pit, and found out that they came from Fife in Scotland, only a short distance from our home in Dundee. We looked out at the evening sun from the lighthouse, and on the way back stopped to pick a couple of dead sticks of bamboo which we could rattle together as we walked. Beside the road were lines of tall rosemary bushes, in full flower - a lovely shade of pale blue. We pulled off a few leaves to rub between our fingers and sniff the delicious scent.
Then the road bent uphill between old metal gateposts. In the olive grove on the left a flock of sheep were moving between the trees, stopping to graze, accompanied by the tinkle of bells. The shepherd was there too, and he walked towards us with a smile - he had a flower in one hand and offered it to Frances. Then he asked where we were from, where we were staying and for how long. As well as herding sheep, he had some studios which he let out to tourists. A delightful moment - I think you always feel a bit closer to a place you visit, when you get the opportunity to chat to someone doing an everyday job like this, not only serving you in a hotel or restaurant.
Further along the road we passed the impressive Hotel Fanari, which looked as though it had closed up for the season. There were large flower bushes hanging over the wall - on one of the other walks, I took a photo of Frances there in the sunshine. Beside the roadside more herbs were growing - they had yellow flowers, but smelt very much like oregano which usually has light blue flowers. Just beyond, we were back at the drive into the car park of our hotel, on the right.
So - this route packs a lot into a short distance, for very little effort apart from the climb over the hill road. Ideal for a stroll in the evening before dinner, maybe at Limanaki Hotel or at Oskars. It provides a relaxing escape from the busy holiday atmosphere of Lassi itself.
Postscript - dinner and dancing at Oskar's
We went to Oskar's after passing it several times in the car, and being handed a brochure on the beach at Lassi. We were the first there - at 7.00 pm - and Frances enjoyed seeing the pets kept inside beside the bar. There was a good view from the restaurant towards the setting sun, although a big area of ground was being prepared for construction of a new bar. We enjoyed the food, and the place had filled up by 8 pm, when two girls came out to perform traditional dances. Oskar himself gave a preview of his fire dancing act, in between dancing sessions. We had to get back to our hotel, but agreed to go back for our final night.
We returned at 8 pm, and stayed until later, so we could join in the dancing along with other guests. It soon became quite a party, and although I don't think anyone really picked up a correct dancing technique it didn't matter! The bit where 4 of us danced on a wooden table whilst Oskar sprayed paraffin to burn on the floor underneath was probably my least favourite moment, but probably entertaining for those at a safe distance! For Frances, this was the highlight of the holiday, and on our way to the airport next morning we stopped off to say goodbye to Oskar and get a photo of him and Frances. He gave us a bunch of pomegranates and other fruit to take home with us!
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