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Fiskardo |
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Norman adventurer by the name of Roberto Guiscard sailed into this
enchanting natural harbour on the northern tip of Kefalonia. His stay was
not altogether successful, he soon succumbed to the plague. Happily, later
visitors, most notably the Venetians, left a more lasting legacy in the
graceful buildings that line the waterfront. Owing to a quirk of geology,
these buildings survived the great earthquake of 1953 that devastated much
of the Ionian. Modern Fiskardo, thanks to strict planning regulations,
combines all the aesthetic beauty of Venetian architecture, with a
thriving community, that has become a popular port of call to yachtsmen
and visitors from all over the world. |
For
the armchair sailor, boat watching from the comfort of a shaded table
beside the water, cold drink to hand, can become addictive but for the
more energetic, Fiskardo has all the facilities of a well run small
village.
Despite the evident bustle
of life around the harbour, Fiskardo has none of the brashness of many
Mediterranean holiday centres.
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Narrow
alleys and steps lead away from the harbour past old houses, their
balconies festooned with jasmine and bougainvillea, towards the cypress
forest and olive groves that surround the village. Within a few minutes
one can be wandering along ancient trackways to deserted hamlets.
Discovering paths which wind through unspoilt and protected woodland to
narrow coves, where the contrast between the shining white pebbles of the
beach, and the clear blue of the water invites one to stop and stay for a
while. History is here too. From the Venetian light tower on the headland,
in the ruin of the Norman church, behind, the Roman remains, and the
mysterious origins of Cleopatra's Chair. History, superb natural beauty,
shops, villas and tavernas, Fiskardo has them all. But perhaps, the town's
greatest attraction, and the one that brings visitors back time again, is
not so immediately obvious. It is the local people. Virtually every
business, from a restaurant providing internationally acclaimed cuisine to
a traditional bakery hidden up a side street, is family owned and
operated. These are people whose natural hospitality is a way of life.
Behind the Venetian facade of Fiskardo lies a spirit of people whose
individuality and friendliness has survived invasion, revolution, and
earthquake.
Be warned, a holiday here can easily become a way of life! |
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Click
here to see our properties in and around Fiskardo |
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