Kefalonia by Car: Ferry from Kyllini

Why Kefalonia

Kefalonia is by far the largest of the Ionian Islands – and the most dramatic one, landscape-wise. Steep limestone cliffs drop almost straight into the sea along the west coast, vineyards give way to dense fir forest inland, and the Ainos National Park holds the highest peak in the whole island group. If you're planning a second week for a Greece road trip after the Adriatic ferry, Kefalonia has enough going on that you won't just pass through – you'll want to stay a few days.

In the Ionian Islands guide, Corfu, Lefkada and Zakynthos tend to get mentioned first – Kefalonia stays quieter, even though it's just as directly reachable by car from the ferry. It works well as a second or third stop after arriving in Patras, before heading north toward Lefkada or Corfu.

Getting there by car

The main route starts at Patras, where most Adriatic ferries from Italy dock. From there you drive about an hour south along the Peloponnese's west coast to Kyllini – a straightforward stretch with no significant climbs. In Kyllini, Levante Ferries takes over: the crossing to Poros on Kefalonia takes 1 hour 30 minutes, with several departures a day and 28 sailings a week in total, so arriving in Patras usually lines up reasonably well with a Kyllini departure. Your car drives straight onto the car deck – no need to switch vehicles.

If you're coming from Igoumenitsa in summer and approaching from the north, there's another option: drive over the bridge to Lefkada – no ferry needed there, it's connected to the mainland – and pick up the seasonal Vasiliki–Fiskardo ferry from there. That crossing (West Ferry / Ionion Pelagos) only runs June through September, takes about an hour, and drops you right in the north of Kefalonia instead of routing you all the way around via Kyllini.

What's worth seeing

Myrtos Beach on the northwest coast is the beach behind most Kefalonia photos: a curve of pale pebbles framed by steep white cliffs. The viewpoint above is worth the stop even if you don't walk down to the water.

Melissani Cave is a partly collapsed underground lake – daylight falls straight onto the water through the open cave roof. Nearby, Drogarati Cave has stalactites and a chamber occasionally used for concerts because of its acoustics.

Assos, a narrow peninsula in the north, is topped by the ruins of a Venetian fortress; the road there passes a small bay lined with fishing houses. Fiskardo, at the island's northern tip, is the one harbour village that came through the 1953 earthquake largely intact – which is why its pastel houses still look Venetian, while most of the rest of the island was rebuilt afterward. That includes the capital, Argostoli, which looks more modern than you might expect but is still a pleasant town with a working waterfront and good restaurants.

With more time, head into Ainos National Park – named after the highest mountain in the Ionian Islands – or try Robola, the dry white wine grown on the island's limestone soil.

FAQ

How do you get to Kefalonia by car?
The standard route is via Patras: from there it's about an hour to Kyllini, where you take the ferry to Poros on Kefalonia. In summer, a route via Lefkada and the seasonal Vasiliki–Fiskardo ferry is also possible.

How long is the ferry from Kyllini?
The Kyllini–Poros crossing with Levante Ferries takes 1 hour 30 minutes. There are several departures a day, 28 sailings a week in total.

Can you also go via Lefkada?
Yes, but only seasonally: from June to September the Vasiliki–Fiskardo ferry runs (about 1 hour), reached by driving over the bridge to Lefkada. Outside those months, the route goes via Kyllini.