Argostoli

Exhibits at the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli.

Gravour of Argostoli, c.1757.

Houses of Argostoli.

Maistrato beach.

To the east of Argostoli, at the end of the bay, beneath the aforementioned Castle of St. George, sits the Koutavos Lagoon, a feeding ground for the Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Now a nature reserve, the Koutavos Lagoon was once an almost impassable swamp where mosquitoes and malaria were rife.

During the period of British occupation of the Ionian Islands, Kefalonia's governor, General Sir Charles James Napier, constructed a wooden bridge across the lagoon. This was done in 1813 by Colonel Charles Philip de Bosset, a Swiss engineer in the employ of the British army. Four years later stone arches were added and, after some 26 years, the entire bridge was rebuilt in stone. In continuous use until 2005, this narrow bridge is now closed to traffic, currently undergoing renovation by the Greek Ministry of Culture. Almost halfway along the De-Bosset Bridge stands a stone column built by the British to celebrate their presence.

The coastal road out of Argostoli to the west was known during the Venetian period as the ‘Piccolo Gyro’. Along the Piccolo Gyro, in the Vlikha area facing Lixouri, lie the ‘Swallow Holes’ of Katovothres, a geological phenomenon. Sea water disappears underground and travels under the island, re-emerging around fourteen days later in the Karavomylos area of Sami, having passed through the nearby, underground Melissani lake. The power of this sea water was harnessed, in 1835, to power a water mill. Further along the Piccolo Gyro is the Agion Theodoron lighthouse, named after the small adjacent church. More commonly known as the Fanari lighthouse, this too was built during the British occupation, in 1829. The original building was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953, the recently restored present structure was rebuilt, complete with Doric-style columns, from the original plans.

Buildings that weren't shattered by German bombing in 1943 were destroyed in 1953 by the earthquake that razed virtually all of Kefalonia, apart from the Fiskardo area, to the ground.

Opposite the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli are the law courts, originally constructed by the British with stone from the Cyclopean site at nearby Krani. Along Lithostroto, next to the Catholic Church, is a tiny museum (open some mornings and most evenings) dedicated to the soldiers of the Acqui Division. A little further along is the Bell Tower, rebuilt in 1985 to house the original clock mechanism.

On the Ionian Sea coast southwest of the town centre is the holiday resort town Lassi, which has several small beaches.

Following the “Kapodistrias Law” of 1997, communities around the town united to form a larger municipality of Argostoli, which included the settlements of Spilia, Helmata, Kompothekrata, Lassi, Minies and ten former communities: Agona, Davgata, Dilinata, Zola, Thinia, Kourouklata, Nifi, Troyiannata, Faraklata and Farsa. This municipality, a municipal unit of the municipality of Kefalonia since 2011, was subdivided into the following municipal districts (communities since 2011). Constituent villages are given in brackets:

• Agkonas
• Argostoli (Argostoli, Kokolata, Kompothekrata, Minia)
• Davgata
• Dilinata
• Faraklata (Faraklata, Drapano, Prokopata, Razata)
• Farsa
• Thinaia (Kardakata)
• Kourouklata
• Nyfi
• Troianata (Troianata, Demoutsantata, Mitakata)
• Zola

Aerial view of the airport.

Between the Koutavos Lagoon and the De-Bosset Bridge is the new bus station which connects Argostoli with the other towns and some of the villages on the island, as well as with Athens and Patras. The old bus station, just past these market stalls, is likely to accommodate a proposed seaplane service connecting Argostoli with Patras, due to commence Spring 2006. The main ferry port, connecting Argostoli with the mainland (via Kyllini) and Zakynthos (also known as Zante) is next to this building with the Lixouri ferry (once an hour in winter, twice an hour in summer) docking a little further along.

• Car ferry service to Kyllini (mainland) and Zakynthos (Zante)
• Car ferry to Lixouri
• KTEL Bus service to Athens, via Kyllini, Patras and the Corinth Canal bridge
• Infrequent bus service to Poros, Sami, Skala, Fiskardo and various villages en route
• Frequent summer service to Lassi, Airport & Ai Chelis, Lourdas, Ammes, Myrtos & Antisamos.[4]
• Transit bus service is provided between the Airport and the city of Argostoli (only during summer season). There is a public bus stop in front of the terminal building. Tickets can be purchased by the bus driver.
• Scheduled flights to Zakynthos and Athens, charter flight in summer, via Kefalonia Airport
• Seaplane service, Argostoli – Patras (due Spring 2006)
• Taxis from Plateia Valianos and seafront, car and motorcycle/scooter hire

Statue of Panayis Athanase Vagliano, merchant and shipowner from Cephalonia, in Argostoli.

• Gerasimos Arsenis (1931–2016), politician
• Renée Toole Kahane (1907-2002), philologist
• Aris Maliagros (1895–1984), actor
• Andreas Metaxas (1786–1860), politician
• Ioannis Metaxas (1871–1941), general, politician and dictator
• Constantine Phaulkon (1647–1688), merchant and adventurer
• Antonis Tritsis (1937–1992), mayor of Athens
• Christian Zervos (1889–1970), art collector, writer and publisher
• Gerasimos Pitzamanos (1787–1825), painter and architect
• Athanassios S. Fokas (born 1952), Greek mathematician

Argostoli is twinned with:

• Šabac in Serbia.
• Brăila in Romania.

• List of settlements in Cephalonia

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Argostoli.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Argostoli.

• Argostoli Kefalonia
• Lassi Kefalonia | Tourist Guide KefaloniaVisit.com
• Municipality of Argostoli official website
• GTP – Argostoli
• GTP – Municipality of Argosoli
• Kefalonia Useful Information (PDF)