Kefalonia by boat: cruises, beaches and islands

27 October 20267 min read

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Aerial view of a Kefalonia beach and turquoise sea

Short answer: Kefalonia is the largest island in the Ionian Sea, and from its small harbours you can reach hidden beaches, the island of Ithaca, Zakynthos and the north coast without long drives. We run day cruises from Argostoli, Sami, Agia Efimia and Poros, plus a bus-and-boat day to Fiscardo. This guide helps you choose by harbour, interest and group, and tells you what each listing includes. It is built from our own trip listings and from the Greek National Tourism Organisation’s page on the island; we found no official source on winds or sea conditions that we could quote, so we make no weather promises.

Quick answers

When can I book: our Greek trips are on sale from May 2027 (at the time of writing, the earliest dates are in the first days of May).
How big are the groups: between 10 and 20 people, according to the listings.
Which trips go to Ithaca: four, from Sami, from Agia Efimia (with or without a bus transfer) and from Poros.
Which goes to Zakynthos: one, from Poros, to the Blue Caves and Navagio Beach.
Which has a sunset: the Argostoli sunset cruise.
Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before departure on the listings we checked.

Kefalonia in a few lines

According to Visit Greece, the national tourism site, Kefalonia is “the largest island in the Ionian Sea”. Argostoli is the capital; Lixouri is a quiet town with traditional architecture; Fiskardo is one of the few villages that survived the catastrophic earthquake of 1953 with its old character intact; Assos is a fishing village with an impressive Venetian castle; at Agia Efimia and Skala, ancient amphorae lie on the seabed. The island is also known for Mount Ainos, home of the endemic Cephalonian fir, and for the vineyards that produce Robola wine. The same page lists ferry connections to the island, for example Patras to Sami in about 3 hours 15 minutes, Zakynthos (Agios Nikolaos) to Pesada in 1 hour 35 minutes and Lefkada (Vasiliki) to Fiskardo in about 1 hour; check current timetables with the operators.

Melissani Lake, the underground lake visited on the bus and boat tour · Photo: Unsplash · Branko Besevic

Which harbour, which trip

Harbour	Trip	What it is
Argostoli	Day cruise with Greek lunch and wine	About 8 hours on a traditional wooden boat, leaving at 10:00 along the Argostoli and Lassi coast to White Rocks Beach; Greek lunch cooked on board and unlimited local wine
Argostoli	Sunset cruise with snack and wine	About 4 hours, boarding at 18:30, towards Vardiani island; Greek buffet, water and local wine
Sami	Ithaca cruise with swim stops	About 7 hours, leaving at 9:00 on a handcrafted wooden boat; swim stops at beaches, islets and coastal caves; a Kefalonian snack and fruit
Agia Efimia	Ithaca cruise to Gidaki and Vathy	About 8 hours; Gidaki Beach, reachable only by boat, then Vathy, the capital of Ithaca
Agia Efimia	Same cruise with a bus transfer	The bus takes you from your area to the port, so you can leave the car behind
Poros	Ithaca day cruise: Gidaki, Vathi, Kioni	About 8 hours; adds Kioni to the route
Poros	Zakynthos day cruise: Blue Caves and Navagio	About 7 hours from Poros at 9:00 to the Blue Caves and Navagio Beach
North coast	Bus tour and cruise to Fiscardo	About 7 hours with hotel pickup: Sami, Melissani Lake, Agia Efimia and Fiscardo

Navagio Beach, on the Zakynthos cruise from Poros · Photo: our listing (Bókun)

How to choose

A relaxed day close to the capital

The Argostoli day cruise is the easiest option: it leaves from the capital’s harbour, includes a Greek lunch cooked on board and unlimited local wine, and provides snorkelling gear, inflatables and umbrellas. Soft drinks and beer are sold on board. The listing recommends arriving at least 10 minutes before the 10:00 departure and bringing a swimsuit, towel, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a camera. Minimum age: 3.

A sunset on the water

The Argostoli sunset cruise boards at 18:30 and sails along the coasts of Argostoli and Lassi in the evening light towards Vardiani island. It includes a Greek buffet with local ingredients, water, local wine and snorkelling equipment.

Ithaca, the island of Odysseus

Choose by where you stay:

From Sami (9:00): a small boat with a maximum of 10 guests per booking, swim stops at hidden beaches, islets and coastal caves, a traditional snack (riganada) and fruit; lunch is not included.
From Agia Efimia: Gidaki Beach first, then Vathy with its shops, museums and harbour promenade; food and drinks are not included. A bus-transfer version exists for those without a car (pickup required).
From Poros: the same two stops plus Kioni; up to 15 guests per booking, and entrance fees are not included.

Zakynthos in a day

The Poros cruise to Zakynthos passes through the Blue Caves, where sunlight turns the water bright blue, and stops at secluded coves and at Navagio Beach. The boat leaves Poros at 9:00, right across from the Remetzo café; arrive 15 minutes early. Lunch is at your own cost. Read the Zakynthos guide first.

The north coast without driving

The bus tour and cruise starts in Sami, visits Melissani Lake (an underground lake where a boat takes you across; entrance fees included), stops in Agia Efimia for coffee and cake, and ends with a cruise and a swim stop along the north coast to Fiscardo. It includes hotel pickup and a guide. The listing sets a minimum age of 18.

The Blue Caves of Zakynthos · Photo: Unsplash · Max van den Oetelaar

Practical notes

What is included changes from trip to trip. The Argostoli day cruise includes lunch and local wine; the Sami cruise includes a snack and fruit but not lunch; the Agia Efimia and Poros cruises do not include food. Read each listing before you book.
What to bring: comfortable clothing and shoes, a swimsuit, a towel, a hat, sunscreen and a camera, according to the listings.
Accessibility: the small wooden boats are not wheelchair or stroller accessible, and some listings advise against them for people with back or heart conditions or for pregnant travellers.
Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before departure.
What we could not confirm: winds, sea state and the best months for each route. Sailing conditions can cancel or change a trip, and the crew decides on the day.

The traditional wooden boat of the Argostoli day cruise · Photo: our listing (Bókun)

Getting to the harbours

Our trips leave from Argostoli, Sami, Agia Efimia and Poros. The Visit Greece page lists ferries that arrive at Sami and Poros, so travellers coming from the mainland can reach the east coast harbours by sea. Details of timetables and fares are with the ferry operators; we have no commercial relationship with them. For the island, read the Kefalonia guide and the Ithaca guide.