Skala Travel Guide
A guide to our favourite places in and around Skala
Further along the shoreline from Skala, some little pebbly beaches can be found along the coastal road running north towards Poros, which has a pretty harbour in a sheltered bay with pine forested hillsides rising dramatically behind it. Here you will also find places of interest like the Potistis Waterfalls (during spring), the Drakaina Cave and the Monastery Panagia of Atros, the oldest monastery on Kefalonia. The Mycenaean Tomb of Tzanata, inland from Poros on the way to Fiscardo, is not to be missed!
On the road from Skala to Poros, next door to a little chapel on the right hand side of the road, you can visit the foundations of a Doric temple that dates from the Archaic Period (end of 6th – early 5th century BC), which belonged to the ancient city-state of Pronnoi. A couple of kilometres inland from Skala beach, the old village makes for an interesting excursion on foot or by car. Probably the most exciting historical sight in Skala however, is situated between the edge of the modern village and the Southern end of the beach (walk down towards the beach at KALIVA Taverna). There you will find the remains of a Roman Villa with beautifully preserved mosaics. Signs are dotted throughout the village to point you in the right direction.
Approx. 3 kms west of Skala village, you will arrive at Kaminia & Mounda Beach, where another stunning blue flag beach with two great tavernas awaits you. This quieter stretch of sand is one of the nesting grounds for the endangered loggerhead turtles. Kaminia, named after the Greek word for kiln (‘to kamini’), was the centre of ceramic kiln making in the 19th century thanks to the wealth of argil in the area. A kiln of that time has recently been excavated and can now be visited. A further 5 mins drive takes you to the beachside village of Katelios, popular for its excellent tavernas right on the beachfront, an atmospheric setting for sampling some local cuisine and the freshest fish!
From May onwards, a great selection of boat trips to Fiscardo in the northeast of Kefalonia and to the islands of Zakynthos and Ithaka depart from Skala in the mornings. They include visits to the Blue Caves, a shipwreck, the Melissani Cave with its mesmerising underground lake, and stops for swimming in their itinerary. Mini cruises to the famous Myrtos Beach and to the Kakava Reefs, which begin about 300 meters southeast of Skala, are also on offer.
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