Kefalonia

Located in the west of mainland Greece is the magnificent island of Kefalonia, just near the much popular island of Zakynthos. Although pretty underrated and less touristy, Kefalonia has some of the spectacular views of lush green forests, heart throbbing mountains, and glittering high white cliffs sloping down to turquoise sea.

The largest of all sister islands of the Ionian group, Kefalonia has some of the raw sites to offer, literally untouched by tourism. The island's natural landscape ranges from idyllic beaches and bays to verdant mountains and its valleys. Kefalonia is also home to a national park and two different species of turtles. The island is the best combination of golden sand beaches on one side and beautiful white sand beaches on the other. Hiking up Mount Ainos and Castle of Assos, hiring a boat to explore hidden beaches from Sami or Agia Efimia, wandering around the ghost town of Old Vlachat, and spotting turtles on Koroni beach are the best things to do in Kefalonia.

Apart from Argostoli, the capital of Kefalonia, Fiscardo, an original northern town that remained untouched during the 1953 earthquake, is the only place to get in touch with history. Skala is also one of the most important and visited towns on the southern, eastern edge of the island. Lassi is another village close to Argostoli and is pretty popular among tourists. Kefalonia got its much-deserved attention from Captain Corelli's Mandolin, the 2001 film.