The Ionian Islands, also known as Eptanisa
(
seven islands), are a group of islands just off the
western Greek coastline, in the Ionian Sea, very
well known from Homer’s scripts. For centuries
they have maintained their own identity and
culture that is unique, set into captivating
landscapes of rugged mountains, green hills and
the turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea.
T
he seven main islands of the Ionian group are
Kerkyra (or Corfu), Kefalonia, Zakynthos (or
Zante), Ithaca, Lefkada, Kythira and Paxoi. Of
the islets the most important are Antipaxos,
Othoni and Antikythira.
H I S TOR Y & CU L T URE
The islands were settled by Greeks at an early date, possibly as
early as 1200 BC, and certainly by the 9th century BC. The early
Eretrian settlement at Kerkyra was displaced by colonists from
Corinth in 734 BC. The islands were mostly a backwater during
Ancient Greek times and played little part in Greek politics.
The island of Ithaca was the home of Odysseas in the epic
Homer’s Odyssey.
Corfu is the isle of the Phaecians, Odysseas’ last stop on his
journey back to Ithaca, and the most famous island of the
Ionians.
Kefalonia is the largest of the islands and despite the annual
influx of visitors it is still possible to escape to secluded beaches.
Zakynthos is known for its sapphire coloured sea and green pine
forests and is the place where Dionysios Solomos composed
Greece’s National Hymn.
I N FORMA T I ON
Aside from being a leading centre for the Fine Arts, Corfu is also
the home of the first University of Greece, the Ionian Academy,
founded in 1824. It is also home to the Ionian University,
established in 1984.
A number of cinema productions have been filmed in Corfu,
including the 1981 James Bond movie, “For Your Eyes Only.”
Kefalonia island is covered by dense vegetation and offers a
great range of natural beauty, including beaches - many of them
inaccessible from land - and spectacular caves. Mirtos, the most
famous of these beaches, is a major tourist attraction, and has
been ranked fifth worldwide for its beauty. Kefalonia’s profile was
greatly raised in the late 1990s thanks to the novel “Captain
Corelli’s Mandolin” by English author Louis de Bernires.
Zakynthos is the island famous for the rare and endangered turtle
“
caretta caretta”. The beaches of Zakynthos are host to the last
and most important concentration of Loggerhead “caretta
caretta” nesting sites in the Mediterranean. The island offers
exceptional attractions for divers. Many of the dive sites are cave
dives around the island where a wide range of marine life can be
found such as moray eels, monk seals and octopus.
T RANS POR T A T I ON - I N F RA S T RUC T URE
The Ionian Islands are easily accessible by air and sea. Corfu,
Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Lefkada have international airports that
host regular and charter flights. From the port of Killini, on the
northwestern coast of Peloponnese there are regular daily
connections with the ports of Kefallonia, Ithaki and Zakynthos.
MEETINGREECE
132
IONIAN ISLANDS
The sapphire
islands!
