Diving Kefalonia & Ithaca | Ionian Walls, Caves & Wrecks

About Ionian Islands – Kefalonia & Ithaca

Kefalonia and its smaller neighbour Ithaca form the heart of the central Ionian, a region of dramatic limestone coastline, sea caves and pristine reefs. Kefalonia’s Melissani is a partly collapsed freshwater cave famous for the shaft of light that strikes its turquoise water, while the Sami Wall is a sheer drop crowded with gorgonians, lobsters and groupers, and occasionally visited by tuna. Off the south of the island lies the HMS Perseus, a WW2 British submarine and war grave resting at 48-52 m, a serious technical dive for those trained to penetrate it. Ithaca is quieter and more rugged: White Rocks is a steep, current-swept drop-off with barracuda and amberjack, Gidaki is a gentle training reef, and Fiskardo in the north is a pretty harbour with rocky reefs full of scorpionfish and octopus. With clear water, friendly harbours and a strong food culture, Kefalonia and Ithaca are a relaxed but rewarding base for divers who want geology, wrecks and typical Ionian life.

Highlights

• ✓Cave of Melissani: a collapsed freshwater cave with a dramatic roof-opening light
• ✓Sami Wall: a sheer limestone wall with gorgonians, lobsters and groupers
• ✓HMS Perseus: a WW2 submarine war grave at 48-52 m (technical)
• ✓White Rocks (Ithaca): a steep drop-off with gorgonians and schools of barracuda
• ✓Fiskardo Reef: rocky reef with lobster, scorpionfish and octopus

Getting There

Fly into Kefalonia International Airport (EFL) at Argostoli, or arrive by ferry from Patras or Zakynthos. A rental car is the most flexible way to reach Sami, Fiskardo and the south-coast harbours; ferries connect to Ithaca (Vathy and Pisaetos).