Ithaca
NOW
19 °C
Next 5 days
-
FRI
19 °C
-
SAT
12 °C
-
SUN
12 °C
-
MON
14 °C
-
TUES
16 °C
Climatic Data
Source: National Observatory of Athens /meteo.gr
Odysseus’s home
Worldwide famous as the home of Odysseus, Ithaca symbolises the return to the haven, the discovery and the fulfillment. Today, it is a peaceful, quiet and secluded island, an ideal place for alternative activities such as scuba diving and kayaking, which can live up to your highest standards. Through its plethora of hiking and mountain bike trails you can explore the coastal and mountainous areas of the island, where olive, cypress, pine, oak, arbutus and carob trees grow. Explore the island on foot - on ancient historical and enchanting trails - and don't forget to visit the Cave of the Nymph (or Marmarospilia) near Vathy. According to the Homeric myth, this is where Odysseus had hidden the gifts he had brought along from the land of the Phaeacians.
“Keep Ithaca always in your mind. Arriving there is what you are destined for”.
Ithaca, Κ. Cavafy.
Discover Ithaca
Vathy
Marked by the features of the local architecture, it is the capital of the island and home to the Maritime - Folklore Museum as well as to the Archaeological Museum of Ithaca. Vathy is built in the inner most point of bay, where the tiny island of Lazaretto is located, which was a sanatorium and prison in the past.
Perachori
A gorgeous scenic little village with a breathtaking view over the island. Built at the edge of the Afentikos Logos forest, it is the perfect starting point for walks by medieval ruins in the oaks.
Stavrοs: Situated on the north of the island, this village hosts another Archaeological Museum, known for the fragment of a clay bust dating back to the 1st century Β.C., with the inscription “ΕΥΧΗΝ ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙ” (= “a prayer to Odysseus” in Ancient Greek).
Anogi
The village will impress you with the upright stones of the area (menhirs) the tallest of which reaches 8 metres height.
The Myth
When Odysseus left for Troy, his beloved wife, Penelope, was left behind. Not long after, the Queen was surrounded by persistent suitors. Penelope was forced to agree to marry one of them, after she had finished weaving the shroud of her supposedly dead husband. This was just a ruse, to keep them at bay. So, she spent the daytime weaving it and the nighttime unweaving it. This way she managed to avoid marrying anyone of them, for 20 years. And then Odysseus returned to Ithaca.
BY SEA
The island is connected by boat to the islands of Kefalonia and Lefkada, and to the ports of Patras, Killini and Astakos on the mainland.
