Ithaca (Ithaki) is a small Ionian island beside Kefalonia, made of two mountainous halves joined by an isthmus. For everyone it is the island of Odysseus, the king who took ten years to return home from the Trojan War to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus, as the Odyssey tells. Constantine Cavafy's poem "Ithaka" made it the symbol of the journey as a goal in itself.
Scholars have debated for centuries whether modern Ithaca is really Homer's: the poem's descriptions do not always match the landscape, and some researchers have proposed the Paliki peninsula on Kefalonia. On the island, at any rate, tradition points to many Homeric sites.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Vathy | The main town, at the end of a deep bay, with the archaeological museum |
| School of Homer | Ancient remains near Stavros, where some archaeologists place Odysseus's palace |
| Cave of the Nymphs | Where by tradition Odysseus hid the Phaeacians' gifts |
| Arethusa spring | Linked in the poem to the swineherd Eumaeus |
| Kioni and Frikes | Northern harbours with tavernas and sailing boats |
| Anogi | Mountain village with Byzantine frescoes and strange boulders |
Beaches are small and quiet: Gidaki, reached on foot or by boat, Filiatro, Afales and Polis.
Getting there
Ferries from Sami on Kefalonia and from mainland ports (Astakos, Patras). The nearest airports are on Kefalonia and at Preveza.
See also Kefalonia and places of myth.