Best 13 Kefalonia Snorkeling Beaches

With impressive cliffside bays, long golden sandy beaches and secluded rocky coves, Cephalonia, the largest island in the Ionian Sea has something to offer for all types of beachgoers. This Greek Island has a stunning landscape dotted with picturesque villages and medieval castles, but also surprisingly rich marine life. If you want to go snorkeling in Kefalonia, these 13 beaches offer the best conditions.

Written by Anett Szaszi

Anett is a certified scuba diver, freediver, and an expert in snorkeling with more than 10 years of experience. She fell in love with the ocean while snorkeling in the Red Sea on a vacation to Egypt back in 2008. Since then, she has been traveling to discover the world’s best snorkeling spots and sharing her experience and tips to inspire others. Find her photos on @anett.szaszi Instagram too!

Asos Beach

The small harbor village of Asos on the north of Argostoli is famous for its laid-back atmosphere and scenic beauty. Featuring traditional Ionian architecture, a lovely waterfront with colorful houses and lots of tavernas and bars, Asos is ideal for a relaxing vacation. From the beach, you can take in the views of the remnants of a venetian castle where you can even walk up to if you feel like.

With clear, indigo blue waters, the pebbly Asos Beach offers excellent conditions to go swimming and snorkeling in Kefalonia. Since it lies in a sheltered cove, the water is usually calm making it a great place for families with small kids too. If you are looking for a beautiful yet quiet location to spend your vacation in Kefalonia, Asos might be the best choice.

Linardos Apartments is a lovely self-catering accommodation with panoramic sea views directly at the beach of Asos.

Myrtos

Probably there is no need to introduce you Kefalonia’s biggest attraction, Myrtos Beach that is not only one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe but it is constantly featured in travel magazines all over the world. This amazingly blue-water beach surrounded by white cliffs and lush vegetation is well-organized: there are sunbeds to rent, showers, and bars offering snacks and cold drinks. It is easily accessible with all kinds of transportation and an absolute must-visit when on the island!

Most people don’t consider Myrtos as a good spot for snorkeling in Kefalonia, although if you are lucky to be here on a non-windy day, swimming around in the crystal-clear waters will provide you with fantastic underwater views. The best area to snorkel is the rocky left side where you find a cave too.

If you are dreaming about enjoying the views of this extraordinary beach during your whole holiday, stay at the Myrtos View Apartments!

Petani

On the northwest of the Paliki Peninsula, near Vovikes village, at the base of a steep road there is another picturesque place that is very similar to Myrtos. It has the same white pebbles, clear waters and facilities, but with fewer crowds. Thanks to its orientation, Petani offers excellent sunset views too so don’t leave too early!

The water deepens immediately close to the shore, so this might be not a good place for small kids or weak swimmers, but ideal for snorkelers. Many facilities such as sundecks, umbrellas, showers, bathrooms and tavernas ensure that you’ll spend your day in comfort.

For budget travelers who prefer quiet locations, the Petani Beachside Accommodations located right on Petani Beach is a great choice.

Lagadakia Beach

This small pebble beach west of the island’s capital, in the Paliki region is considered the best snorkeling beach in Kefalonia by locals and tourists. With crystal clear water and a beautiful rocky landscape, Lagadakia is the perfect place to observe the Ionian Sea’s marine life: you can see various fish species here such as sea breams and mullets, sea urchins, sponges and if you are lucky even octopuses.

The fact that Lagadakia is pretty remote makes it a nice place to enjoy for families, however be careful because the water is deep. Note that there are no facilities so if you are planning to spend the day here, bring your own shade, food and plenty of water!

Foki beach

If you look for a Kefalonia snorkeling beach that offers all the classical natural features of the Mediterranean, Foki Beach is where you need to go. This cove lies just a short drive away from Fiskardo and has a dreamy landscape with olive groves providing shade and calm, emerald waters that invite for a swim.

An interesting fact is that Foki means seal in Greek which refers to the appearance of Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus Monachus) in the nearby cave. It is a little further out of the beach but if you are a strong swimmer, you can swim there, otherwise it is accessible with a small hike. There are no amenities at Foki, except a small taverna at the top of, a short walk back towards Fiskardo where you can buy snacks and cold drinks if you get hungry or thirsty.

Emplisi

The sheltered bay of Emplisi is situated just about 1.5 km from the harbor village of Fiskardo and famous for its natural beauty. This pebble beach surrounded by lush greenery is an excellent place for snorkeling in Kefalonia, as well as for sunbathing and jumping from rocks.

Boats are not allowed to anchor in Emplisi, so swimming and snorkeling is a lot safer than other places where they are. It can get busy during the summer because most people staying in the village come here to enjoy the sea, but still not that crowded that the island’s most popular spots. Should you find the beach not quiet enough, walk on the forest path on the left side that takes you to the hidden side of the bay to enjoy privacy.

A stunning 5-star boutique hotel nearby is the Emelisse Nature Resort

Kimilia Beach

A well-kept secret of the island, Kimilia is one of the best snorkeling beaches on Kefalonia that is visited mainly by locals who come here to escape the crowds. It is located on the northwestern tip of Erisos Pensinsula and accessible from the villages of Germenata.

The first part of the road is a dirt track, but the last is a footpath. From the parking (end of the road) it requires about 7-10 minutes to get down to the beach.

The beach itself is pebbled with flat, gently sloping rocks that are ideal for sunbathing. Deeper, crystal clear waters provide you with a ‘swimming in an aquarium’ feeling and offer excellent conditions for observing marine species.

Since there are no facilities here, bring food and drinks so you can have a relaxing picnic day at this stunning location! Good news is that it is not needed to bring sunshade because natural shade is provided by the forest.

Dafnoudi Beach

After Kimilia, the next cove on the coast is Dafnoudi, another rocky beach we highly recommend visiting if you prefer spending your time at untouched places surrounded by nature. The way to get to this spot is the same that at Kimilia, with the difference that you need to drive through Antipata village.

At the end of the road, park your car then follow the sign that says ‘Dafnoudi’ through the picturesque forest. Note that the path is rocky so bring training shoes because you might sprain your ankles if you wear just flip-flops.

The beach itself is small and wild, but the sea is very clear and calm because it’s a narrow inlet. Excellent underwater visibility and deeper waters (approx. 8m) make snorkeling fantastic here. Besides the common Mediterranean fish species, it is common to find red sea stars here. There is also a small natural cave on the right side where you can swim to. It is said that sometimes monk seal can be spotted here, so keep your eyes open!

If you look for a lovely property in a great location with brilliant views, check out the nearby Dafnoudi Hotel Apartments

Platis Gialos

Next to the famous Makris Gialos lies the quieter Platis Gialos that is perfect both for sunbathing and snorkeling thanks to its fine sand and bordering rocky walls. The two beaches are separated by a few rocks so going from one to the other is easy and you can enjoy both areas. Facilities-wise, both have a lot to offer but for snorkelers, definitely Platis Gialos is recommended.

With golden sand, surrounding pine tree forests and a beautiful hotel in the back (White Rocks Hotel), this beach outstands with its beauty and nowhere on the island you find such transparent waters like here. Ideal both for adults and kids, Platis Gialos is a great destination for your summer vacation!

Pessada Beach

Locals and visitors agree that Pessada ranks amongst the Top 5 Beaches of Kefalonia, but since there are no facilities nearby, it attracts less visitors than organized places. Pessada is situated about 10km east of Argostoli and accessible through stairs. Once you get down to the water, you need to walk approx. 100 m through a rocky area to get to the actual beach.

The natural bay is excellent for relaxation and snorkeling. It has soft sand dotted with some big rocks that attract marine life to the area.

Kaminia Beach

People whose bucket list includes swimming with sea turtles in Europe know that they can turn this dream into reality while snorkeling in Greece. Although if you want to have the highest chance to see Caretta caretta turtles in their natural environment we recommend visiting the neighboring island, Zakynthos snorkeling beaches, but you might be lucky to see some of these wonderful creatures in Kefalonia too.

The turtle migration starts in spring when the loggerheads come to mate and nest to Kefallinia. The best places to see them is around the harbor of Argostoli where they use to feed around the boat docks, and also the sandy beaches on the south coast where they nest.

Kaminia, the clean long sandy beach near Skala village is one of those beaches where turtles can be spotted between May and August when they come to the area to lay their eggs that hatch from July to October. If you are lucky to see or swim with a turtle in Kefalonia, make sure to keep a safe distance, do not disturb the turtles and never feed them.

Various conservation organizations are present on the island (like Wildlife Sense) that work to protect these species and their breeding grounds. If you want to learn more about the turtles, see nests or hatchlings, get in touch with them!

Kato Lagadi

Those who look for hidden snorkeling spots in Kefalonia should not miss out Kata Lagadi. Although it is recommended only for people who are in a good shape since a narrow, steep path is leading to the beach, this virgin site with idyllic scenery will not disappoint visitors who make the effort to get to this site that lies between Poros and Skala.

This little charming location provides refreshing, crystal clear water with many underwater caves where small fish hiding. Actually, there are several smaller beaches next to each other so if you seek out a secluded, almost private spot, don’t stop at the main beach but make your way by climbing through the rocks or else through the water. Well, it is not a family-friendly spot due to the difficult access, but if you on the island as a couple or group of friends, Kata Lagadi might be your favorite private getaway!

Paralia Antisamos

The Blue Flag awarded Antisamos near the port of Sami is probably the second most visited beach of Kefalonia after Myrtos. It became well-known from the movie Captain Corelli’s Mandolin because some of the scenes were filmed here with good reason. The landscape features green hills and turquoise waters providing nature lovers and sunbathers a fantastic scenery.

Antisamos is well organized: there are beach bars and water sports available. Underwater explorers will also love this fantastic Kefalonia snorkeling spot where many fishes can be observed. And the best is, that there is an ancient roman wreck at a depth from 5 to 25 meters that thanks to the excellent water clarity can be easily seen while swimming on the surface.

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