Not satisfied with just one visit to Greece this year, we spent the last week of the summer holidays on the beautiful Ionian Island of Kefalonia. Kefalonia boasts breath-taking beaches, colourful villages and a laidback welcoming atmosphere that makes visitors want to return year after year.
For half of our week-long stay on the island we were the lucky guests of the beautiful, brand-new Homer Luxury Villas.*
Opened to the public earlier this year, Homer Luxury Villas are two stunning sister properties nestled in the hills above Sami that offer the perfect blend of design and authenticity.
The stylish neutral interiors that balance natural materials with modern conveniences really appealed to me, as did the way every room and outdoor area took advantage of the sensational views of the Ionian Sea and neighbouring island of Ithaca.
If I could design from scratch my ideal holiday villa it would look like this!
The Villas
We stayed in Odyssey, which has 3 generous double bedrooms that each have their own balcony, bathroom and smart TV – if you’re sharing the villa with friends or family no one gets the short straw here.
Two bedrooms are upstairs, which is helpful if you need to sleep near little ones, and the third bedroom is downstairs, at the end of a corridor, so is great if you’re sharing with grandparents, for example, who would like some privacy.
When I say that every room takes advantage of the sensational views I really mean it, you can even watch the sunrise over the mountains from the shower. The windows in the bedrooms are more like picture frames and opening the electric blackout blinds each morning to reveal this landscape felt ultra luxurious.
On a practical level we loved the heated infinity pool, fully fitted kitchen, and utility room with washing machine, hoover and high chair that’s handy for families.
We also loved the outdoor dining area that felt like it was carved into the red rocks. There’s a huge amount of comfortable outdoor seating so you can chase the sun (or shade) at different times of day and an electric bbq and atmospheric outdoor lighting to enjoy meals under pink skies of an evening.
The bedrooms are really comfy with luxurious bedding, powerful air con and the previously mentioned black out blinds that open/close at the touch of a button.
The whole villa was immaculately clean and smelt wonderful, it felt so good just to be there.
The Location
Aside from the beautiful design, what makes these villas so special is the location.
Situated on the outskirts of Chaliotata, a small rural village where goats roam freely of an evening, you get to experience an authentic side of Kefalonia whilst also being just a short drive away from some of the islands most popular beaches and tourist attractions.
Just 7 mins drive from the villa is the Melissani Cave, an incredible underground lake that’s best visited between the hours of 11am and 1pm when sunlight pours into the cave via a hole in the collapsed roof.
It’s very popular with day trippers and cruise ship passengers so the beauty of staying so close is that we could plan our visit to avoid the worst of the queues.
The nearest town is Sami, (10 mins drive away), which has a laid-back waterfront lined with affordable tavernas and grillhouses.
It’s not a boujee or upmarket area, compared to say Fiskardo, but we came here a few times to use the supermarkets and bakeries, especially Orchiddè, which sells delicious coffee and baked goodies.
A little further around the headland from Sami is the beach of Antisamos. This is one of the most popular organised beaches in the area and the water is a jaw-dropping array of jewel colours that just makes you want to dive in.
I had read that it can be a bit crowded and noisy but we went for lunch at Acron one day and really enjoyed it. It was easy to get parked, food and service was excellent and the music wasn’t at all overbearing.
Our recommendations
What is lovely about this part of Kefalonia though, and is something we loved about Corfu too, is that if organised beaches aren’t your thing there are plenty of secluded coves you can swim at instead.
On the coastal road between Homer Luxury Villas and the pretty fishing village of Agia Efimia there are a number of swimming spots that look absolutely idyllic.
If you like snorkelling in small coves with just a few other people around you, then park your car on the verge and check out Elinika or Nici Beaches.
We also enjoyed visiting Agia Efimia and having dinner at the traditional taverna Pergola. This was one of the recommendations we found in the brochure sent to us by Homer Villas, which included not only suggested itineraries but notes on dishes and local specialities not to miss.
I’ll write about all these places in more detail in my next post but to give you an idea of our highlights and how far they are from the villa, check out the table below.
| Area | Highlights | Driving time from villa |
|---|---|---|
| Fteri Beach | Stunning secluded beach backed by high white cliffs | 40 mins to Zola Harbour where you can get the Fteri water taxi |
| Asos Village | Pastel-coloured houses, Venetian Castle, small beach | 40 mins – can stop at Myrtos Beach viewpoint on the way |
| Fiskardo Harbour | Colourful upmarket harbour town with original Venetian architecture | 1 hour |
| Argostoli | Kefalonia’s capital offers some of the best restaurants & a chance to spot turtles | 35 mins |
| Platis Gialos | Beautiful sandy beach & calm waters | 40 mins |
Key Information
We flew with Easyjet from London Gatwick direct to Kefalonia. The transfer time from the airport to the villa is 40 minutes. (Side note: We had a really positive experience at Kefalonia Airport which has been recently renovated and had multiple passport control desks open when we landed!)
We hired a car for 7 days through Discover Cars and collected it from the airport . You will definitely need a car if staying at Homer Villas as there are no supermarkets or beaches within walking distance. There are a couple of tavernas in the village that you can walk to or order takeaway from if you don’t want to drive at night.
We were met at the property by Elena who is on hand to offer advice and make sure you have everything you need for your stay.
We liked that the two sister properties are detached and set back from each other so the pool areas don’t overlook each other. If you have noisy little ones you don’t have to worry about telling them to be quiet all the time and equally you can’t hear the neighbours if you’re seeking some tranquillity while the kids sleep!
The villa offers a breakfast delivery service through a special arrangement they have with local brunch spot Afrala, but they also provide a wonderful welcome basket including bread, milk, cheese and honey so you don’t need to buy much to enjoy a delicious Greek breakfast.
My husband did all the driving on this trip but the roads were never busy and were generally not too hairy. In comparison to Corfu the drive to Homer Villas is straightforward and the only obstacles you need to look out for are goats – you’ll hear their bells before you see them.
Although we didn’t have time to on this trip you can also hire boats, book taxis and hop on a ferry from Sami to Ithaca for the day – all the details for which are included in the Homer Villas welcome pack.
I think you can probably tell from these pictures that we had the most incredible stay at Homer Villas. And I don’t think it will be our last either.
Visit the Homer Villas website to make a booking. You can also find them on Instagram here.
*Disclosure: Our stay at Homer Luxury Villas was hosted in order to create content but we paid for all other expenses. All opinions are my own.
For more of our Greek holiday recommendations check out:
Paros family holiday: What to do & where to stay
Staying at a cave house in Santorini
Family holiday in Mani, Greece
