Cephalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands, and sixth in size to all of the Greek islands. It has an area of approximately 670 sq.km. and a population of about 30,000. It also boasts the highest peak of the Ionian Islands: Mt Ainos stands tall at 1,628km.
The mountainous structure of its terrain combined with the flow of much water has created subterranean caverns and passages, formed by erosion and the dissolving action of underground water on calcareous rock. The culmination of this effect can be viewed in the phenomena of Katavothres, Melissani and Karavomylos: the water disappears down the chasms of Katavothres to re-appear in the lake of Karavomylos on the other side of the island, after passing through the stunning cave lake Melissani. Cephalonia lies opposite the mouth of the Gulf of Patras, between Zakynthos and Lefkas.
To the northeast lies Ithaca; the two islands are separated by a channel 4km wide. There are several beliefs as to the origin of the island’s name: some believe it was named after King Cephalos, a mythical king. Others believe it may have gained its name from being the natural head of the Ionian Islands (cephalos means “head” in Greek)- or else it was perhaps named after an ancient people, the Cephallines, and this is why in formal Greek the island and its inhabitants are spelt with a double “l”.
Whatever the derivation of its name, the island has a long and adventurous past, dating back to the fourth or fifth millennia BC or even earlier. Stone Age tools have been found at Fiskardo as well as at Sami, Skala and several other sites.
Mycenean beehive tombs have been discovered in the south and on the Lixouri Peninsula. Some time after the Mycenean Age it seems that Cephalonia consisted of four city states, roughly corresponding with the four contemporary towns of Sami (the ancient city bore the same name), Argostoli (ancient Krani), Lixouri (ancient Pali) and Poros (Pronoi).
The island has seen numerous invaders, including the Romans, the Normans, the Venetians and the Vatican, not to mention the raids by Arabic, Spanish and Sicilian pirates.