New Gatwick to Kefalonia Route Opened - Kefalonia.co.uk

Online, November 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Easyjet, the UK's biggest airline, announced last week that it will be offering regular flights to and from Kefalonia starting in April 2012. The island has been a popular destination ever since the release of Louis de Berniere's Captain Corelli's Mandolin back in 1994 but up until now it has been limited to a small number of airlines. Consequently it has so far been relatively expensive to reach, meaning thousands of UK holidaymakers heading to Greece have been unable to visit the island.

Kefalonia is considered to be one of Greece's most unique destinations, both for its desolate beauty and because of its long and troubled history, captured in De Berniere's novel. The island still bears the scars of that tumultuous history; from the infamous massacre of Italian prisoners of war by the Germans to the remains of houses destroyed by German bombs as well as the villages and towns left destroyed by the massive earthquake of 1953 which indirectly caused a massive decimation of the population. More than 100,000 out of 125,000 people departed the island after the earthquake, many seeing it as the last straw for their troubled paradise.

These days however, the island is enjoying much happier times. Many locals have returned thanks to the recent boom in tourism and the population has risen to 45,000 with many serving the Kefalonia accommodation market. Indeed because of the earthquake, Kefalonia has not seen any of the development that has blighted other Greek islands and Kefalonia's rural areas remain astonishingly beautiful, having been left to their own devices. Flora and fauna runs wild across the island, the incredibly diverse native birds and mammals are in rude health and the miles and miles of olive trees have been allowed to grow and grow without any pruning. In fact visitors to the island could spend days and days hiking around the coastline, forests and mountains and never see another person if they wanted to. However, most visitors will prefer to combine that peace and quiet with a stay in the main towns or coastal resorts which are essential to visit if you want to get a taste not just of the island itself, but also of its charming and welcoming locals. Most visitors opt for accommodation in Skala, a resort that rests at the base of the island's mountain range, and offers pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. Others claim that Lassi hotels Kefalonia offer a bit more seclusion and that its smaller coves provide better swimming and snorkelling. Either way, Kefalonia is certainly one of the least developed and most rewarding of the Greek islands and this new route will be a welcome addition to Greek tourism.