Staying in the village of Assos is like spending a few days in a place forgotten by time, fascinating… but reserved for lovers of peace and absolute privacy.
Located in the north of Kefalonia, not far from the incredible Myrtos beach and completely immersed in nature, Assos can be reached by crossing a cypress forest. At the end of the forest, a small square surrounded by a few houses, a few typical Greek restaurants, and the pier where fishing boats and the occasional sailboat dock, will welcome you.
The picturesque village of Assos is a unique place on the island of Kefalonia, of great charm, as scenic as it is isolated. To visit it, it is essential to have your own car, also because, from the road at the top of the cliff, it would be unthinkable to tackle all the hairpin bends necessary to descend to the sea on foot.
Even seeing it from afar, due to its shape, Assos almost appears like a village straight out of a fairy tale, simply incredible.
There are only a couple of beaches, which are not very large, but whose crystal clear waters definitely invite you to take a dip:
1. The first is located right in the town, it is shallow and develops more in length, in the peak season an area is equipped with umbrellas and sunbeds while a part remains free.
2. The second is located along the small road that leads to Assos Castle, it is a little deeper and is completely free.
Continuing along the coast, for those lucky enough to own a boat, there is the possibility of spending a day on almost deserted beaches.
The particular beauty of the village of Assos is mainly due to its final part that juts out into the sea to join the mainland with the small promontory on which the old castle is located.
Together with the castle of Aghios Georgios which is located south of the capital Argostoli on the top of the hill above Peratata, the castle of Assos is a splendid example of the military architecture of the island of Kefalonia.
The fortress of Assos was built by the Venetians who in the 16th century fortified the summit of the rocky hill, 170 m high, which occupies the entire Assos peninsula.
It penetrates the splendid blue waters of the Ionian Sea and has as its only access a very narrow strip of land that connects it to the coast.
The fortress of Assos was built because, back in 1584, the inhabitants of Kefalonia requested the Venetian authorities to build a second castle after that of Agios Georgios, to better protect the island from pirate raids.
The surrounding walls are approximately 2 km long, and the fortress has two gates: the main one along the eastern side and a smaller one to the south.
Today you can see the ruins of the mighty walls, the bastions, the two gates, the residence of the Venetian Provveditore and the Catholic church of San Marco.
Assos is a haven for mass tourism. Here, the silence of unspoiled nature reigns supreme, with the predominant sound of the crystal-clear sea. For this reason, we recommend it to anyone seeking a truly romantic and unconventional setting.
