Myrtos Beach: The Best Beach in Kefalonia, Greece

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We recently spent a week exploring the beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia – home to the stunningly beautiful Myrtos Beach featured in the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin with Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz. For those headed to Kefalonia who have seen the film, I’m sure you’ve already added Myrtos Beach to your must-see list. But for those who haven’t seen the film, you may not have even heard of this famous beauty spot.

A beautiful view over Myrtos Beach, with white pebbles against a stunningly beautiful bright turquoise ocean in a bay surrounded by cliffs and green vegetation

Myrtos Beach is located in the north-west of the island, in the region of Pylaros, approximately 30 km north of Argostoli. Part of the appeal of Myrtos Beach is the fact it is untainted by commercialism and enjoys a real serenity, making this, in my opinion, the best beach in Kefalonia.

A beautiful view through a valley of Myrtos Beach, with white pebbles against a stunningly beautiful bright turquoise ocean in a bay surrounded by cliffs and green vegetation looking out to the coastline beyond

Myrtos Beach can be tricky to reach if you don’t have a car, although I believe you may be able to access the beach via public transport, or you could book a guided tour of the island. Situated at the feet of two mountains, you’ll travel on a winding road that cuts through the valley in order to reach the beach, but the trip is well worth the effort. There is a small car park at the beach, but aside from this, you feel really cut off from the busy resorts, bars and beach-front restaurants that are common in many resorts.

A man dives into turquoise waves on Myrtos Beach in Kefalonia, Greece

The beach itself is pebbly, rather than sandy but, personally, this doesn’t detract from its natural beauty. In fact, the stark whiteness of the pebbles against the stunning turquoise of the sea makes this one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. Driving through the valley towards the beach, we were blown away by the colour of the ocean in this beautiful spot before we’d even arrived on the beach itself.

A girl wearing sunglasses and summer clothing smiles at the camera at a viewpoint overlooking a beautiful white sandy beach surrounded by cliffs in Greece

During peak season, you can hire sun-loungers from the single beach bar, although this was closed when we visited in early May, just before the season really got into full swing.

One thing to note is that Myrtos Beach is affected by strong winds, so the waves can sometimes be whipped up. Nevertheless, this is still a great spot for swimming.

A view over rocks and cliffs tumbling into a bright turquoise sea at Myrtos Beach on the Greek island of Kefalonia

We thoroughly enjoyed our time on Myrtos Beach and can definitely say this is one of the best beaches in Kefalonia. There’s a reason this is constantly featured in magazines as one of the best beaches in Greece, and even the world. I hope you enjoy the shots below and hope they inspire you to book a trip to Kefalonia soon.