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Ithaka Guide

Ithaka Ferry Port

Ithaka is the second-smallest of the Ionian Islands that streak across the western coast of Greece. The entire island is shaped by an undulating vista of tree-topped hills, their scrubby slopes rising from the ragged shoreline of the crystal-blue Ionian Sea. The landscape is split into two regions, roughly arranged in a north-south formation, bridged by a narrow isthmus known by locals as the Eagle. Though small, Ithaka has a rich and varied history stretching as far back as the mid-1600’s BCE. During this founding era, the island is believed to have been the capital of the ancient Ionian Kingdom when it was inhabited by the Greek peoples of Mycenae. Centuries later the island was immortalised in Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey; Ithaka featuring as the homeland of the tale’s eponymous hero King Odysseus. The port of Ithaka forms part of the tiny Pisaetos marina on the island’s populated southern region. It sits on a secluded spot of the west-facing coast overlooking the Strait of Ithaka with the nearest town of Ithaki (the island capital), 4 miles away further inland. The port consists of nothing more than a small anchorage on one edge of a shallow bay. There are no passenger facilities here, meaning that food, drink, and other supplies must be bought before arrival. Though relatively isolated, travelling to Pisaetos marina is relatively straightforward. A single road connects the facility to the main town of Ithaki on a route that cuts through the heartland hills before tracing the pristine shores of the Molos Gulf. The only form of public transportation on the island comes in the form of buses that run on a limited schedule between the island’s biggest settlements, but these services do not stop near the port. A number of ferry routes currently operate from the port throughout the week. Services hosted by Kefalonian Lines sail the short distance south to the Greek mainland town of Kyllini and hop west to the towns of Sami and Poros on the large island of Kefalonia. Levante Ferries sail to Sami too, as well as offering another route to the sprawling city of Patras in western Greece.