
Eliamos: Kefalonia’s newest luxury hotel is a tranquil, stylish success
Santorini and Mykonos are great for the 'gram, but if you want beaches, head to the Ionian Islands. Now, for the first time, Kefalonia is putting in a bid for the island group’s top spot
The Ionian Sea contains very little plankton or mud. The water is also highly stratified, meaning the top and bottom don’t mix due differences in temperature. Plus, there are numerous sulphurous caves in the area, so that when the sea rises, sulphur radiates into it. At least, these are the explanations that Google provides for the colour of the water surrounding Kefalonia, which is an almost-electric blue, the brightness of which I’ve never seen the like – not even in the Maldives. It looks artificial, like the fluorescent goo in a lava lamp.
To experience this first hand, most online guides will tell you to go to Myrtos Beach on Kefalonia’s north-west coast – voted the most beautiful beach in Greece numerous times, and regularly touted as one of the best in the world. But I’ll let you in on a secret. The hairpin road leading to Myrtos is permanently congested with people flocking to the much-photographed hotspot; I desperately searched for a parking space as the attendant barked instructions at me in Greek (I didn’t understand, but I don’t think he was praising my three-point turn). We did bag a couple of chairs, but failed to bring any aqua-type shoes; the beach is covered in stones, and, on hobbling into the sea, I was promptly knocked over by the waves and buffeted about in the shallows for a few minutes before returning, bruised, to the lounger.

You’re better off heading to Fteri Beach. The water is still clearer than polished glass, but it’s conspicuously free from hoards owing to the fact that it’s only accessible by water taxi. Or, if the whole ‘secluded cove’ thing doesn’t appeal to you, Antisamos Beach, on the other side of the island, makes up for what it lacks in picture postcard scenes with granular sand and docile waves.
Whether or not you heed my advice, each of these beaches reside towards Kefalonia’s north; there are comparatively few publicised attractions in the south, meaning that once you arrive at Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa, you’ll have little reason to leave. Opened in May 2023, the hotel is situated in unassuming Spartià, around a 20-minute drive from the island’s capital, Argostoli. Spartià is pleasant enough, with a quaint mini-market, ramshackle church and clifftop beach bar. But, realistically, you won’t eat, drink or kick back better on this end of the island than at Eliamos.


The five-star property, which is a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux hotel group, consists of 12 villas nestled among wild lavender, oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil. Villas are covered in terracotta-style roof tiles; inside, the decor is bohemian, with earthy hues, brushed concrete and rattan furniture. Each accommodation has its own infinity pool (filled with salt water, which requires fewer chemicals to keep clean) or Jacuzzi, which appear like dark-green lagoons. Quartz terraces mimic the appearance of sand, and squashy, bean bag-like loungers sit under grass canopies and look out towards the sea and the looming bulk of Mount Ainos, the summit of which is regularly obscured by clouds.


If you’re detecting wellness retreat vibes, you wouldn’t be incorrect – Eliamos flirts with the concept, encouraging ‘healthy habits’ without judging you for ordering multiple carafes of wine at dinner. There is deliberately no buffet, nothing processed comes out of the kitchen, and the menu is relatively healthy; holidaying in Greece can, occasionally, become a never-ending carousel of chips and saganaki (fried cheese), so the abundance of fresh seafood, local protein, and zesty salads at the hotel restaurant was a godsend. Yoga and reformer Pilates classes take place on the bamboo-shaded cabana each morning – there is also an outdoor gym, and the spa staff are qualified in sports massage.

The Eliamos project was masterminded by German-born Maike Gruna of Maike Gruna Interiors, who designed the retreat, along with her Australian-Kefalonian husband and his Cypriot college friend. The trio executed their vision of an intimate, ‘village-style’ hotel – almost one-of-a-kind on the island, whose luxury offering is still in its infancy. Prior to the airport’s renovation in 2017, it wasn’t easy to get to Kefalonia. As a result, tourism came relatively late to the island, which remains fairly self-sufficient. There is a shepherd who herds sheep past Eliamos every morning, and during olive-picking season, you won’t see another soul in Spartià.

This is a blessing – as anyone who has ever tried to snap a picture of the windmills in packed Mykonos will attest. That said, there is a reason why Santorini and Naxos (and, indeed, the Cyclades in general) are so popular. Assos, one of Kefalonia’s main attractions, is pretty, with stepped rows of pastel-coloured houses rising from the glittering water – and Fiskardo is rather lovely, with a waterfront boardwalk of cafes, restaurants and ice cream parlours covered in bougainvillaea. But you won’t find any whitewashed buildings or cerulean domes here. In fact, most of the buildings are new, or built since the 1950s at least, when an earthquake destroyed almost everything on the island.
What you do get in Kefalonia is a shrub-covered coastline in a Mediterranean colourway of brown and taupe. Spindly cypresses punctuate expansive escarpments. Gravity-defying goats cling to sheer rock faces on the side of roads. Then there’s the ever-present backdrop of that (supposedly) stratified, sulphurous, plankton-free sea. Now, for almost the first time, there’s the option of a five-star base from which to experience it.
Prices start from approximately £600 per night. Visit eliamos.com.