Myrtos Beach

Myrtos is the beach that makes people stop the car. On the north-west coast of Kefalonia, in the Pylaros area, a long curve of dazzling white pebbles sits at the foot of steep cliffs between two mountains, Agia Dynati and Kalon Oros, and the sea in front of it glows an improbable turquoise. The best view is from above, from the winding road that drops down to it, where the whole crescent comes into view at once.

The colours have a simple explanation. The surrounding rock is marble, a metamorphosed limestone, and the beach is made of its rounded white cobbles, which grow smaller towards the waterline. The beach shelves steeply, so the waves arrive with a lot of energy; as they curve along the shore they pick up fine particles of marble and carry them in pale plumes, and this suspended powder gives the water its milky turquoise colour.

Myrtos has regularly been voted one of the finest beaches in Greece. It was one of the settings of the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin, used for the scene of the mine explosion. The steep drop-off means the water becomes deep quickly, and the swell can be strong, so this is a beach to respect as well as admire.

Getting there

Myrtos lies about 30 km from Argostoli, the island capital; Kefalonia Airport (EFL) is about 25 km away. A steep road of about 2 km with hairpin bends leads down to the beach from the village of Divarata, and there is parking at the bottom. In summer a local bus runs from Agia Efimia harbour.