Ithaca island in Greece

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Ithaca is the well known island of Homer's Ulysses, but little known as a holiday and recreational destination. Ideal for eco-tourism and activity holidays, its gentle beauty, undiscovered green valleys, mountains and many crystal clear swimming coves make it the perfect all seasons' holiday.

One of the seven Ionian islands, Ithaca is essentially heavily wooded mountain tops rich in flora and fauna, which protrude steeply from the Ionian sea, joined in the centre of the island by a thin stretch of land.

Ithaca combines its history, religious tradition, culture and its seafaring and agricultural way of life - unchanged for generations - with a geographic beauty that captures the most widely travelled visitor. With its many mountain pathways linking historical villages and shores dotted with small white jewelled beaches, it offers a destination which you will find difficult to leave and compelled to return to.

Ancient history

Ithaca was first inhabited in 4000-3000 BC. Information about its first inhabitants who were indigenous Greeks, comes from shards incised with the Linear A script found in Pilikata. Finds from the Pilikata settlement and Loizos Cave date back as far as 3000-2000 BC. By 1500 BC, the whole island was inhabited. The island's civilization reached a high point in 1000 BC, when the kingdom of Ithaca included the other Ionian islands and part of the coast of Acarnania. The decline that followed was mainly due to exhaustion of the soil. The northern part of the island, however remained inhabited and under cultivation. After 180 BC Ithaka was part of the Roman province of Illyria.

Medieval
Later its port town, Polis or Jerusalem, was built; Anna Comnene refers to it in her "Alexias". The port was gradually abandoned and sank into the sea after the earthquake in 967 AD. In 1086 the first pirates appeared on the scene. In 1185, Ithaki was conquered by the Normans, who ceded it in 1200 to the Orsini family. The Orsinis remained rulers of the island until 1357, when the king of Naples handed it over to the Tocco family. The Turks sacked Ithaki, along with the rest of the Ionian islands, in 1479. Material damage was tremendous, many hostages were sold as slaves. Of the remaining population, many abandoned the island. When war broke out between the Turks and the Venetians in 1499, Ithaki, sharing the fate of neighbouring Kefalonia, was signed over in a treaty to the Venetians. The Venetian senate, concerned about the reduction in population due to fear of pirates and the Turks, granted lands to anyone who would come back, and exempted them from taxation. Many people were attracted by this offer, most of them from mainland Greece, which was suffering under the Turkish yoke.

In 1569 Ithaca was fortified for the first time. But the Venetian governors, taking advantage of the people's poverty and ignorance, often acted unjustly and sometimes committed acts of violence. Despite this the island's population increased to 10,000 and the dawn of the 17th century found Ithaca's land under cultivation; the island had also put together a commercial fleet that was carrying on trade with Europe. This fleet took part in all the battles for freedom from the Turks up to 1821.

In 1798, the democratic French took over the Ionian islands but held them for only a year. Despite the heavy taxes they levied, their new revolutionary ideas were conveyed to the islanders. The Russians and Turks succeeded the French and a 14-member senate governed democratically until 1807. French rule returned for another two years, and in 1809 the English occupied the Ionian Islands and formed the "United States of the Ionian Islands".

During the Revolution of 1821, the Ithaki islanders joined the Friendly Society, taking part in its activities and offering a place of refuge to fugitive Greeks. It was in Galatsi in Romania that Ithacans first began the Revolution in 1821. Two waves of emigration, one in 1829 and the other in 1845, made the Ithacans famous as sailors and merchants abroad. Union with Greece in 1864, of which T. Paizis and the Radical Party were strong supporters, came at a time when Ithaki was a significant power, both in commerce and shipping.

Like the whole Ionian area, Ithaki has been stricken by repeated earthquakes. According to Partsch, the most violent occurred in 1648. There were other earthquakes in 1766, 1876, and between 1912 and 1918. Extensive devastation was caused by the 1953 earthquake.

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Ithaca island today

Throughout the ages Ithaca has been known as the home of Odysseus (Ulysses). For years Homer's hero wandered before he finally returned to his island kingdom. Though he visited beautiful, exotic, far-flung lands, Ithaca never left his mind for a moment. And even today, once you've been to Ithaca, it's difficult to forget this small, mountainous island with its captivating coves that conjure up some earthly paradise. Ithaca is separated from Cephalonia by a channel some 2 to 4 kilometres wide. The west coast of the island is steep and almost barren in contrast to the green, gentle shoreline on the east

Sightseeing

The capital and largest settlement is Vathi; its red-roofed delightful houses set amidst enchanting scenery at the end of the deep closed bay of Molos. It's easy to get to know the island's landmarks. Three kilometres to the northwest lies the Cave of the Nymphs. Here according to the myth, Odysseus hid the gifts bestowed upon him by the Phaeacians who deposited him upon Ithaca's shores ten long years after the end of the Trojan War. Also worth visiting is the medieval Monastery of the Archangels at Perahori.
North of the valley and 600 metres above sea level, the Kathara Monastery (Moni Katharon) has a unique view of the island from its bell tower. On the horizon you can make out the mountains of Acarnania, the Echinades islets, the peaks of Zakynthos, the eastern coast of Cephalonia and even the entrance to the Gulf of Patras. The bay of Polis on the west coast, near the village of Stavros, is the site of another cave (Loizos' cave). This one yielded up shards on which were carved inscriptions testifying to the worship of Artemis, Hera and Athena. Even more interestingly, this cave has also yielded twelve tripods similar to the others which the Phaeacians gave to Odysseus.
The village of Stavros is the central village of northern Ithaca. About 1 kilometre north of Stavros is Pilikata; excavations on this hillside which is between the bays of Polis and Frikes brought to light remains of a small Bronze Age settlement. The finds unearthed there reinforce the theory that the ancient city of Ithaca lies somewhere in the vicinity. Kioni and Frikes on the northeast coast are both typical unspoilt Ionian villages with many small taverns along their sea fronts.

As you set out for Ithaca,
Hope your road is a long one......
Keep Ithaca always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,...

The famous Greek poet Constantine Kavafis was referring to Ithaca as one's ultimate destination; but Ithaca, this verdant Ionian island, may become your own favourite place, a place that draws you back year after year, as you plan your holidays..

Ithaca hotels

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