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...tradition, history and culture...
Ithaca, world renowned as the home of Homer’s Ulysses, an island rich in tradition, history, culture. Ithaca has been inhabited since the Neolithic era (4000-3000 BC), as evidenced by excavation finds at Loizos Cave and the village of Pilikata. A collection evidencing the rich seafaring tradition of Ithaca, traditional household items, jewels, old tools, traditional costumes and many more are housed in the Marine-Popular Museum, while finds dating from the early Hellenistic years through the Roman era can be found at the Archaeological Collection of Stavros. The Archaeological Museum of Vathy houses collections including finds from the Geometric Period through the Roman Era.
The island has a rare natural beauty characterized by contrasting wild and tamed nature and an alternating landscape. The island’s head village of Vathry is a quaint town with a peculiar gulf embracing the islet of Lazareto and two Venetian castles. Vathy, along with the communities of Agogi, Stavros and Kioni have been designated Traditional Settlements, while the entire island is protected as an area of exceptional natural beauty.
Hundreds of wildflowers and low bushes cover the mountains and the stretches of the island. In spring, when the flowers are in full bloom, the view is unique. Higher, on the slopes of Mt. Niritos, one finds pine trees, cypress trees, bearberries and other bushes. This rich nature is not lacking in all types of forest birds and small animals (hares and more).
The warm sea water during the summer months makes diving and underwater fishing a true joy. Ithaca offers refuge to the endangered turtles Caretta-Caretta and several seals Monachus-Monachus. The indescribable beauty of the azure sea-bed is complemented by the enchanting coastal landscape. Through its paths, Ithaca will offer you sights, colours, sounds, fragrances and indelible memories.
The paths that you take may be the same ones that Ulysses and his wife Penelope walked. Unique for trekkers, lead to small, isolated coves, where one can enjoy the sea undisturbed. The majority of the cliffs on the coastal zone present great environmental interest, forming the Mediterranean Epilithic Park, which includes a network of coastal paths and tasteful explanatory signs.