Skala (Greek: Σκάλα) is a village located in the municipal unit of
Eleios-Pronnoi, some 39 km south from the island's main town of
Argostoli and 14 km SW of
Poros, in the south of
Cephalonia
Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It i ...
, one of the
Ionian Islands of
Greece.
During the summer, Skala becomes a popular holiday destination.
Villages
The community of Skala consists of the following villages:
*Skala, pop. 760
*Aleimmatas, pop. 20
*Ratzakli, pop. 118
*Fanies, pop. 25
History
The current village was built in 1956 and replaces the old village which was levelled during the
1953 Ionian earthquake
The 1953 Ionian earthquake (also known as the Great Kefalonia earthquake) struck the southern Ionian Islands in Greece on August 12. In mid-August, there were over 113 recorded earthquakes in the region between Kefalonia and Zakynthos, and the m ...
, killing 36 and injuring hundreds of villagers. The original village was located on the hill behind the present one, as many of the island's were, in order to avoid invasion from raiders and pirates during the previous centuries. The name 'Skala' originates from the Greek word for stairs. It was given this name because when it was in its original place, the houses seemed to ascend almost as though they were a set of stairs.
On the edge of the present village is the remains of a 3rd-century Roman villa with some remarkably well preserved mosaics. Visitors can visit the site for a small fee to see the mosaic flooring in three rooms, which were excavated in 1957.
Three kilometres along the beach road towards
Poros is the site of a 7th-century Temple dedicated to the god
Apollo. Here are the foundation stones and parts of three
Doric columns.
During the months of April through to October, Skala becomes a popular tourist resort. With beaches, hotels and many restaurants, the town’s population quadruples during the summer months.
Agriculture
Skala was a farming community up until the onset of tourism in the late 20th century. Most families had and still have fields or small holdings on which they grow summer and winter vegetables. They also have excellent wine producing vineyards, and olive trees which provide Greece's elixir of life,
olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
. Orange, lemon, walnut, almond and fig trees have been planted throughout the area.
Herds of goats, sheep and cows freely roam the hillsides around Skala.
Multi coloured beehives can be seen dotted around the fields and hillsides, producing Cephalonia's thyme flavoured honey.
Transport
Buses link Skala with the island's main town Argostoli, twice in the morning during the summer months - this reduces to a single service during the winter. Only one bus returns to Skala in the afternoon once the shops in
Argostoli close at 2pm. There is also a bus connecting Skala to
Poros.
External links
Skala Beach , Tourist Guide KefaloniaVisit.comSkala community (Elios-Pronnoi Municipality)
website #1]
Skala community (Elios-Pronnoi Municipality) website #2Official guide to Skala Kefalonia - Island of Dreams
References
{{Argostoli div
Populated places in Cephalonia