Agios Dimitrios, Cephalonia
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Agios Dimitrios is a village, about north of
Lixouri Lixouri () is a town and a municipality in the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. It is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki, and the second largest town in Kefalonia after Argostoli and before Sami. It is ...
in the
Paliki Paliki () is a peninsula and a former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. At the 2011 local government reform it became part of the municipality Kefalonia. In 2019 this municipality was divided into three municipali ...
peninsula of
Cephalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia (), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallonia (), 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 is also a separate regio ...
. The village which lies on the hillside just above the gulf of
Argostoli Argostoli (, Katharevousa: ) is a town and a municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands (region), Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is one of the three municipalities on the island. It has been the capi ...
and is a five-minute drive along the main road out of
Lixouri Lixouri () is a town and a municipality in the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. It is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki, and the second largest town in Kefalonia after Argostoli and before Sami. It is ...
.


Geography

The overall geography of Agios Dimitrios can be appreciated in a satellite view from Google Map

The village largely straddles the main road running north from Lixouri. The immediate view from the main road is of small houses, a taverna, a variety holiday accommodation, including a two hotels. The area is rural and consists largely of agricultural land. There is a very low density of building. Turning off from the main road to the East, towards the sea, brings one past small residences with some accommodation for renting and eventually down to the shoreline of the gulf of
Argostoli Argostoli (, Katharevousa: ) is a town and a municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands (region), Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is one of the three municipalities on the island. It has been the capi ...
. The shoreline is a long narrow strip of mainly sandy beach with scrub vegetation and no facilities. A small number of fishermen work from the area in small boats. The immediate sea is shallow with extensive weed beds. This area is known to be inhabited by turtles. In addition to agriculture and tourism, a small activity in fishing is supported. Nearby to the south, just before the village, is an auto mechanics car workshop and garage.


Amenities

In addition to the small number of local residences, there are various holiday accommodations, from bed & breakfast studios, villas and hotels. There are also small hotels, for example the Hotel Terra Mare with several acres of associated grounds in which holiday bungalows are set. Taverna Angelos is renowned for its pizzas, is situated on the main street. Another Taverna
Pharos
can be found by turning up a side road off the west side of the main street. There are no shops or banks in the village. The nearest shops are back south on the main road towards
Lixouri Lixouri () is a town and a municipality in the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. It is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki, and the second largest town in Kefalonia after Argostoli and before Sami. It is ...
, 25 minutes to walk but five minutes in a car. They comprise a general grocery and household goods store, a takeaway food shop, and a butcher who sells a range of meats. Most main shops, banks, medical services, and schools are to be found in
Lixouri Lixouri () is a town and a municipality in the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. It is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki, and the second largest town in Kefalonia after Argostoli and before Sami. It is ...
. An exception to this is a nearby store located immediately south of the village on the main road to Lixouri which is a large outdoor centre, stocking swimming, snorkeling, fishing and leisure equipment. The fact that the local beach is very narrow and there are no facilities means that tourists are hardly ever seen and it is therefore a quiet area in which to walk and admire very open views over the bay. Cephalonia is renowned for having several world-class beaches (for example,
Myrtos Beach Myrtos Beach ( ) is in the region of Pylaros, in the north-west of Kefalonia island, in the Ionian Sea of Greece. Myrtos beach lies between the feet of two mountains, Agia Dynati and Kalon Oros (901m). Geology The surrounding sediment at Myr ...
, Xi Beach, Petani Beach and
Vatsa Bay Vatsa Bay (Vazza) is a bay on the southern tip of Paliki peninsula of Kefalonia, Greece. The area lies far from the main towns and villages in Kefalonia and preserves a rural charm for visitors. There is no public transport, and as a result, ...
) and it is very easy to travel to one of these by car, which is what most tourists who come to stay in this part of the island do.


Economy and environment

As with many areas in Cephalonia, Agios Dimitrios was originally based on agriculture and a small contribution from fishing. In recent years tourism has become an increasing priority within the economy of Cephalonia with investment from the EU under the Operational Programme 'Western Greece - Peloponnesus - Ionian Islands' Programme under the Convergence objective co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the period 2007-2013. The budget of the programme is around €1.14 billion. Within this framework are several priorities which include *Priority 3: Infrastructure works & accessibility in Ionian Islands *Priority 6: Digital convergence & entrepreneurship in Ionian Islands *Priority 7: Sustainable development & quality of life in Western Greece These high level strategic priorities are starting to have an effect and the evidence can be seen even in Agios Dimitrios. The number of buildings dedicated to tourist trade and tourist accommodation has increased with an increase in local development. There has been an increase in the number of non-Greek nationals becoming residents and developing properties within the village. There has also been a migration back to Cephalonia of Greek nationals (or family members) who had originally been displaced as a consequence the earthquake in the 1950s.


Geology and Homer's Ithaca

Recent geological studies suggest that the Paliki Peninsula, in which Agios Dimitrios is sited, was originally a separate island. Known as the
Paliki Paliki () is a peninsula and a former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. At the 2011 local government reform it became part of the municipality Kefalonia. In 2019 this municipality was divided into three municipali ...
Hypothesis, it is now suggested that in the Bronze Age, a large earthquake caused a landslide to fill in a sea channel creating the bridge between the Paliki and the main island. One implication of this is that the Paliki Peninsula, and the area in which Agios Dimitrios is located is in fact the original location for Homer's Ithaca, the home of
Odysseus In Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus ( ; , ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; ), is a legendary Greeks, Greek king of Homeric Ithaca, Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, epic poem, the ''Odyssey''. Od ...
, to which he journeyed after the
Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...
and written as the epic tale, Homer's
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
.


References

{{reflist Populated places in Cephalonia