Ithaca looks like two islands that are
connected by a narrow stripe of land. Steep mountains
rise high up, both at the northern and at the southern
part, with Nirito being the highest of them, and Meroviglia
and Nerovoulo the lowest. Ithaca's mountain morphology
has endowed it with many steep shores, along with many
beautiful ones. Beneath Mt. Aetos, west and east of the
narrow isthmus, are situated the splendid beaches of Brosaetos
and of Piso Aetos respectively. Further up north, one
should single out the beach of Polis, the beach of Afales
(beneath the town of Stavros) and finally, after a nice
dirt road leading to Ithaca's northernmost part, the enchanting
beach of Marmaka is situated, with the picturesque island
of St. Nicholas at the centre of the homoymous bay. Along
the beautiful road connecting Frikes with Kioni, some
splendid, crystal-clear little beaches are situated,while
at Ithaca's south there are some sandy beaches to be singled
out, namely those of Sarakiniko, Filiatro, Skinos and
Mnimata. Many small beaches lie hidden at Ithaca's innermost
parts; they are somewhat hard of access but offer splendid
idyllic views and emerald-green water. Such beaches are
those of Aspros Gialos, Koutoupi, Kedros, Vrisi, Kaminia,
and Gidaki.
In Greek mythology,
Ithaca's name originated in nearby Kefalonia. At the time of King
Pterelaos of Kefalonia, his three sons, namely Ithacos, Neritos
and Polyktorios, built a fountain that supplied Ithaca with badly
needed water. Ithacos lent his name to the island, Neritos to
its highest mountain, and Polyktorios to the homonymous location.
It is in Kefalonia, too, that the origin of the name of Laertes,
Odysseus' father, can be traced. Laertes was a grandson of Cephalus,
king of Kefalonia. Above all, Ithaca is homeland to the central
character of Homer's Odyssey - the island of Odysseus. Before
finally setting foot on Ithaca's sacred doil, Odysseus went through
unimaginable hardship, roaming for 10 years around the Mediterranean,
inflicted fron Poseidon's rage. Finally, after executing the suitors
who sasted his fortune and pursued his wife, he was restored to
his throne of old.
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