Vathi - Vathy

Vathi

The capital of Ithaka and its main port is the attractive town of Vathi (Vathy), also known with the same name of the island, Ithaca. Built amphitheatrically around a deep and sheltered bay, it has beeen identified with the Homeric harbour of Phorkys. At the entrace of the harbour lies the islet of Lazaretto; as its name implies, it was once a lazaret (quarantine house) and on it there are also ruins of Venetian gaols. The port was protected by two small fortresses, built in 1805 during the period of the second French rule, those of Kastro and Loutsa, ruins of which can still be seen at its entrance.

At the time of the great earthquake of 1953, like Kefalonia the island of Ithaka was devasted too, but many buildings were rebuilt in their original style. It's worth visiting the restored cathedral dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin and the house in which the hero of Greek War of Indipendence, Odysseus Androutsos, was born.

The Archaeological Museum houses a collection of Protogeometric pottery, votive vases, bronze object, coins, etc. Some rare books, among them the only edition of the Odyssey and the Iliad in Japanese, and the entire works of St. Athanasios (dating from 1686) are in the library of Cultural Centre of Ithaka.

There are some fine beaches for swimming near Vathi, at Minimata, Skinos, Gidaki and Sarakiniko.