Myrtos Beach

Beach

Beach · Argostoli, Greece 38.3436°N 20.5361°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Myrtos Beach

Best time

Late afternoonAvoid the midday heat

Effort

Big smooth stonesSeabed drops off fast

Season

June, SeptemberVery busy in high season

Access

Car or taxiNarrow, steep road down

From Argostoli

How do you get to Myrtos Beach from Argostoli?

By car or taxi. The beach is 29 km from Argostoli, about 45 minutes by road, the last 2 km down the winding road from Divarata.

Parking

Is there parking at Myrtos Beach?

Yes. Private cars park at the base of the cliffs, right beside the beach at the bottom of the descent. In the summer months the spaces fill fast, so allow time to find one.

Swimming

Is it safe to swim at Myrtos Beach?

The water gets deep quickly from the edge. Visitors report that on windy days the waves crash hard on the shore, while calm days bring gentle, easy water.

Swim off a single cove of white marble stones under rocky cliffs on Kefalonia's north-west coast, in water that runs turquoise close in and deepens to sapphire further out.

What makes it special

Myrtos fills a half-moon cove between two mountains, Agia Dynati and Kalon Oros, which rises to 901 m. White rocky cliffs ring the shore, with vegetation along their tops.

The beach is made of round stones of marble, a hardened form of limestone. The heavy waves grade them from cobbles to pebbles along the shore.

The colour of the sea comes from the same rock. As waves run along the curve of the bay they lift the finest marble grains, and these plumes of sediment tint the water near the edge.

The water is clear enough that swimmers well offshore still see the bottom. It is also very salty, so floating takes little effort.

Visiting

Two kilometres of hairpin bends take the road down to the beach from the village of Divarata. Tavernas stand at the top of the descent, so eat or stock up on food and drink there. The aerial view of the bay is the classic photograph of Myrtos.

At the bottom, carry your things straight onto the stones. Some sunbeds may be rented in high summer, but plan to bring your own shade and something to lie on. Free public toilets are at the beach.

Tips

Pack water shoes for getting in and out over the pebbles, along with strong sun protection, drinking water and your own umbrella, since the beach has almost no natural cover.

If you want the beach close by for several days, stay in Assos, a small village 20 to 30 minutes' drive away, rather than making the round trip from Argostoli each time.

Know before you goRock falls from the cliffs above Myrtos. In July 2026 a section collapsed onto the beach in a cloud of dust, and similar falls have happened here before. As of November 2026, warning signs stand around the area.A geologist quoted in the Greek press after that fall said beaches with this hazard should close after strong earthquakes or heavy rain until an inspection finds them safe. He also warned that small rockfalls can come before a larger one, so leave at once if stones start to fall.