Kefalonia

The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek: Κεφαλληνία; Modern Greek: Κεφαλλονιά or Κεφαλονιά; Italian: Cefalonia), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of 350 sq. miles. It is also the larger of the two islands forming the Kefalonia and Ithaka Prefecture, and contains eight of the prefecture’s nine municipalities or communities. (Ithaca is on a separate island.)

The island is named after the mythological figure Cephalus (Ciphalis), although some hold its name literally means “island with a head”, referring to the island’s shape; the name “Ciphalis” is derived from the Greek word for “head”.