The Ionian Islands lie off the west coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean south of the Adriatic.

There is a myth that explains how the Ionian Sea and these islands got their name: Io was a maiden who was pursued by Zeus who transformed her into a cow to hide her from the jealous Hera. But Hera was not fooled and asked for the cow as a gift which Zeus could not refuse her. To keep her from Zeus, Hera placed Io under the watchful 100 eyes of Argus. But Io was rescued by Hermes. Not to be deterred, Hera sent a gadfly to sting Io wherever she went. To escape this torment, Io supposedly leaped into the sea that now bears her name.

The seven main islands of this group are: Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Kythira.

Perhaps the most famous with tourists is Corfu in the north, off the coast of Albania. It is the greenest island in Greece and very mountainous. The coastal areas are well-developed. The town of Corfu is quite picturesque with its Italian style houses, Byzantine churches and flowered squares.

Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands and was made famous by the movie “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”. Its mountains are studded with large cedar-like fir trees and its plains are filled with olive and orange trees. Kefalonia is also home to many beaches with golden sand and lovely clear water.

Kythira, at the foot of the Peloponnese, is more like its Cycladic cousins than the other Ionian Islands in its landscape and its architecture. This island is not highly developed and offers a taste of a more traditional Greek island experience.

Ithaca, made famous as the home of Odysseus in The Odyssey, is a small mountainous island with a gentle shoreline, many coves and red-roofed houses.

Lefkada can be reached by road from the mainland. It is a rocky island with majestic vertical cliffs and turquoise water. This island is a favorite destination for wind-surfing and sailing.

Zakynthos is famous for its caves and its rich vegetation. In fact, the island is dense with flowers of every variety. This island is also has some charming historical villages.