Ithaca Stavros

General information

Stavros Village Ithaca: Stavros (meaning cross in Greek) is located at 16 km from Vathy, and stands at the foot of the Neritos Hill, at an altitude of 110 metres above the sea, overlooking the Polis Bay, the channel and the island of Kefalonia. Stavros was founded in the 16th century by the inhabitants of the mountainous villages of Anogi and Stavros, since the attacks of the pirates had started to decrease.

Some of the sights in Stavros is the beautiful church of Sotiris (Saviour) which stands in the central square of the village, the churhes of Agia Varvara and Zoodochos Pigi, a fine sculpted bust of Odysseus (Ulysses) and a few traditional houses that survived the earthquakes of 1953, such as the Venetian Tzovanatos house, are worthseeing in Stavros.

In Stavros plenty of taverns, cafes, rooms for rent, trade shops can be found, as well as a doctor and a post office. A road from the village leads to the picturesque Polis Bay with its lovely port. On its left coast stands the Cave of Loizos, which was used as a temple of worship to the Nymphs and Odysseus (Ulysses) during the ancient times.

Excavations made in the cave have brought to light various tools, pottery, objects of daily use, all of which are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Stavros. Remains of Prehistoric settlement are found in the area of Pilikata.