Petani Beach(Impiani Beach)

Located in the eastern part of the island of Kefalonia, Petani Beach – also called Paralia Petani, Paralia Petanoi, and Petanoi Beach – is a popular 600 meters-long curve-shaped beach with coarse light brown sand, many white pebbles, and many large rocks.  This beach is located in Kefalonia’s Paliki Peninsula and has many hills near it.  Lonely Planet listed this beach as one of the best beaches in the Ionian Islands and Business Insider listed it as one of the “100 under-the-radar beaches everyone should visit in their lifetime.”  This beach has also been awarded a Blue Flag for its cleanliness.  Petani Beach should not be confused with another beach with a similar name – this beach is also called Petani Beach and it is located in Malaysia.

Although Petani Beach Kefalonia has a lifeguard tower, the deployment is not permanent. In addition to lifeguards, this beach has many other amenities, including rental facilities for beach umbrellas and sun loungers, restrooms, and showers.

Petani Beach in Kefalonia offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, swimming, volleyball, paddleboarding, boating, scuba diving, snorkelers, parasailing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching.

This beach is ideal for beginner swimmers, paddleboarders, and kayakers because the slightly shallow and clear turquoise water here usually has manageable waves – the central part of the beach is usually popular with swimmers.  In addition, the beach is also popular with snorkelers, who visit here to explore the rocky seabed and marine biodiversity.  If you plan to swim, kayak, or paddleboard here, we recommend being careful because the water here can have dangerous waves and rip currents.  We also recommend being careful while exploring the rocks around the beach because these sharp rocks can get slippery.  The northern end of this beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience because it sees few visitors.

If you like taking pictures with Instagram-worthy views, there is a viewpoint along the road leading to the beach that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the northwestern Kefalonian shoreline and the Ionian Sea, especially at sunset. 

Another popular beach you can explore in Kefalonia is Myrtos Beach. 

Petani Beach does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Petani Beach can be difficult because of the steep, winding road leading to it.  From the nearby town of Argostoli, you need to drive north along a road named Eparchiaki Odos Argostoliou and then turn towards a road named Eparchiaki Odos Vilatorion. From this road, you need to turn towards a steep and winding road with hairpin bends that will lead you to the beach. There are street signs on the roads leading to Petani Beach that will offer you directions while driving. 

There is a paid parking lot and a free parking lot nearby, along with free street parking spaces – you can easily walk to the beach after parking here.  We recommend visiting this beach early during the summer because the parking lots here can get filled up quickly.

Petani Beach’s name is derived from the Homeric phrase “epietani,” which means “an area with abundant water throughout the year.”

There are many attractions near Petani Beach.  There are two major attractions that are a 30-minute-drive away from this beach.  The Monastery of Kipoureon is a monastery that was established in the mid-17th century, and it has many beautiful gardens – it is a great picnicking site, and it hosts interesting religious ceremonies.  Plaza of the National Resistance Lixouri is a plaza that is dedicated to local freedom fighters, and it has benches and a kids’ play area – this plaza also has nearby restaurants and shops, and it also offers fun cultural performances.  The other major attractions near the beach are an hour away by car.  One of them is the Lighthouse of Saint Theodore which was initially built in the 1820s by local British Military governor Charles Napier – it is built in the Doric architectural style, and it offers amazing views of the Ionian Sea.  Sinkholes of Argostoli are a unique geological formation connected through underground tunnels to the eastern coast of Kefalonia – this site offers a unique insight into local geology.  There are two mills here that were opened in the mid-19th century.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Vallianou Square is in the town of Argostoli and it is named after a prominent merchant named Panayis Athanase Vagliano.  It offers many interesting shops and restaurants, and there are interesting nearby museums and a cinema theater – this square also offers interesting cultural performances, dance events, and musical concerts in summers.

If you get hungry, there are many great Petani Beach Kefalonia restaurants nearby.  You can check the Petani Beach Kefalonia map to see Taverna Ksouras – this restaurant offers many delicious dishes including seafood, grilled meat, salads, local Greek dishes, salads, fries, and sandwiches.  Erasmias Petani is another nearby restaurant that offers many delicious dishes including risotto, pasta, soups, grilled seafood, and grilled pork steaks.  La Vida Loca Beach Bar is a restaurant and bar that offers a variety of amazing regional dishes and alcoholic beverages.  Ladokolla Stin Plagia is another nearby restaurant that has a vibrant decor and outdoor sitting areas – it also offers excellent dishes including pork knuckles, feta cheese, salads, barbecued meats, and local Greek dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Taverna Petanoi offers outstanding dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including omelets, soups, roast chicken, meat pies, salads, saganaki, and souvlaki.  Another great restaurant near the beach is Atsoupi Tavern that has a homely ambiance and it is known for serving delicious Greek cuisine.

If you are looking for a hotel near Petani Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Petani Bay Hotel is a Petani Beach resort that offers many amenities including a pool, a snack bar, a bar,  poolside sunbeds, car rental facilities, complimentary breakfast, a library, and massage services.  Another great hotel is the Sky View Suites that has a pool and it is also located conveniently close to some of the major attractions in eastern Kefalonia.  A more affordable hotel is the Niforos Panorama that offers many amenities including a garden, a restaurant, a snack bar, and a swimming pool.  The Petani Resort is another moderately priced hotel that offers a pool with nearby sunloungers and a lawn.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near the beach, V Boutique offers a lawn, a pool, poolside sun loungers, and a restaurant.