Vlachata – Festivals, History and Enos

Vlachata combines a defining local history with a festival on the feast day of Agia Marina and a festival of serenades and traditional Riganada associated with the first days of August. The village lies at the foot of Mount Enos at an altitude of 187 metres. Shops, tavernas, hotels, villas, apartments and bars are also part of what the village offers. This gives you practical starting points for planning your trip, from cultural events and history to deciding which location best suits your holiday interests.

Festivals as different reasons to travel

A major festival takes place in Vlachata on 17 July, the feast day of Agia Marina, attracting visitors from all over Kefalonia. The festival of serenades and traditional Riganada is also associated with the first days of August in Vlachata. The timing makes the two occasions easy to distinguish: one is tied to a specific feast day, while the other takes place during an early-month period. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these cultural occasions, check the exact dates before you leave. To start planning, consider whether the feast day in mid-July or the festival in the first days of August matters more to you.

Local history surrounding Agia Marina

The earthquakes of August 1953 destroyed almost the entire village of Vlachata. According to one historical account, the church of Agia Marina was the only building left standing, and it is said to still stand today. This gives the village’s history a specific focal point: the destruction is linked to the survival of one explicitly named building. If you are interested in the village’s history as well as its festivals, you can view the events of 1953 and the church as a connected historical focus. Agia Marina also features in the name of the feast day on 17 July. While the church plays a role in local history, the feast day places the name on the village’s cultural calendar.

Location at the foot of Mount Enos

Its location at the foot of Mount Enos and its elevation of 187 metres give Vlachata a clear setting in the landscape. The mountain setting adds another perspective on the village: alongside festivals and local history, it offers a specific landscape feature to consider when choosing a location. If you are choosing a holiday apartment based on the aspects of a destination that interest you most, you can weigh this location against the cultural events and history. The historic Monastery of Sission is also near Vlachata. If you are interested in historic places, this provides another named landmark in the area, in addition to the Church of Agia Marina.

Vlachata as a base for your holiday

Vlachata has shops, tavernas, hotels, villas, apartments and bars. This makes it easy to get a sense of the village: it offers different types of facilities and accommodation, not just the festivals and historical sites that may appeal to visitors. When looking for a holiday apartment, it is worth first deciding whether Vlachata should be your holiday destination primarily because of a particular festival date, its recorded history or its location at the foot of Mount Enos. Your answer can help you separate the choice of destination from the subsequent choice of a specific holiday apartment.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Mantzavinata, Assos, Argostoli, Karavomylos, Poulata, Spartia, Agia Thekli, Lixoúrion.

For the overview of the wider area: Kefalonia.