Apostolata Island Resort & Spa
Apostolata Island Resort & Spa is a mid-sized all-inclusive hotel set on a hillside above the south-east coast of Kefalonia, one of Greece's Ionian islands, with sea views from the pool terrace and most of its 166 rooms. Families come for the all-inclusive dining, a big seawater pool looking out over the Ionian and a calm, small-resort feel, with Skala's Blue Flag beach a short shuttle ride away.
On this page
Is it worth it?
Who the resort suits, what's in the all-inclusive price and the facts to skim first.
Apostolata is a calm, pool-focused all-inclusive with a real draw in its setting: a hillside above the south-east coast of Kefalonia, with the Ionian Sea in view from the pool terrace and most rooms. It's a 4-star-plus resort of 166 rooms, small enough to feel personal, and the all-inclusive folds in every meal and local drinks so you can eat and drink without carrying cash. The trade-off is that it isn't a beach hotel and it has no kids' club. You'll get the most from it if you want a quiet week built around the pool and the view, with beach days by shuttle to Skala, rather than a resort that lays on supervised childcare or a packed activity programme.
Best for
You want an all-inclusive with sea views and a calm, pool-based week, you're happy to use the children's pool and daily shuttle trips to Skala Beach and you don't need a kids' club.
Maybe not for
You want to walk to the beach each morning, you need supervised childcare or you're after an aqua park and a busy activity schedule for the children.
Best ages
Babies and toddlers who are content with pool time. Older children have less laid on here, with no club, watersports or organised activities.
What stands out
The panoramic Ionian views from the pool terrace and rooms, the large seawater pool and staff that sources single out as friendly and attentive.
What to check
Whether you'll hire a car, since the shuttle skips Sundays and reaches only Skala and Poros, and the age terms on the "2 kids stay free" direct-booking offer.
Where is it?
A hillside above Skala on the south-east coast of Kefalonia, about 45 to 60 minutes from the island's airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where it sits on the Kefalonia coast, how big it is and how the all-inclusive works.
Apostolata sits on a hillside in the Skala district, on the south-east coast of Kefalonia, elevated above the shore rather than on it. The land slopes down towards the Ionian Sea, which gives the panoramic views from the pool terrace, the lobby bar and most bedrooms that guests come back to again and again. Skala village and its beach are 4 km away, and the working port of Poros is 7 km, both reached by the resort's shuttle. For the wider island, its beaches and when to go, see our Kefalonia guide.
At 166 rooms across seven categories it's a mid-sized, independent resort, smaller than the island's mega-complexes and quieter for it. The feel is a well-run Mediterranean hillside hotel: pool culture, sea views and a structured dining routine, rather than an aqua park or a boutique bolthole. Sources describe it as peaceful and private, away from the bustle of the village, at a scale where the team gets to know guests. It was previously the Louis Apostolata Island Hotel, part of the Cyprus-based Louis Hotels, and is now independent under the Apostolata name, so the old Louis Apostolata name still turns up on some booking and review sites for the same hotel.
The hillside means some gentle slopes inside the resort, and there may be steps between buildings. The resort doesn't publish terrain or accessibility detail, so if you have accessibility needs or want a pram-friendly room location, contact the resort directly before booking. The elevated position may catch an afternoon sea breeze through the July and August heat, which would be a comfort over beach-level hotels, though that's a fair guess about the setting rather than something the resort confirms.
The all-inclusive is the main plan and the reason most families book. It covers every meal, poolside snacks, an afternoon tea and local alcoholic and soft drinks from 10:00 to midnight, so a day by the pool needs no cash. It doesn't cover the spa treatments, room service, late check-out or the safe box in non-suite rooms. Half board is also offered, though the resort doesn't set out publicly what it includes, so contact them for the current inclusions and price if you'd prefer it. Booking direct adds perks the resort promotes on its own site, including free-nights offers, free cancellation options and a "2 kids stay free" deal whose age terms you'll want to confirm before you rely on them.
Every restaurant and bar
Each place to eat and drink, what's in the all-inclusive and how the à la carte booking works.
The dining line-up is modest by big-resort standards: three restaurants and two bars. The strength is the all-inclusive routine of structured meals, themed dinners and unlimited local drinks rather than a long list of à la carte rooms.
Sea Pearl is the main buffet restaurant and the venue you'll use most as a family. Breakfast runs 07:00 to 10:30 with live show-cooking stations, lunch 12:30 to 14:30 and dinner 19:00 to 21:30. There's a healthy corner, and dinner is themed, with nights such as Mexican, Italian, Greek, Gourmet, Mediterranean, an Asian night and a grill through the week. A children's buffet section sits within the main restaurant, and there are special menus and high chairs, so it handles young children well and the buffet format lets them eat at their own pace. Breakfast is casual; dinner is smart casual, with long trousers or smart shorts for men in the warmer months.
Zephyros is the poolside à la carte restaurant, open outdoors from 11:00 to 17:00 and casual throughout. It serves snacks, Italian-style dishes and fresh fish at lunch, and its position gives the panoramic sea views that many guests remember most. The à la carte format and the relaxed setting make it an easy lunch with children who all want something different.
Ostrako is the à la carte Greek restaurant, open 19:30 to 22:30, a smart, gourmet setting built around a sharing menu for two. It's the food guests praise most, above the buffet. It's included on the all-inclusive and half board, but a reservation is required and places can be limited, so book ahead through reception rather than counting on a walk-in. The sharing-for-two menu, the smart dress and the late hours make it an adults' evening, best kept for one night with a babysitter arranged, while Sea Pearl is the practical choice for nightly family dinners.
The Ionian Emerald lobby bar is the resort's latest-closing spot, open 11:00 to 01:00, smart casual, with indoor seating and a large outdoor terrace for a drink before dinner. The Sunrise pool bar covers daytime drinks from 10:30 to 18:00, casual, with cocktails, chilled juices, iced coffees and children's soft drinks poolside as part of the all-inclusive. There's also a "Pure Tea Time" afternoon tea in the all-inclusive, though the resort doesn't publish its timing.
What the all-inclusive covers
Breakfast and a late breakfast, lunch at Sea Pearl, poolside snacks at Zephyros, dinner at Sea Pearl and at Ostrako on a reservation, the Pure Tea Time afternoon tea and unlimited local alcoholic and soft drinks at the bars from 10:00 to midnight. Not included: room service, spa treatments, late check-out, the safe box in non-suite rooms and any car hire arranged through the resort.
How restaurant booking works
Sea Pearl, Zephyros and the bars are walk-in. Ostrako is the one that needs booking: reserve it through reception once you're there, as there's no online system, and it can sell out on a busy night, so put your name in early in the stay for the evening you want.
Rooms and suites
Every room type with its official size, the three pools and why the beach takes planning.
There are seven room categories, from a 26 m² double up to 65 m² suites, and most look out to sea. The table is the full line-up with official sizes; the guidance after it is which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
| Room | Size | Sleeps | Beds | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double / Twin Room | 26 m² | 2 | Double or twin | Inland or sea view |
| Superior Double / Twin Room | 35 m² | 3 | Double or twin + 1 sofa bed | Side sea or sea view |
| Open Plan Family Room | 37 m² | 4 | Double bed + twin beds | Inland or sea view |
| Deluxe Family Room | 48 m² | 4 | Double bed + twin beds + 1 sofa bed | Sea view |
| Deluxe Swim-Up Room | 35 m² | 3 | Double or twin + 1 sofa bed | Side sea view |
| One-Bedroom Suite with Jacuzzi | 65 m² | 3 | Master double or twin + 2 sofa beds | Sea view |
| One-Bedroom Suite with Private Pool | 65 m² | 3 | Master double or twin + 2 sofa beds | Sea view |
For a family, the first thing to weigh is space, and the second is whether you need a door to close on a napping baby. The Double / Twin Room at 26 m² sleeps two and suits a couple, or a couple with a newborn in a travel cot, but it's too tight for three with an active toddler. The Superior Double / Twin at 35 m² adds a sofa bed for one small child and bathrobes and slippers, though at that size it stays compact. The Open Plan Family Room at 37 m² is the entry family room, sleeping four with a double and twin beds, but it's a single open-plan space, so a baby who naps on a different schedule shares the room with everyone. The Deluxe Family Room at 48 m² is the one to book in the standard range: meaningfully more room, sea views and up to four sleeping, though it's still open plan rather than a separate bedroom.
The Deluxe Swim-Up Room at 35 m² sleeps up to three and has a terrace that steps straight into a swim-up pool, which suits a couple with one small child who'll be in and out of the water. The two one-bedroom suites at 65 m² are the only rooms with a separate bedroom you can shut, with the parents in the master and a small child on a sofa bed in the living room. One has an indoor jacuzzi; the other, the resort's premium room, has a private outdoor pool on its own grass terrace, which is a genuine asset with a toddler in the July or August heat. Both suites are marketed for up to three guests, so at that figure they aren't a family-of-four room. For two parents and a baby you'll want to confirm the travel-cot arrangement with the resort before booking, since it isn't stated whether a cot counts towards the three or is added on top.
Every room has a balcony or terrace, satellite TV, 24-hour air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a minibar on request or for a charge, a hair dryer, tea and coffee, a bottle of water on arrival and a bathtub with shower; the superior rooms and suites add bathrobes and slippers. Rooms have a safe deposit box, with a charge in all room types except the suites, where it's complimentary. Room service runs 08:00 to 21:30 and is charged even on the all-inclusive, with nothing available outside those hours, which is worth knowing if you might need a late bottle or snack. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00; a late check-out until 18:00 costs €70, subject to availability on the day, so it can't be promised in advance. Upgrades are possible for a charge if there's space, but high summer often runs near full, so book the room type you want directly.
Pools and water features
The centrepiece is the large outdoor seawater pool, the sea-view spot most guests picture when they think of the resort. It runs from 1.00 m to 1.40 m deep, so it's adult depth throughout, which means a child who can't swim needs watching at all times. Loungers, umbrellas and towels are free, with a small deposit for towels, and the Sunrise pool bar and Zephyros restaurant sit alongside.
The separate children's pool at 0.40 m is the useful bit for the youngest guests: shallow enough to be safe for babies and toddlers to splash and for an infant held in arms. It isn't deep enough for older children who want to swim, but for little ones it's the core of the offer here. The resort states outright that the main pool is seawater, but it doesn't say the same for the children's pool, so if a fresh or salt water matters to you, ask before you book. The swim-up pool serves the Deluxe Swim-Up rooms only, is separate from the main and children's pools and is at adult depth, so it isn't a stand-in for the shallow children's pool.
There's no indoor pool, no heated pool and no slides or aqua park, so in a cool or windy spell early or late in the season, pool time depends on the weather. The resort doesn't state a lifeguard for either pool, so as at most Greek resorts, watching your own children in the water is down to you.
The beach
The single most important thing to understand before booking is that there's no beach at the resort. Apostolata is a hillside, poolside all-inclusive, and the nearest beach is 4 km away at Skala, reached by the shuttle or a car. Families who want to walk to the sand every morning are better served by a hotel in Skala village itself.
Skala Beach is the one you'll use, a roughly 3 km Blue Flag beach of golden sand mixed with pebbles, with tavernas, cafes and shops behind it and Roman ruins nearby for a break from the sand. The south-east coast is sheltered from the island's prevailing westerly winds, so the water here is calmer and clearer than the exposed north and west coasts, and it's a settled, family-friendly beach. Poros, 7 km away and also on the shuttle, is a working port with waterfront tavernas and some beach access, more of a change of scene or a lunch than a main beach day.
Two of the island's best toddler beaches take a hire car. Katelios, about 10 to 12 km west, has a sandy seabed that stays waist-deep for around 50 m offshore and very calm water, but it's off the shuttle route. Xi Beach, the famous red-sand shallow beach on the Paliki peninsula, is a full day trip of roughly 45 to 60 minutes plus the Argostoli to Lixouri ferry. Both are covered in the days-out section below.
Babies and toddlers
What's here for young children, what fills a day and where to go on the island.
The most important point for families is what isn't here: there's no kids' club and no crèche, no age-banded supervised sessions and no children's entertainment team. Our research found none of these on the resort, and it's the clearest difference from resorts that build a holiday around supervised childcare. If a club or crèche is what you need, this isn't the resort for it.
What the resort does have for young children is the shallow children's pool, an outdoor playground, high chairs in the main restaurant and babysitting on request. Babysitting has no published rates, hours or minimum age, so contact the resort directly for terms and to arrange it. Baby cots are available, but the type and whether there's a surcharge aren't stated, so confirm both when you book. There's no specific baby-food or weaning provision either, though the buffet at Sea Pearl, with its healthy corner and live cooking, gives some flexibility to put together simple meals. The playground is confirmed but the resort doesn't describe its size or equipment. The "2 kids stay free" direct-booking offer is worth asking about, but the age limit isn't published, so check where the cut-off falls before you count on it.
Things to do
The activity offering is deliberately light. Alongside the pools and playground there's a fitness centre, part of the spa complex and open 09:30 to 19:30, two tennis courts, table tennis, darts and evening entertainment five nights a week, which is a general programme for all guests rather than anything aimed at children. The resort doesn't describe the tennis courts' surface, lighting or booking, so ask at reception.
What you won't find is watersports, an aqua park, bike hire, mini-golf or organised children's activities, so the draw is the poolside setting, the views and the island beyond rather than a full daily schedule. Families who want that structure will find it thin here; families who want a quiet base and their own island days will find it enough.
The Apostolata Spa is an adult space rather than a family one, open 09:30 to 19:30 daily. Treatments run from massages to facials, body therapies and manicures and pedicures, with named couples' treatments, all charged on top of the all-inclusive. Guests do get free use of the fitness centre, sauna, steam bath and jacuzzi, though the sauna and steam need booking, so contact the spa at least 30 minutes ahead. If you're booking a treatment, arrive about 15 minutes early, note that cancelling within four hours carries a charge and leave phones out of the spa; a robe, towel and slippers and lockers are provided.
The area and days out
The resort is in one of the island's more developed family areas, and the south-east corner is the most accessible part of Kefalonia from the mainland ferries. Skala village, 4 km away on the free shuttle six days a week, is the easy evening out: a flat village with tavernas, cafes and shops, the Blue Flag beach and some Roman ruins, with no raucous nightlife strip. It was largely rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake that struck the Ionian islands, so it keeps a lived-in feel rather than a purpose-built resort look. Poros, 7 km and also on the shuttle, is a quieter working port for a lunch or a change of scene.
Everything further afield needs a car, and a hire car is well worth it here, because the shuttle covers only Skala and Poros and doesn't run on Sundays. You can hire one through the resort for a charge or pre-book at the airport. With a car, the toddler beaches at Katelios (about 15 to 20 minutes along the south coast) and Xi (a longer trip on the Paliki peninsula, via the Argostoli to Lixouri ferry) open up, both far gentler underfoot than Skala for the very youngest.
Two of the island's caves make a good half-day, both near Sami about 30 to 35 km and 45 to 60 minutes away. Drogarati Cave descends 60 m into a large chamber of stalactites with striking acoustics; it has steps throughout and isn't pram-accessible, so carry young children in a carrier, and it stays cool even in August, so pack a layer. Melissani Cave, known as the Cave of the Nymphs, is an underground lake whose collapsed roof lets midday sunlight flood the water a vivid blue, with short boat tours across it; it's best at midday and, again, has steps rather than pram access. Argostoli, the island capital about 40 km and 45 to 60 minutes away by car, makes a good half-day too: loggerhead turtles circle the fishing boats at the quayside most mornings between about 08:00 and 11:00, free and with no booking, and there's a harbour promenade, a street market and an old town. For a scenic drive, Mt Ainos and its national park hold the highest peak in the Ionian islands at 1,627 m and a rare Kefalonian fir found almost nowhere else, with the summit walks suiting older children. There's more on all of this in our Kefalonia guide.
Loves and gripes
What sources rate and what they flag, how it compares, the journey in and the weather by month.
The picture below draws on aggregated review sentiment rather than a stay of our own. Booking.com shows 8.4 out of 10 from around 152 reviews, though its page wouldn't load directly for us to check first-hand. TravelMyth, the score that loads most reliably, shows the same 8.4 out of 10, rated "Very Good" under its family, luxury and pool tags; since TravelMyth is itself an aggregator, its 8.4 may simply echo Booking.com's figure rather than confirm it independently, so treat the match as one strong signal rather than two. TripAdvisor's own page is blocked too, but On The Beach's listing displays a TripAdvisor score of 4.1 out of 5 from around 1,423 reviews. Across the sites the resort lands in the very-good band rather than the exceptional one, a step below the island's highest-rated properties, and sources consistently note the same handful of strengths and the same recurring gripes.
What sources praise
- The panoramic Ionian views from the pool terrace, restaurant and most rooms, the point sources lead with.
- The large seawater pool with its sea view.
- Friendly, attentive staff, singled out for a warm, personal feel.
- The peaceful atmosphere above the village.
- The à la carte Ostrako, rated above the buffet.
- The compact, manageable scale for a family.
What sources flag
- Mixed reviews of the buffet, praised by some and found unremarkable by others.
- Room condition in the lower categories, which show their age against the newer suites.
- A sense of extra charges, from the safe box to room service and late check-out.
- The beach being a shuttle ride away, with no service on Sundays.
- No kids' club, decisive for some families.
- A gap between the "5-star" some listings imply and the 4-star-plus reality.
How it compares
For families whose priority is children's activities, the island has stronger options. Apollonion Asterias on the west coast has a kids' club from four to twelve, an aqua park and higher review scores, and sits near Xi Beach; Apostolata answers with its Skala proximity, the hillside views and a quieter feel. Ionian Sea Hotel Villas & Aqua Park at Lixouri is the island's most purpose-built family resort, with a full aqua park, a kids' club and a red-sand beach on the doorstep; Apostolata is the more refined setting and dining, aimed at a different sort of week. Porto Skala, in Skala village itself, is walkable to the beach with a kids' club and mini-golf and tends to cost less, while Apostolata trades that for the views, the all-inclusive structure and the quiet.
The Ikos resorts, on Corfu and elsewhere, are a different tier again, with several fine-dining restaurants, kids' clubs from infancy and beach clubs, at a price to match; Apostolata is a smaller, more accessible all-inclusive without that scale. Emelisse Nature Resort up at Fiskardo is boutique, adults-focused and higher-rated, but it isn't all-inclusive or family-specific, so it competes for a different holiday altogether. Review scores across these are on different platforms, so treat any comparison of the numbers as a rough steer rather than like-for-like.
Getting there and when to goGetting there
The nearest airport is Kefalonia, also called Argostoli (EFL), about 40 km from the resort and around 45 to 60 minutes by road through Argostoli and down to the Skala district. There are direct summer flights from the UK with Jet2 from ten airports, easyJet from Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Manchester, and TUI from Manchester, taking roughly 3 hours 20 minutes from London and 3 hours 30 minutes from Manchester. Kefalonia is also reachable by ferry, with up to two daily crossings from Patra to Sami and up to eight from Killini to Poros, 7 km from the resort.
The resort runs no airport transfer of its own, so arrange a private taxi, a shared transfer or a hire car before you travel. On the ground, the free shuttle to Skala and Poros runs six days a week but not on Sundays, there's free parking on site and a local bus stop at the main entrance. A hire car is the thing that changes the holiday: without one you're limited to Skala and Poros, and to nowhere on a Sunday, so most families who want to see the island book one, either through the resort for a charge or in advance at the airport. The best months for young children are June and September, both warm and drier with the sea still comfortable and the crowds thinner than the July and August peak; the weather section below has the detail.
When to goWeather
The resort is on the sheltered south-east coast, calmer than the exposed north and west of the island, and opens from around May to October, though exact dates aren't published, so check the current season before booking. The figures below cover that season. June and September stand out for families: warm and drier, with the sea around 26°C in September once the August crowds have gone. July and August are the hottest, busiest and priciest weeks. May is green and pleasant but the sea at about 19°C is cool for the youngest, and early October is a gamble on showers as the season winds down.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 23.5° | 14.5° | 16 mm | 2 | 19° |
| June | 27.5° | 18° | 2 mm | 0 | 23° |
| July | 30° | 21° | 9 mm | 1 | 25° |
| August | 30.5° | 21.5° | 13 mm | 1 | 27° |
| September | 26.5° | 19° | 56 mm | 5 | 26° |
| October | 23.5° | 16° | 90 mm | 7 | 23° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer. The resort opens from around May to October.
Practicalities and services
Reception is staffed 24 hours and there's a welcome drink on arrival, a left-luggage room, free Wi-Fi throughout, daily housekeeping and a laundry service for a charge. A doctor is on call for a fee, which is the on-site health cover to know about with young children. There's a communal TV lounge that's handy on a rainy evening, and the resort also runs a conference room and weddings and events, so you may share the season with non-holiday groups. Pets aren't allowed. One small thing worth planning for: Kefalonia is on UTC+3 in summer, two hours ahead of the UK, which is worth factoring into young children's sleep and bedtimes for the first day or two.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official pages worth a bookmark and when this guide was last refreshed.
Does the shuttle run every day?
No. The free shuttle runs six days a week to Skala and Poros, not on Sundays. If you want the beach on the Sunday, plan for a hire car or budget for a taxi that day.
Is there a kids’ club?
No. There's no kids' club or crèche and no supervised sessions. If you need childcare, babysitting is on request, so contact the resort for terms; for a full club, a resort like Apollonion Asterias on the west coast has one from age four.
Can you walk to the beach?
No. The resort is on a hillside about 4 km from Skala Beach, reached by the shuttle or a car. If walking to the sand each morning matters, a hotel in Skala village itself suits better.
Which room suits two parents and a baby who needs a separate room for naps?
The one-bedroom suites are the only rooms with a separate bedroom, but they're marketed for up to three guests, so confirm the travel-cot arrangement with the resort before booking. The Private Pool suite adds its own outdoor pool.
What does the all-inclusive cover?
All meals from breakfast to dinner, poolside snacks, an afternoon tea and local drinks from 10:00 to midnight, with the à la carte Ostrako included on a reservation. Room service, the spa treatments and the safe box in non-suite rooms are charged on top.
How long is the transfer from the airport?
Around 45 to 60 minutes by road from Kefalonia airport. The resort doesn't run an airport shuttle, so arrange a taxi, a shared transfer or a hire car before you travel.
How does the 2 kids stay free offer work?
It's a direct-booking offer on the resort's own site. The age limit isn't published, so check the cut-off with the resort before you count on it for your children.
Is half board an option?
Yes, alongside the all-inclusive. What half board includes isn't set out publicly, so contact the resort for the current inclusions and price if you'd prefer it to the all-inclusive.
See more Apostolata photos
Open the Apostolata photo gallery →Useful links
- Apostolata Island Resort & Spa: the resort's own site for rooms, the all-inclusive and direct-booking offers.
- GOV.UK Greece travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- Kefalonia with little ones: our guide to the island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 12 July 2026.
