Emelisse Nature Resort
Emelisse Nature Resort is a family-owned four-star resort on a hillside above Emblisi Bay at the northern tip of Kefalonia, one of Greece's Ionian islands, a short walk from the fishing village of Fiskardo. Sixty-four colour-washed villas step down the slope in tiered gardens, most looking out across the Ionian to Ithaca and Lefkada, for a quiet, boutique feel rather than the scale of a big all-inclusive.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who it suits, how it's laid out and the facts to skim first.
Emelisse is a small, service-led four-star where the draw is the setting, the space and the personal, attentive service rather than a full programme of clubs and slides. The villas terrace down a hillside above a quiet pebble cove near Fiskardo, so the grounds stay calm and you rarely fight for a sunbed. In return you take on a few things: the site is steep and you get around it by golf buggy, there's no formal kids club, and the beach shelves quickly to deep water rather than easing in for toddlers. The apartments come with real kitchens, which counts for a lot with a baby. It suits a family who'll organise their own days and want views, calm and space over a supervised club and an aqua park.
Best for
You want a calm, small resort with sea views, an apartment with its own kitchen and attentive service, and you'll happily plan your own days.
Maybe not for
You rely on a daily kids club, you need flat ground with a pram or you want a shallow sandy beach and an all-inclusive with several restaurants.
Best ages
Babies upwards. Cots and baby kit are well covered, though the childcare is weekend activities and babysitting rather than a supervised club.
What stands out
The hillside setting and Ionian views, the personal service, the breakfast, the infinity pool and the walk to a quiet cove.
What to check
The steep terrain with a pram, the quick-shelving beach and that there's no formal kids club if you were counting on one.
Where is it?
Above Emblisi Bay near Fiskardo, at the northern tip of Kefalonia, about 34 miles (54 km) from the island's airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where it sits, how it's spread across the slope and how you get around it.
Emelisse sits on a headland above Emblisi Bay at the northern tip of Kefalonia, one of Greece's Ionian islands, about half a mile (1 km) from the fishing village of Fiskardo. It's a family-owned four-star of 64 rooms, suites, apartments and villas, built as a village-style cluster of two-storey, colour-washed villas that step down the hillside on tiered terraces. Cypress and cedar trees, rose gardens and views across the Ionian to Ithaca and Lefkada give it a calm, low-key feel rather than the bustle of a big all-inclusive.
The terrain is the thing to plan around. The site is steep and multi-level, and you move between its sections either on foot, up steps and paths, or by the resort's electric golf buggies, small carts the staff call club cars that ferry guests and luggage from reception down to the rooms and the bay. A buggy comes on request from your room. It isn't a flat, pushchair-friendly layout on foot, so families with a pram lean on the buggies for the climbs; ask for a ground-floor room if you'd rather keep steps to your door to a minimum. There's a lift in the main building, parking for up to 25 cars about 100 metres from reception and an electric-car charger on site.
The resort is remote. There are no shops or restaurants within walking distance beyond Fiskardo, so a hire car is worth having for exploring the island, though a free resort shuttle covers the run into the village. For the wider island, its beaches and when to go, see our Kefalonia guide.
Every restaurant and bar
Where you eat on the hillside, the weekly themed nights and how the board works.
Eating here is on a bed-and-breakfast basis, with the buffet breakfast included and lunch and dinner served at the resort or out in Fiskardo. There's no all-inclusive option, and one restaurant covers lunch and dinner, so over a longer stay variety comes from the menu, the weekly themed nights and the village rather than a run of restaurants.
Breakfast is served in the indoor restaurant on the first floor of the main building, a dedicated breakfast room with two sea-view terraces, one in the sun and one shaded. The buffet runs from 07:45 to 11:00 and is largely homemade: breads, pastries, fresh croissants, jams, cakes, freshly squeezed juices, yoghurt, cold meats, cheeses and cooked options, with an Indulgence menu of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and the like on top. It's the meal guests praise most. An early breakfast can be arranged on request.
Votsalo is the main restaurant for lunch and dinner, set beside the infinity pool on the lower terrace with sea views from every table and an open kitchen. The cooking is Mediterranean, built around local Greek ingredients, and dinner is a la carte and candlelit. Snacks run from 12:00 to 19:00, lunch from 13:00 to 16:00 and dinner from 19:00 to 23:00. There are high chairs and half portions for children, and an early sitting suits little ones best. With one restaurant serving the whole resort, booking a poolside table ahead in high season is a sensible precaution, though it isn't a stated requirement.
Riza, at the Kinema open-air cinema area, hosts the weekly themed evenings: a wood-fired pizza night, a Greek night and a barbecue or fish night. The open-air cinema plays every evening, with the weekly themed nights running alongside it. The specific nights aren't published, so check the week's schedule when you arrive. It's the informal, family-friendly option, and the pizza nights in particular go down well with children.
The Lobby Bar at the main reception building serves cocktails and drinks, and the Pool Bar by the infinity pool does snacks, drinks and cocktails through the day. Room service is available at every meal for a 20 per cent surcharge. For a change from the resort, Fiskardo's harbour-front tavernas are a 10 to 15 minute walk or a short shuttle ride away, among them Tassia, Elli's and Le Passage; Panorama, on the way into the village, is cash only.
How eating and board work
Bed and breakfast is the standard basis and there's no all-inclusive. Votsalo covers lunch and dinner, with the weekly themed nights at Riza and plenty of choice out in Fiskardo. Apartments, maisonettes and villas have their own kitchens for self-catering, and the family apartments and maisonettes add a kitchenette with a blender and microwave that's handy for baby food and weaning. Tables and any in-room dining are arranged with the resort directly.
Rooms and suites
Every room and villa with its official size, the four kinds of pool and the cove below.
There are nine room types, from a compact double up to three and four-bedroom villas with their own pool. The table is the full line-up with the official sizes and how many each sleeps; the guidance below it is which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
| Room | Size | Sleeps | View and pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Executive Room | 32 m² | 2 | Side or full sea view; a shower and no sitting room; no pool |
| Junior Suite | 47 m² | 3 | Garden, side or full sea view; king and sofa bed; shared pool on some units, as an option |
| Honeymoon Suite | 47 m² | 2 to 3 | Garden, side or full sea view; king and sofa bed |
| Executive Suite | Not stated | 4 to 5 | Full sea view; two bedrooms with separate bathrooms; shared pool |
| Presidential Suite | Not stated | 4 to 5 | Full sea view; two bedrooms, kitchen and living room; shared pool |
| Family Apartment | 85 m² | 4 | Full sea view; two bedrooms, full kitchen; pool shared with the next apartment |
| Maisonette | 120 m² | 5 to 6 | Full sea view over two floors; full kitchen; shared pool |
| Sea Front 3-Bedroom Villa | 200 m² | up to 8 | Sea front; private pool, jacuzzi and barbecue; 400 m² outdoor space |
| Sea View 4-Bedroom Villa | 200 m² | up to 8 | Elevated sea views; private pool, jacuzzi and barbecue; 400 m² outdoor space |
Every room has air conditioning, a flat-screen satellite TV, a DVD and CD player, a minibar, a safe, a direct-dial phone, a hairdryer, cotton robes and slippers, teak furniture and Korres bath and hair products in the standard adult range, with windows that open only partway for security. There's an espresso machine in every room too, though only a small starter set of pods comes free and further pods are charged. Ground-floor rooms have terraces; upper-floor rooms have balconies with automatic awnings.
For a family, the choice comes down to space and separate bedrooms. The 32 m² Double Executive Room has a canopy king bed and a shower, sleeps two and has no sitting room, so it's a couple's room rather than a family one. The 47 m² Junior Suite has a king bed and a sofa bed and takes up to three including a child, room enough for a cot with one baby; some Junior Suites have a shared pool, but only as an option, so it isn't a given. The Executive Suite is generously proportioned, with two bedrooms and separate bathrooms plus a sitting area with armchairs and a day bed, which is ideal for keeping a napping baby behind a closed door, and it comes with a shared pool. The 85 m² Family Apartment is the natural fit for a family of four: two bedrooms each with a king bed and its own bathroom, a full kitchen and a living and dining room, all with a full sea view and a pool shared with the neighbouring apartment. For a bigger group the 120 m² Maisonette spreads over two floors and sleeps five to six, with two bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs and two sofa beds in the living room below, though the internal staircase is worth bearing in mind with a child who can't yet be trusted on stairs. The Presidential Suite adds a kitchen and living and dining rooms to two bedrooms. At the top, the three and four-bedroom villas have 200 m² inside and 400 m² of outdoor space with a private pool, a jacuzzi and a barbecue: the Sea Front three-bedroom villa sleeps up to six adults and two children, the Sea View four-bedroom villa up to eight adults. If you're travelling with a pram, ask for a ground-floor unit when you book.
Pools and water features
The resort has four kinds of pool. The showpiece is a large infinity pool on the lower terrace by Votsalo, with cushioned loungers, parasols and panoramic sea views. A separate adults-only pool sits up by reception, added for a quieter swim away from children, which also gives couples and grandparents an escape when the main pool is lively. There's a dedicated children's pool near the main pool area. On top of these, many of the suites and apartments have a private pool shared with the neighbouring unit: it's a standard feature of the Executive Suite, Family Apartment, Maisonette and Presidential Suite, and an option on some Junior Suites, while the villas have their own private pool.
None of the pools is fenced, which is worth knowing with a baby or a toddler on the move. There's no splash pad or water-play feature, so the children's pool is the water feature for little ones. Pool towels are provided. In July and August the sunbeds around the main pool get claimed early, and the adults-only pool and the private apartment pools are the quieter alternatives.
The beach
Emblisi Beach, sometimes spelled Emplisi, is about 200 metres from the resort, reached on a path through the grounds or by golf buggy down to the bay. It's a quiet, unspoiled cove of smooth pale pebbles in a sheltered horseshoe, with deep, crystal-clear water, good snorkelling around the rocks and a cave you can swim to; from the resort there's also a path down to a shelf of flat rocks with direct access into the sea. It doesn't hold a Blue Flag.
The water shelves quickly to depth once you're in, so it isn't a shallow, sandy wade-in beach: keep aqua shoes on over the pebbles and stay close with young children, and for babies and the very young the children's pool is the safer choice. The cove is small and fills up with day visitors arriving by boat and from Fiskardo in July and August, though early mornings and the shoulder months are quiet and near-private. Other beaches are a drive away: Foki, sheltered and shaded, five minutes from Fiskardo; Assos, about 6 miles (10 km) south, pebble with a sandy seabed; Dafnoudi, reached only on foot down an 800-metre forest path, so not one for a pram; and Myrtos, the island's famous white-pebble arc about 19 miles (30 km) south, a Blue Flag beach with a steep access road.
Babies and toddlers
How the childcare works, what's provided for a baby and what costs extra.
Emelisse is well set up for babies and toddlers. Families who've stayed with infants under a year single out the staff for going out of their way, and the apartment kitchens make life with a baby easier. What it doesn't have is a formal kids club. There's no daily supervised programme with set ages, hours and ratios of the kind you'd find at an Ikos or a Mark Warner resort, and for families who rely on one that's the key thing to weigh.
What is on offer for children is lower-key: a specialist trainer runs children's activities and animation at weekends only, and there's a children's playground, a playroom with a billiard table and chess that's free to use, children's DVDs and a free open-air cinema that plays every evening. Babysitting is available on request and arranged in advance, with the cost quoted when you ask, for an evening out without the children.
For babies, the kit is well covered when you ask ahead: 20 cots, all free, along with high chairs, pushchairs, baby bedding and baby baths. Baby monitors come on request, but they don't work across the whole complex, so if you need one ask for a room near the main building. The family apartments and maisonettes have a kitchenette with a blender and microwave, useful for baby food and weaning. The Korres toiletries in the rooms are the standard adult range rather than a children's one.
On the resort and around itThings to do
Beyond the pools and the beach, there's plenty on site. The Elemis Spa, branded with the British skincare name, runs more than 30 treatments and packages, from signature Elemis rituals and deep-tissue massage to facials, wraps, scrubs and treatments for men; book ahead by phone or email. On the sports side there's an Olympic-size astroturf tennis court and a new squash court, both for a fee with rackets and balls from reception, a fully equipped gym that's free for guests though on the small side, free bicycles for guests and yoga on request. For downtime there's the playroom, a pool table, a gift shop and a hairdresser, plus a business centre by reception for small meetings. Wireless internet is free in the public areas.
On and around the water, you can scuba dive with PADI-qualified instructors, with Fiskardo Divers about 200 metres from the resort, or kayak, paddle and snorkel around the rock-access area and Emblisi. Self-drive motorboats can be hired near Fiskardo for exploring the coast on your own. The resort also organises excursions: a four-island boat tour, a day trip to Ithaca visiting Kioni and Vathi, a tour of the Gentilini winery, a jeep safari, canyoning, hiking, horse riding, a water taxi and car hire. Non-residents can buy a day pass to use the pools and facilities for the day.
Fiskardo and days outThe area and days out
Fiskardo is one of the few Kefalonia villages that came through the 1953 earthquake largely intact, so it keeps its Venetian-era architecture. It's a small, cosmopolitan fishing and yacht harbour with boutiques, tavernas, a nautical museum and a Roman-era site nearby, about half a mile (1 km) from the resort, a 10 to 15 minute walk or a short shuttle ride. There are no shops within walking distance of the resort itself, so the Fiskardo mini-market and its pharmacy, limited though the pharmacy's stock is, are where you top up nappies, formula and the odd baby essential rather than packing every last thing.
A hire car opens up the rest of the island. Assos, about 6 miles (10 km) south and a 20-minute drive, is a small harbour village curved around a bay below a Venetian castle, with a walk up to the castle ruins and views over the sea. Argostoli, the island capital, is about 28 miles (45 km) and an hour away, with a waterfront promenade, shops, an aquarium and the harbour turtles, which makes it a good cooler-day or rainy-day option. Near Sami, about 45 minutes on, the Melissani cave and lake has a collapsed roof that throws a natural skylight over blue water, with boat tours inside, recommended for children of about three and up, while the nearby Drogarati stalactite cave suits five and over. Myrtos, the island's famous 700-metre pebble arc under limestone cliffs, is about 19 miles (30 km) south. Ithaca makes a day out by the Sami ferry from Piso Aetos or by private boat, visiting Kioni and Vathi, and comes recommended in most accounts.
Loves and gripes
The praise and the gripes from our research, how it rates, how it compares and the journey in.
The resort rates well across the review platforms, as of mid-2026: 4 out of 5 from around 873 TripAdvisor reviews, about 9.0 out of 10 on Booking.com from just over 400 reviews and around 9.2 across the booking aggregators. An i-escape score of 8 out of 10 sits alongside these, though it rests on only three verified reviews, so it carries less weight. The setting and the service are what guests praise most.
What families love
- The hillside setting and the views across the Ionian to Ithaca and Lefkada.
- The attentive, family-owned service, often mentioned by guests travelling with babies.
- The largely homemade breakfast and its sea-view terraces.
- The infinity pool and its terrace above the sea.
- The short walk to the quiet cove at Emblisi.
- The free shuttle into Fiskardo for dinner without driving.
- The Elemis spa and the golf-buggy rides around the site.
- The apartments and maisonettes, for their space and kitchens.
Common gripes
- The cost, with pod refills, courts, room service and excursions on top of the room.
- Noise at the main pool in peak season, which the adults-only pool answers.
- Sunbed competition at the main pool in July and August.
- Dinner service that some find slow for an early sitting with children.
- No formal kids club, weekend activities only.
- The steep, multi-level terrain, hard work with a pram.
- The quick-shelving beach and some darker garden or side-view rooms.
- The remote location and a small gym.
One older review titled the resort too noisy with children, though it isn't a fair read of the place today. Emelisse is small in scale and welcomes families, and the adults-only pool exists to balance a lively main pool, so it suits families and adults both rather than being a child-free retreat.
Against the island's family resortsHow it compares
Emelisse is the most design-led, service-focused hotel on this part of Kefalonia, and it competes on setting, service and self-catering space rather than on clubs and slides. Apollonion Asterias, over on the Lixouri peninsula, is a larger five-star with a structured kids club for four to twelves and an aqua park, so a family who wants a full daily programme and water play will find more of it there. Ionian Sea Hotel & Aqua Park, also on the Lixouri peninsula, is a different type of resort again: it's built around family action, with slides, a mini-golf course, a kids' club and the beach directly outside, closer in spirit to a big all-inclusive family resort than to a boutique hotel like Emelisse. Apostolata, on the south coast, is a bigger all-inclusive with easier logistics and stronger value if you'd rather not drive far for the beach. What Emelisse offers that none of them do is the boutique, calm feel, the apartments with real kitchens for a family with a baby and the Fiskardo setting; what it doesn't have is a supervised club running every day or an aqua park. Fodor's has named it the best hotel in Kefalonia, and Mumsnet made it a top family pick.
The airport, the shuttle and when to goGetting there and when to go
Kefalonia International Airport is the arrival point, about 34 miles (54 km) from the resort and roughly 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Direct charter flights from the UK run from late April to mid October; out of season you'd connect through Athens. The resort can arrange a private transfer for an extra charge if you contact them at least 72 hours before you arrive, with a Mercedes Viano van or a boat among the options, though there's no scheduled hotel coach, so many families hire a car at the airport instead, which also makes exploring the island easier. If you're coming by ferry, Sami port is about 50 minutes away. Fiskardo, about half a mile (1 km) down the hill, is a 10 to 15 minute walk or a short ride on the free resort shuttle, which runs regularly through the day and into the evening; check the current timetable at reception.
The resort is open from around May to October. May, early June and September are the quietest months to travel with young children, warm, with a sea that's swimmable from June and without the heat and crowds of July and August.
Month by monthWeather
The resort is open from around May to October, and the figures below cover that season. Summer is reliably dry, with the first hints of autumn arriving in late September and October; the island is greener than the eastern Aegean thanks to its higher winter rainfall, which falls outside the season you'd visit.
| 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 is open from around May to October.
Good to know
There's no FCDO advisory against Greece. It's in the Schengen area, so UK visitors can stay up to 90 days without a visa, and with the EU's Entry-Exit System now running you should allow a little longer at passport control. Wildfires are a summer risk across Greece in hot, dry, windy spells from June to September, so keep an eye on local alerts.
A GHIC card, the UK's Global Health Insurance Card, covers state emergency care. Serious medical care means a drive to Argostoli, reported at roughly an hour away, so travel insurance with medical-evacuation cover is worth having given how remote the resort is. Wireless internet is free in the public areas.
Emelisse isn't sold through the big UK package operators like Simpson Travel or Sunvil; families book it directly with the resort or through an independent luxury specialist.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official pages worth a bookmark and when this guide was last refreshed.
How do you arrange the airport transfer?
You arrange it directly with the resort, and it has to be booked at least 72 hours ahead as a paid private pick-up. Because there’s no hotel coach and the resort is remote, most families hire a car at the airport instead, which also lets you reach the beaches and villages inland.
Is there a kids club?
No, not a supervised club with set ages and hours. The organised children’s activities run at weekends only, so if your week relies on dropping the children at a daily club this isn’t the resort for it. For an evening to yourselves, book a babysitter ahead instead.
Can you get a babysitter?
You can, but it has to be arranged ahead rather than on the night, so sort it before you travel if a particular evening matters to you. The price is quoted when you enquire, as it isn’t published.
Is it hard work with a pram?
On foot it can be, as the site is stepped and multi-level. Most families with a pram get around by the golf buggies instead, calling one from reception to carry everyone and the luggage between the room, the pools and the bay. If steps at your own door would be the sticking point, ask for a ground-floor room when you book.
Can a toddler paddle at the beach?
Not the way a shallow sandy beach would let them. Emblisi is pebbled and drops to deep water within a few steps, so it suits a confident older child who’s closely watched rather than a toddler wading in. For babies and toddlers, use the resort’s children’s pool instead.
Which room suits a family of four?
The Family Apartment, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a full kitchen, is the natural fit. For two children who can manage stairs the Maisonette gives more space over two floors, while a couple with one baby can do it in a Junior Suite with room for a cot.
How does the shuttle to Fiskardo work?
It’s a free resort bus that runs regularly through the day and into the evening, so you can eat in the village without driving. There’s no published timetable, so check the current times at reception when you arrive rather than planning around a fixed schedule.
When is the resort open?
From around May to October, and it closes completely over winter. The exact opening and closing dates shift year to year, so check current availability when you book rather than assuming a fixed start.
Can non-guests use the resort for the day?
Yes, through a day pass from €95 per person (last checked June 2026), with lower pricing for children, which covers pool access, lunch, an hour of tennis, squash or gym and a spa discount. Useful to know if you’re staying nearby rather than at the resort.
Do under-6s stay free?
Some listings say so, but it isn’t confirmed on the resort’s own site, so treat it as a question for the booking rather than a promise. Ask when you enquire about cots, which are free in any case.
See more Emelisse Nature Resort photos
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Useful links
- Emelisse Nature Resort: the resort's own site for the rooms, the restaurants and the children's facilities.
- GOV.UK Greece travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- Kefalonia with little ones: our guide to the wider island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 13 July 2026.
