Karavados Beach Hotel
The Karavados Beach Hotel is a small, independently run 3-star hotel on a quiet pine-fringed hillside above the Ionian Sea at Karavados, on the south coast of Kefalonia in the Greek Ionian islands. Its 77 rooms sit across five low-rise buildings a short walk above a sandy beach, and families come for the calm: two pools, sea-view two-bedroom apartments, warm staff and a good-value half-board week, with a hire car for the beaches and days out.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who it suits, what you get for the price and the trade-offs of a quiet, rural spot.
The Karavados Beach Hotel is a small 3-star hotel on a quiet hillside above the Ionian Sea in the south of Kefalonia, about 15 km south of the island capital, Argostoli. It’s independently run, with 77 rooms across five low-rise buildings, and the draw is calm rather than a long list of facilities. There’s no kids club, no animation team and no evening entertainment, so it suits a family who want a settled pool-and-beach week rather than a nightly programme. What guests praise most consistently is the staff, who are warm with young children in a way that feels personal rather than organised. The sandy beach at Agios Thomas is a short walk downhill, though the walk back up is steep and hard work with a loaded pushchair in the midday heat. The setting is rural, with little within walking distance, so a car is essential for shops, tavernas and days out. For the price of a 3-star half-board hotel, families tend to feel they get good value, and the best room for four is the Ground Floor Apartment with Sea View, which gives two separate bedrooms and level access to the garden.
Best for
You want a quiet, good-value base with a pool and a sandy beach nearby, warm staff and you’re happy to hire a car and look after the children yourselves.
Maybe not for
You need a kids club, evening entertainment or a flat walk to the sand, or you’d rather not drive on holiday.
Best ages
Any age, with the caveat that there’s no club or programme. The children’s pool and shallow beach suit the youngest; older children have the pools, the beach and days out by car.
What stands out
Consistently warm staff, a large clean main pool and sea-view apartments with two bedrooms for a family of four.
What to check
A cot when you book, and whether the steep beach walk works for you with a buggy.
Where is it?
On a hillside at Karavados in south Kefalonia, about 15 km south of Argostoli and 15 minutes from the airport.
Quick facts for families
What the hotel is like
Where the hotel sits, how the buildings are laid out on the slope and what that means for getting around with a pushchair.
The hotel stands on a pine-fringed hillside above the Ionian Sea at Karavados, on the undeveloped south coast of Kefalonia, with Mount Ainos, the island’s highest mountain, rising behind. It’s the only hotel in the immediate area, and the setting is deliberately quiet. Karavados village, about 2 km away, has a minimarket, a small restaurant and a church, and that’s the extent of what’s on foot; there’s no beach strip, promenade or row of hotels. The nearest proper town is Argostoli, 15 to 20 minutes by car.
The 77 rooms sit in five low-rise building blocks on sloping ground, with the pool terrace as the main outdoor space in the middle of the site. It’s a manageable spread rather than a sprawling resort. The ground-floor apartments and lower rooms open straight onto the gardens from a veranda or terrace, so there are no stairs to reach them; upper rooms are reached by stairs. If step-free access matters to you, the ground-floor apartments are the ones to ask for.
Within the site the ground isn’t flat, so a ground-floor apartment is the easiest option with a pushchair; the real terrain challenge is the walk down to the beach and back, covered below.
Every restaurant and bar
The single hotel restaurant across the day, the poolside bar, and where the food is at its best.
Dining is simple here: one restaurant and one poolside bar. The restaurant serves Greek and Mediterranean cooking, with an emphasis on local dishes, Greek specialities and fresh fish. Breakfast, included on both bed and breakfast and half board, is a buffet with coffee, tea and milk, breads, toast and cake, spreads, cheese and cold cuts, eggs, yogurt, cereals, juices and fresh fruit, and reviewers describe it as plentiful. Through the day the restaurant does a lighter menu of sandwiches, salads and snacks rather than a full lunch service.
Dinner comes two ways, à la carte or the half-board buffet. The à la carte is where the kitchen is at its best, with the mixed grill and gyros singled out by guests, while the half-board dinner buffet is rated as merely adequate by some, so half board is the better-value choice on the nights you’d rather not order from the menu. With a single restaurant on a small site, meals are walk-in rather than something you book a table for.
The pool bar serves drinks through the day, including wines from local Kefalonian producers, and there’s no second bar on site.
Two things aren’t confirmed for families. There’s no children’s menu listed and no high chairs confirmed, so if either matters, ask the hotel before you book; the apartment kitchenettes, described below, are the practical fallback for a fussy toddler. Special dietary menus are mentioned by one listing but not by the hotel itself, so families with allergies or coeliac needs should check directly what the kitchen can do.
Rooms and apartments
Every room and apartment with its official size, then the two pools and the beach below.
There are five room types, all with a sea or garden outlook. The three standard rooms are 20 m² and sleep two; the two ground-floor apartments are 45 m², with two separate bedrooms, and sleep four. The table is the full line-up with official sizes; the guidance after it is which suit a family.
| Room | Size | Sleeps | View and layout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lateral Sea View Room | 20 m² | 2 | Lateral sea view, some with a garden view; balcony, shower or bath |
| Sea View Room | 20 m² | 2 | Panoramic sea view; balcony, shower or bath |
| Garden View Room | 20 m² | 2 | Indirect sea view, described as garden view; private balcony, shower |
| Ground Floor Apartment, Garden View | 45 m² | 4 | Two separate bedrooms, own shower, veranda onto the garden |
| Ground Floor Apartment, Sea View | 45 m² | 4 | Two separate bedrooms, own shower, balcony over the sea |
For a family of four, the room to book is one of the two Ground Floor Apartments. Each is 45 m² with two separate bedrooms and its own shower, which gives parents and children their own sleeping space for naps and early bedtimes, and the ground-floor position means you step straight out to the garden with no stairs or lift. The two apartments share the same size and layout; the difference is the outlook and the outdoor space, with the Sea View version giving a balcony over the sea and the Garden View a veranda onto the garden. The Sea View apartment is the one to request. The three standard rooms are smaller, at 20 m², and officially sleep two, so they suit a couple with a baby in a cot rather than four.
Every room has air conditioning, a television, a telephone, a hairdryer, a safety deposit box at reception, a balcony or terrace and a shower or bath. The hotel’s general description also lists a fridge in every room, though the individual room-type pages don’t, so check when you book if that matters to you. There’s no kettle or tea and coffee maker in the rooms, and guests report having to ask reception for cups, which is worth knowing if you make up formula or want a morning brew. The hotel says some rooms have self-catering facilities, and it’s the ground-floor apartments that have a kitchenette, though its exact appliances aren’t listed, so check what’s fitted if you plan to cook.
Rooms are consistently described as basic but very clean. Some décor and bathrooms look dated and repainted, and a few of the standard rooms have older, softer mattresses, but cleanliness is praised across the board and there are no reports of anything worse than tired furnishings. Condition varies from room to room rather than by a single standard.
The pools
There are two outdoor pools. The main pool is described as large and immaculately clean, with free sun loungers and umbrellas around it, and reviewers put it at about a metre in the shallow end down to three metres at the deep end, so it has a proper deep end as well as space to paddle; it isn’t adults-only, so families use it too. Alongside it is a separate, smaller and shallow children’s pool for toddlers, to be used with an adult at the poolside. Both are open from 09:00 to 20:00, and pool towels are available for a small charge. There’s no spa, gym, indoor pool or splash pad here, though a massage can be arranged on request for an extra charge.
The beach
The nearest beach is Agios Thomas, also written as St Thomas, a sandy beach a short walk downhill from the hotel. The hotel gives two figures for the distance on its own pages, 400 m on one and 600 m on another, so reckon on roughly 400 to 600 m, five to ten minutes on foot. The walk down is easy. The return is a steep climb, noted by many guests as hard work in the heat of the day, and one source flags it as unsuitable for anyone with walking difficulties. With a loaded pushchair the uphill return is the sticking point: plenty of families do it, but many fold the buggy for the climb, carry a young baby in a sling, or drive down instead. It’s a limitation to plan around rather than a reason to stay away.
The sand is soft, described as white in places and a finer reddish colour in others, reflecting the beach’s two sections, which are split by a large rock in the middle, one smaller and sheltered and one more open. The water is shallow, clean and clear, and stays warm, which suits young children and makes it an easy spot for a first go at snorkelling with your own masks. Agios Thomas isn’t a Blue Flag beach; the nearest Blue Flag beaches are Lourdas, about 5 km south, and Makris Gialos, about 12 km north-west near Argostoli, both a short drive. At the beach itself there are two tavernas, one traditional and one more of a beach bar, Tratamento, right on the sand, plus showers and a small car park nearby. There’s no lifeguard and no hotel sun-lounger service. The beach is small, so it can feel busy at the height of summer.
Babies and toddlers
How the hotel works for a baby or toddler, what’s here and what isn’t, and the days beyond the gate.
The main thing to know is that the hotel has no kids club, crèche or children’s programme. Some booking sites list a kids club, but that’s a data error; the hotel doesn’t run one. What’s here for young children is the shallow children’s pool, an on-site playground and the shallow beach, plus staff who are warm with children. Reviews return again and again to that warmth: a waiter bringing a toddler a small garnished drink unprompted, staff packing up breakfast for a family with an early flight. It’s the attentiveness of a small family-run hotel rather than an organised children’s offer.
Babysitting can be arranged on request for an extra charge. A cot is free on request, so email the hotel to confirm and reserve one when you book. Children under two stay free using existing bedding or a cot, and children from two to twelve are charged at a reduced rate from adults. There’s no dedicated baby-food or weaning service, so the kitchenette in a ground-floor apartment is the practical way to warm milk or prepare simple food.
The gap to be honest about is structure. With no kids club, animation team or organised activities, this is a hotel for a family who want a quiet base and are happy to fill the days themselves, not one that will keep children occupied for you.
On and around the hotelThings to do
This is a small hotel rather than a resort with an activity programme, so the on-site list is short. There are the two pools and the playground, a tennis court and massage on request, both at an extra charge. Reception acts as the concierge, booking excursions and arranging car and motorbike hire, which is what most guests use given the location. Wi-Fi is free in the lounge and the hotel lists internet in the rooms too, though several guests find the in-room signal slow or patchy, so don’t count on reliable connectivity in your room. There’s a computer corner at reception for a small charge, and cycling can usually be arranged through reception alongside the car and bike hire. There’s no evening entertainment or animation, which is the point for families who want peace and a mismatch for anyone who wants a nightly programme.
Days out by carThe area and days out
A car is essential here. The location is rural and public transport is thin, with buses to Argostoli running five days a week and slowly, so most families hire a car, at the hotel or the airport. With one, the island opens up.
Argostoli, the capital, is 15 to 20 minutes away, with markets, a waterfront and cafés; in the mornings you can watch loggerhead turtles from the harbour quayside as the fishing boats come in, which costs nothing and tends to stick with young children. For a longer, calmer beach day, Lourdas is about 5 km south, a Blue Flag beach with tavernas, loungers and calm water, and Trapezaki, a few minutes away, is sandy, calm and shallow, good for small children and less crowded than the beaches near Argostoli. Skala, about 20 km east, is more developed, with a sandy beach, beach bars and shops for a change of scene and lunch. Closer to home, the Venetian Castle of St George is about 3 km away, a hilltop ruin with wide views, free grounds and room to run, though the ground is uneven in places.
Two caves make a good half-day. Melissani, about 45 to 50 minutes’ drive, is an underground lake in a cave lit by sunlight through a collapsed roof, with a 15 to 20 minute boat ride included; entry is €10 for adults, €5 for children aged 6 to 12 and free under 6 (last checked June 2026). It’s best between about 11am and noon, when the sun hits the water and the light is at its most dramatic, and you can’t take a pushchair down to the boat, so use a sling for a baby. Drogarati, about 45 km and 50 minutes’ drive, is a stalactite cave that stays at about 18°C inside, so take a layer; entry costs around €6, or about €13 combined with Melissani on the same trip (last checked June 2026). Myrtos Beach, about 55 minutes north, is the island’s famous view, but the water gets deep quickly, the currents can be strong and the entry is pebbly, so go for the scenery rather than a swim with young children. Fiskardo, a pretty Venetian fishing village in the far north, is a longer drive and better as a relaxed lunch than a facilities day out.
For everyday supplies, Karavados village has a minimarket about 2 km away and the family-run Happiness minimarket and restaurant; Taverna Galini, about a 7-minute walk from the hotel, does local seafood. There’s a bakery at Peratata about 3 km on, and larger supermarkets, AB and Kritikos, are about 7 km towards Argostoli, with a Lidl at about 8 km.
Loves and gripes
What guests rate and what they flag, how it sits against the island’s other family hotels, the journey and the weather.
The picture across review sites is consistently positive: the hotel scores around 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor from more than 440 reviews, 8.0 on Booking.com, 4.2 out of 5 on Wanderlog from almost 500 reviews and 7.9 out of 10 on TravelMyth, with the reviews skewing strongly to the good end. The themes below are steady across platforms.
What families rate
- Warm, attentive staff, the most consistent praise, with Maria on reception and Violeta in housekeeping named repeatedly.
- Spotless rooms, pools and grounds.
- A quiet, peaceful atmosphere with no crowds or entertainment noise.
- Sea views from the balconies and the pool terrace.
- Good value for a 3-star half-board stay.
- The à la carte food, especially the mixed grill and gyros, along with the local wine.
Worth weighing
- Dated rooms and bathrooms, and older mattresses in some standard rooms.
- No kettle or cups in the rooms.
- Slow or patchy in-room Wi-Fi.
- A remote location that needs a hire car.
- The steep walk back up from the beach.
- A small beach that can feel busy at peak times.
- No animation or evening entertainment, and a half-board dinner buffet that’s only adequate.
How it compares
Within Kefalonia, Karavados is the affordable, quiet option without a programme. The five-star Apollonion Asterias on the west coast is a different scale, with an aqua park, a kids club for four to twelves and organised entertainment, so families who want a water park and a programme go there and pay for it. Its closest peer is Avithos Resort near the airport, also quietly positioned with self-catering units, though Avithos has a shuttle to its beach rather than a walkable one. White Rocks near Lassi has better beach access but no pool play for children and a higher price. Porto Skala and the all-inclusive Louis Apostolata, both over at Skala, add kids clubs and more facilities at a higher price again. Against those, Karavados is the lower-priced, calmer choice, with a walkable if steep beach and no programme.
The journeyGetting there and when to go
Kefalonia airport, also called Anna Pollatou, at Svoronata, is about 9 to 10 km from the hotel, roughly a 15-minute drive. Direct flights run from many UK airports in season, with easyJet, Jet2, TUI and British Airways among them, at around three to three and a half hours. Pre-book a private transfer or a taxi, or hire a car at the airport or the hotel. The hotel takes bed and breakfast or half board, with no all-inclusive. It opens for roughly the May to October season, though the exact dates aren’t published, so confirm with the hotel if you’re travelling in very early May or late October.
For a family with young children, June and September are the best months: warm but short of the peak-August heat, quieter and cheaper, with the sea at about 22°C in June and 25°C in September. July and August are hottest and busiest, and May and October are the quietest and coolest, with a cooler sea in May.
Month by monthWeather
The figures below are long-term monthly averages for this stretch of the south Kefalonia coast, across the roughly May to October season the hotel is open. June and September stand out for families, warm without the August peak, and the sea stays swimmable into October. May and October are cooler and see more rain.
| 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 hotel opens for roughly the May to October season; exact dates aren’t published, so confirm very early or late bookings.
Health and practicalities
Greece is rated safe for UK travel, with no specific warning for Kefalonia or the Ionian islands; check the current GOV.UK Greece advice before you go. UK citizens need a valid passport, with no visa for stays under 90 days. Take a UK GHIC, the Global Health Insurance Card that replaced the EHIC, which covers emergency treatment on the same terms as Greek nationals, and comprehensive travel insurance on top. A Greek climate resilience tax is charged at the hotel at check-in, per room per night, varying by season, payable by cash or card.
The nearest hospital is Argostoli General, about 15 to 20 km away, and the hotel has a private doctor on call for an extra charge. The nearest pharmacies are in Argostoli or Peratata, with none within walking distance, so bring any Calpol and baby basics you might need or buy them in Argostoli. Baby formula and nappies are sold in the supermarkets near Argostoli, AB and Kritikos at about 7 km and a Lidl at about 8 km, so pack a supply for the first day or two until you get to the shops.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official pages worth a look and when this guide was last updated.
Can we get a cot, and is it free?
Yes, a cot is free on request, so email the hotel to reserve one when you book. If you don’t get a reply before you travel, a travel cot packs small and takes the worry out of it, which is worth doing for peak-season weeks when stock is tighter.
How far is the beach, and can I take a buggy?
It’s a short walk downhill, roughly five to ten minutes, and the return is properly steep. With a baby a sling makes the climb far easier than a buggy, and with a toddler who’ll walk down but flag on the way up, an early or late beach trip beats hauling everyone up in the midday heat.
Is there a kids club?
No, and there’s no animation or evening programme either, so don’t book expecting one. It suits families happy to run their own days around the pool and beach. If you want an hour to yourselves, the on-request babysitting is the way to get it.
Do we really need to hire a car?
Yes. Buses to Argostoli run only five days a week and slowly, and there’s little more than a village minimarket within walking distance, so without a car you’re limited to the hotel and the beach. Hire one at the airport so you have it from the first day rather than waiting to arrange it on site.
Which room is best for a family of four?
The Ground Floor Apartment with Sea View: 45 m², two separate bedrooms, sleeps four, on the ground floor with a balcony over the sea. The Garden View apartment is the same size and layout for a little less if the sea view isn’t essential. Steer clear of the 20 m² standard rooms for four, as they officially sleep two.
When is it open, and when should we go?
It runs roughly May to October, though the hotel doesn’t publish exact dates, so confirm before booking flights for very early May or late October. For young children, aim for June or September. If high summer is your only option, a ground-floor apartment gives air-conditioned bedrooms, and beach trips are best kept to early morning.
Is there a kettle in the room?
No, and guests report having to ask reception even for cups. If you make up formula or want a morning cup of tea, pack a small travel kettle, or book a ground-floor apartment with a kitchenette instead.
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Useful links
- Karavados Beach Hotel: the hotel’s own site for the rooms and apartments, the facilities and the location.
- 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 16 July 2026.
