Kefalonia, the island of honey and wine lies opposite the mouth of the Gulf of Corinth just 60 miles south of Paxos. Many of the island's beaches are of fine golden sand which shelve gently under sparkling water making them ideal for children. Other beaches on the island are of white, red and grey sand. For the explorer, Kefalonia offers many ancient sites of unrivalled beauty. Venetian fortresses and monasteries; Byzantine churches containing their sixteenth century icons still in their original bright colours; underground Mycenaean tombs dating back to 1200 BC; the remains of a Roman villa which houses four fascinating mosaics dating back to the second century AD; serene lakes surrounded by proud cypress trees; large caves encrusted with stalactites; and a host of small fishing villages and secluded coves. Mount Aenos, in the center of the island, higher than any mountain in the British Isles, looks down through thick pine forests to a luxuriant landscape of olive, cypress, orange, lemon, grape, corn and wild lavender. The mountain attracts many birds such as the Golden Eagle, a large number of ravens, hoopoes, kestrels and warblers. Watersport facilities are available on the sandy beach of Makris Yalos. The many tavernas on the island serve an extensive range of delicious dishes which are exclusive to the island; the local wines are delightfully crisp. The attractive port of Fiskardo lies on the north east coast and is the only village which survived the 1953 earthquake. On one side of the horsehoe bay, a sixth century basilica, surrounded by pines, looks down on to the eighteenth century houses which line the waterfront. The main town of Argostoli is the center of communication and offers a large and colourful fruit and vegetable market on the waterfront; two fascinating museums, with treasures dating back to the Mycenaean period and portraits and artefacts from the British Colonial rule, and a good selection of shops, cafe bars, tavernas and two discotheques.