There are more spectacular islands, but none carries a name quite like this one. Ithaca is Odysseus's homecoming, twenty years of wandering toward a homeland no bigger than a handkerchief. The ship eases into a deep, almost enclosed bay where the water turns to glass; tenders glide past the little island of Lazaretto and drop passengers at Vathy, the capital, nestled at the back of one of the most sheltered natural harbours in the Mediterranean.

Vathy, an Amphitheatre on Still Water

The town hugs the curve of the bay: tile-roofed houses, pastel façades, tavernas with their feet in the water, reflections barely rippling. In the central square, facing the harbour, a statue of Odysseus is a reminder of who rules here. The backstreets can be explored in an unhurried hour, taking in the church, the olive oil shops, and the pastry shops where you can try rovani, a local rice-and-honey cake. The small Archaeological Museum holds pottery and votive offerings found on the island, modest but illuminating. The pleasure sailboats that often anchor in the harbour give the water the feel of a theatre stage: settle in at a café terrace and watch the comings and goings over a homemade lemonade.

In Odysseus's Footsteps

Archaeology has never settled the question: was Homer describing this island, or a neighbouring one? The people of Ithaca, for their part, have no doubt. To the north, the cave at Polis yielded bronze tripods and inscriptions dedicated to the hero, uncovered in excavations in the 1930s. Near the capital, a spring bears the name Arethusa, the same name as the one where the swineherd Eumaeus watered his animals in the Odyssey. Whether genuine relics or happy coincidences, these spots give the walk a depth few islands can match: here, every path seems to have stepped straight out of a poem twenty-eight centuries old.

The North of the Island, Between Monastery and Fishing Villages

A single road winds north through olive groves and cypresses, each bend revealing a new notch of coastline. Kathara Monastery, perched on the heights, offers one of the widest panoramas over the Ionian Sea; the harbour far below looks, from up there, like a lake ringed by olive groves. Further on, Frikes tucks its handful of houses and sailboats into a small cove, while Kioni, one of the prettiest villages in the area, stacks its homes above an anchorage lined with tavernas. A taxi or an organized excursion covers this loop in half a day, photo stops included.

Waters to Swim In

There's no leaving without a swim, and the choice here is genuinely hard. Filiatro beach, a few minutes from Vathy, stretches its crescent of light-coloured pebbles into turquoise water; its neighbour Sarakiniko draws those seeking even more quiet. The water, remarkably clear even by Greek standards, keeps the coolness of its deep floor. Contemplative swimmers may prefer simply stepping down the stairs of one of the town's quays, the way local kids do after school: the harbour is so clean you can swim right among the sailboats.

The Essentials at a Glance

• Vathy: everything is within walking distance of the landing.
• Filiatro and Sarakiniko: a few minutes by taxi or a 30- to 45-minute walk.
• Kathara, Frikes, and Kioni: half a day by taxi or excursion.
• Archaeological Museum: a short visit, ideal on a hot day.

The poet Cavafy wished the traveller a long road before reaching Ithaca, for it is the journey that enriches, he said, not the arrival. Yet those who step ashore here understand exactly what Odysseus was so determined to find again: a bay closed like a hand, hills of olive trees, a happy slowness. Some destinations are visited. This one is earned, then missed.