On approach it looks forbidding and barren, with high rocky hills, haunting shrouded in mist at certain times of the year. Ferries arrive in several different places.

To arrive at Ithaca town is itself something special, as the boat sails into the picturesque fjord like harbour, past the remains of two French fortresses built in 1805 to guard the harbour entrance. There are mountains on either side, and the ferry passes the pretty little island of Lazaretto, covered in trees.

In Ithaca town, a small Archaeological Museum has a few Mycenaean finds. Next door is the Library, which collects editions of Homer, including a rare Japanese edition from 1600. There is also a charming little Folklore Museum, with displays on local life. The other place of note in the town is the Church of the Taxiarchos, containing an icon of the Crucifixion said to have been painted by the young El Greco.