Vathy Ithaca: Vathy village in the island of Ithaca, Greece, Ionian

The earthquakes of 1953 had almost totally destroyed the village, leaving only a few buildings standing. Fortunately, most of the destroyed Venetian buildings were rebuilt in the same style. Vathy is considered a traditional inhabitation and any construction different of the traditional architectural style and colour is prohibited by a law voted in 1978.

Some of the many interesting sights of Vathy are the beautiful houses of G. Karavias and G. Drakoulis, the churches of Agios Georgios (Saint George), the fine restored cathedral dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin, which has a wonderful wood carved iconostasis, the Archaeological Museum which houses a collection of various findings from the Geometric period, the Mycenaean and the Corinthian periods, and the house where the Greek hero of the War of Independence, Odysseas Androutsos, was born.

Being the capital of Ithaca, Vathy is the administrative, cultural and commercial centre of the island and has primary and high schools, an athletic stadium, a medical centre, a theatre, a library and branches of the National, Commercial and Agricultural Banks of Greece.

There are also a yachting service station for refueling, service stations for cars and motorbikes and a petrol station available in Vathy. Several hotels and many rooms for rent are filling the village and a wide variety of taverns, cafes, bars and night clubs are lining the waterside.