Ithaca
Ithaca, known in Greek as Ithaki (Ιθάκη), is a small island in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece, immediately to the east of the larger island of Kefalonia.[1]The island, which spans approximately 100 square kilometers and has a resident population of around 3,300, features rugged limestone terrain divided into northern and southern parts connected by a narrow isthmus, with its chief settlement and port at Vathy in the southeast.[2][1]
Traditionally identified as the homeland of the hero Odysseus and the setting for key events in Homer's Odyssey, Ithaca's ancient significance is supported by Mycenaean-era archaeological remains, including fortifications and pottery dating to around 1300–1200 BCE, though the precise correlation with Homeric descriptions—such as its position as the "farthest to the west" among neighboring islands—has fueled ongoing scholarly debate, with alternative locations like Lefkada proposed based on geographical and textual analysis.[3][4][5][6]
Inhabited since the Neolithic period, Ithaca served as a regional center during the Bronze Age before experiencing periods of Venetian, Ottoman, and British rule, emerging as an independent Greek territory in the 19th century; today, it sustains a modest economy centered on tourism, olive cultivation, and fishing, drawn by its scenic bays, hiking trails, and cultural heritage sites like the Cave of the Nymphs.[7]