Old Skala Village
Skala is a picturesque village located in the municipal area of Eleios-Pronnoi, some 39 km south from the island’s main town of Argostoli and 14 km SW of Poros, in the south of Cephalonia, one of the Ionian Islands of Greece.
During the summer, Skala becomes a popular holiday destination.
The current village was built in 1956 and replaces the old village which was levelled during a devastating earthquake on August 12th 1953, killing 36 and injuring hundreds of villagers. The original village was located on the hill behind the present one, as many of the island’s vilages were, in order to avoid invasion from raiders and pirates during the previous centuries. The name ‘Skala’ originates from the Greek word for stairs. It was given this name because when it was in its original place, the houses seemed to ascend almost as though they were a set of stairs.
On the edge of the present village are the remains of a 3rd-century Roman villa with some remarkably well preserved mosaics. Visitors can visit the site free of charge to see the mosaic flooring in three rooms, which were excavated in 1957.
Three kilometres along the beach road towards Poros is the site of a 7th-century Temple dedicated to the god Apollo. Here you can see the foundation stones and parts of three Doric columns.
