Majestic pine-clad mountains, crystal clear sea, gorgeous beaches, the smell of wild thyme… that's Kefalonia!

I love the capital, Argostoli which I think has everything, with its mixture of traditional tavernas, modern restaurants, chic bars, museums, an open-air cinema, plus a good selection of shops for all budgets.

30 minutes on the car ferry takes me to Kefalonia's second biggest town, Lixouri and a quieter peninsula with some stunning red sand beaches at Xi.

Nearby, the lively town of Lassi boasts 4 beautiful sandy beaches, my favourite being Costa Costa beach where my 16 year old nephew and his friend spent many happy afternoons on the Flying Fish and Ring O's. Evenings for me involve meeting up with friends in a cocktail or karaoke bar, before deciding which of the many restaurants to eat in. They range from Chinese to Mexican and traditional Greek tavernas, and it's here that I tasted possibly the best lamb Kleftiko ever.

Katelios and Skala, in the south, are like “chalk and cheese”. I love Katelios for total R & R - the deafening sound of silence takes some getting used to, but it's brilliant for de-stressing. Skala on the other hand is bustling with hotels lining the beachfront road, along with lively bars and restaurants.

The southern coast is dominated by Mount Enos, the highest mountain in the Ionian Islands, and to keep my nephew and his friend amused, I drove them up to the summit. An hour later it felt like we were on top of the world - wow, what breathtaking views, even the boys were speechless!!

Sami in the east, doubled as the main square in the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin, so no surprise that restaurants and tavernas have names like “Captain Corelli's” or “The Mandolin”. I've spent many a happy hour searching for my Captain Corelli but so far I've only met Nikos!!

The northwest coast road has some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen with dramatic cliffs and dazzling white sand at Myrtos beach, whilst Fiskardo in the north is a small, sleepy fishing village where the rich and famous descend in July and August and fishing boats mix with luxury yachts and flotillas, all moored in the tiny harbour.