The characteristic natural beauty of the Ionian Islands, in contrast to the bare, rocky landscape of the islands of the Aegean, features lush vegetation in a combination of mountain and sea. Kefalonia, an archetypal example of this combination, is the most mountainous. High mountains, all thickly forested, sloping into the sea, form steep natural bays. Located in the southern part of the island, Mount Ainos is the highest mountain on all the islands of the Ionian Sea. The highest peak is that of ‘Megas (Great) Soros’ (1.627 meters), from which you can view not only the neighboring islands of Zakynthos and Lefkada, but also parts of Central Greece and the Peloponnese. The higher slopes of Mount Ainos are dominated by forests of the black spruce, unique to Kefalonia, named Abies cephalonica. The lower slopes are covered with shrubs and brushwood, reminding us that we are still in the Mediterranean and not in the forests of Northern Europe. Apart from the rich flora that include 1,350 species of vegetation, Mount Ainos is the habitat of foxes, badgers, ferrets, hedgehogs, rare migratory birds, and other animals that look like they sprang from Aesop’s fables. On top of that, the most fortunate and courageous mountain hikers may encounter and admire some of the few wild horses that live in full freedom in the forests. Of course, all these wonders of nature must somehow be protected so it is all part of the National Park of Ainos. The mountain is an ideal destination for hiking, especially in the spring months when the temperatures are still mild. The trails range from easy to medium degree of difficulty, and every so often there are clearings that offer a rest, most prominently in Chionistra, where there is a fenced-off preserve of the viola cephalonica violet, one of the many rare native plants that cover the island and will give color to your trek.