The name Rajakli comes from the word rajat which means raisin. In the old days, there was a large production of raisins in the village, so large that there were several exports abroad. At that time the village flourished, and this may explain the fact that all the houses in Ratzkli have tiled roofs, which was not at all self-evident in the old days.

In recent years, like the whole island, Ratzakli has experienced great tourist development, as very close to the village there are two wonderful beaches. The nearest beach of the village is Kaminia, which is one of the most impressive beaches of Kefalonia, with clear blue calm waters and golden sand. Caretta – caretta sea turtles find a hospitable shelter on Kaminia beach to lay their eggs. The beach, which is sandy and clean (has a blue flag), has shallow waters and thus is ideal for families with young children. The beach has a beach bar from where one can rent sun beds, but it also has enough space to put one’s own umbrella. Due to the turtles, in addition to the visitors who come to enjoy the beautiful beach, Kaminia gathers many volunteers (mainly youngsters) from all over the world, who come to protect the turtles, many nature lovers etc

Also close to the village is the beach Mounta, a beautiful, quiet, shallow and warm sandy beach, ideal for quiet family vacations. The beach is partially organized and only in 2 places can its guests find umbrellas.

These two beaches attract more travelers than tourists, both because of the caretta-caretta turtles but also because these beaches are the paradise for the most ” demanding” visitors (i.e. those who want to enjoy a quiet vacation in a relaxed, clean and not touristy environment.

In recent years, and due to the tourist development, several small tourist units have been built in the village but also several permanent residences of Kefalonians as well as locals and foreigners, who come to live permanently in Ratzakli.

The church of the village is Ai Giannis (Sharpening of the Holy Head), and on the 28th of each August, which it celebrates, a big festival with traditional music and dances is organized with great success.

The route from Sami to Agia Efimia is wonderful as the road that leads to Agia Efimia is the only coastal road that is so close to the sea! On one side of the road the visitor will admire small rocky hills while on the other he/she will enjoy the wonderful blue-green color of the sea with the many small coves where someone can enjoy a dive as if you were on a private beach! These “private” beaches are beautiful, with clear and turquoise waters.

Agia Efimia is a beautiful and picturesque port, with comfortable roads and many amenities, since it is very developed for tourism. In the port there is the white church of Agia Efimia, which gave its name to the village. It celebrates on the 11th of July every summer, and on the day of the celebration, but also on the eve, there is a big festival in Agia Efimia with pilgrims and visitors from all over Kefalonia.

Having found traces of an ancient mansion and mosaics of the Roman Period, archaeologists believe that, in ancient times, Agia Efimia was strong both on the shore as well as at sea.

Agia Efimia was the seat of the former Municipality of Pylaros in Kefalonia, and very close to Agia Efimia is the world-famous beach of Myrtos. Visitors to Agia Efimia can see the Monastery in Themata, but also the wind turbines at the top of the mountain of Agia Dynati.

Agia Efimia is one of the cosmopolitan resorts of Kefalonia, with good roads (like many villages and cities of Kefalonia), with quiet streets and lush vegetation. Almost all the yards of the houses are full of flowers creating a feast of colors. Yachts and sailboats from all over the world arrive every summer in the small port of Agia Efimia. The area of ​​Agia Efimia, has everything that makes the stay of visitors pleasant and comfortable. In the village the visitor will find many rooms for rent at affordable prices, as well as beautiful and tidy hotels, supermarkets and meat shops with fresh local products and meat, bakeries with traditionally made bread, many fine restaurants and fish taverns, pharmacy, ATMs, gift shops and souvenirs, etc. In Agia Efimia the prices are reasonable in contrast to other tourist and cosmopolitan parts of the island.

Along the port there are trendy cafes and bars overlooking the boats that give a festive atmosphere to the small port at night, with their lighting. Also, in Agia Efimia, diving enthusiasts will find a relevant office.

With the Natura 2000 program, the Municipality of Pylaros, has created 3 hiking routes – trails, so that the numerous visitors of Agia Efimia can get to know better the beauties of the surrounding areas and the wonderful nature of Kefalonia. In general, Kefalonia is one of the most interesting destinations, with countless routes for walkers and cyclists alike.

The inhabitants are mainly engaged in tourism (as in most parts of the island), but also in stock raising. They also produce, among other things, the exquisite Pylaros feta cheese.

Some of attractions of the area include: the eponymous church of Agia Efimia, the monastery of Panagia Thematas, of the 11th century, on the mountain of Agia Dynati, and the mosaic of a villa of the Roman times.

The village was completely destroyed by the earthquakes of 1953, as well as the whole of Kefalonia. After the titanic task of removing the ruins, the reconstruction of the island began slowly. But while the reconstruction was a painful and dramatic experience for the inhabitants of the island, for Kourkoumelata it proved to be a great opportunity to emerge as the most beautiful village of Kefalonia, and certainly one of the most beautiful villages in Europe.

And this is because the famous Vergoti family, shipowners from Kourkoumelata and one of the richest on the island, did something unprecedented, and not only, of the time. They decided to rebuild the whole village and, as cosmopolitan they were, the village should obey the strictest rules of the existing road planning and aesthetics.

So the village was rebuilt by the shipowner George Vergotis with the valuable assistance and support of his brothers, Andreas, Panagis and Stefanos, but also by his nephew, Rocco Gerasimos Vergotis. Captain Rokkos Vergotis was the founder of the Shipbuilding House of Vergotides at the end of the 19th century, and Gerasimos Vergotis was the worthy successor and benefactor of his village, who also created the famous Philharmonic of Kato Livathos. The successors of this prominent family and all the younger descendants, proved to be worthy successors of their work with very important donations to the Hospital of the island, the Municipal Nursing Home and generally very large donations in multiple causes, aimed at man and its significant improvement of the lives of his compatriots.

The Vergotis family decided to rebuild the village according to the standards of the Swiss settlements, something that had excited them, on their travels around the world. After the village was rebuilt, Kourkoumelata gained electric power and water, something completely new since at that time no village on the island of Kefalonia had either electricity or water.

The village got its name from the Kourkoumelides, many of whom were distinguished as fighters of the 1821 Greek revolution against the Turks, but also in the arts and sciences.

In Kourkoumelata the visitors are impressed by the beauty of the houses, which compete with each other in beauty, aesthetics and good taste. All the houses have wonderful and very well-kept gardens, thus making even more impressive the spectacle that those who visit it face. The common areas are also extremely impressive and well-kept, and the Cultural Center at the entrance to the village is a miniature of the United States White House. There, today, many kinds of cultural events take place, which not only help to promote the cultural development of Kefalonia, but also give Kourkoumelata the image of not only a beautiful but also a very progressive and cultural village.

The village also has a very beautiful park, a central square which is dominated by a beautiful and elegant building-cafe-restaurant where guests can admire the wonderful view of the sea and the airport, while drinking their coffee, or enjoying lunch or dinner, the Livathos Philharmonic building, a majestic church, sports facilities and a stadium.