Corfu is Greece’s emerald island. Easily charming and effortlessly cool, with a rich cultural heritage and a pretty amazing coastline instantly reels you in. Discover secret coves, private beaches and small villages carrying on tradition and an ever-endearing local charm.
No trip to Corfu is complete without a visit to:
Kouloura in the next bay, the oldest harbour on that coast dating from Byzantine times, is a picturesque fishing village, only 3 km drive from Kalami.
The view from the harbor is probably one of the most painted in the area and the beach is so well-sheltered that creates a feeling of total privacy. Here swimming, sunbathing and eating are all a top-quality experience. A perfectly relaxing spot in the afternoon sun.
Kassiopi was fortified by the Romans. The Roman fort on the headland was further developed by the Byzantines and destroyed by the Venetians. The Kassiopi Castle is considered one of the most imposing architectural remains in the Ionian Islands, along with Angelokastro, Gardiki Castle and the two Venetian Fortresses of Corfu City, the Citadel and the New Fort.
On your trip to Kassiopi pay a visit to the 16th-century church of Panayia Kassopitra that was supposedly built on the remains of an ancient Greek temple dedicated to Zeus
On Corfu’s northeastern coast you can find the little village of San Stefano with its enchanting harbour dotted with fishing and sailing boats, preferred for its low-key atmosphere. The horseshoe-shaped bay is surrounded by green hillsides providing mesmerizing views across the Ionian Sea and the mountains of Albania. One of the greatest pleasures here is the seaside tavernas with locally- caught seafood. Order whitebait or calamari, perhaps, accompanied by a village salad and an icy carafe of local wine to relax. Laze in the sun and watch the big yachts slide in and out of the bay and local fishermen mend their nets.
A road trip on Corfu can’t miss a visit to the island’s oldest village. Medieval Old Perithia was once one of the wealthiest villages on the island – it’s still got a gorgeous setting looking over views of the Ionian islands but is today a barely inhabited mountain village found just below Mount Pantokrator. Old Perithia looks (and feels) like it’s been suspended in time – there are still a handful of locals and tavernas in the village, but its moss-dappled ruins are both enchanting and haunting; derelict reminders of a time-forgotten village gone by.
Palaiokastritsa (meaning Old Castle place, referring to nearby Angelokastro) is a village in northwestern Corfu. Corfu has been suggested to be the mythical island of the Phaeacians, and the bay of Palaiokastritsa to be the place where Odysseus disembarked and met Nausicaa for the first time. The monastery in Palaiokastritsa dates from 1225 and there is a museum inside.
Paleokastritsa is one of the most popular tourist resorts mainly due to its breathtaking scenery. The wider area is of exceptional natural beauty, it consists of high cliffs that end abruptly on the west coast and cut off the beaches from the mainland, so access is difficult and is mainly by the sea.
