Autumn in Corfu - Following the Trail to Lakones

Ready to see more of Corfu? This time I'm taking you to Lakones, a traditional Corfiot mountain village virtually untouched by time. Perched on a clifftop, 180m above sea level, it's a 6km walk from Paleokastritsa and one of our favourite places.

To get there we followed a  section of the 220km long Corfu Trail, introduced in 2001 and identified by a series of yellow paint markers, allowing visitors walk the length of the island through landscapes completely untouched by mass tourism. There's a similar trail in Kefalonia you may remember us hiking back in May HERE.

In July we usually have this trail to ourselves, being the only people daft enough to consider a walk in 40°C heat, but with the cooler September temperatures we had share it with a hiking group decked out in serious looking boots, sensible trousers and walking poles. I think they were a bit taken aback by the way we were dressed especially when we overtook them, reaching the summit a good 10 minutes before they did!

WEARING: Vintage Marion Donaldson seersucker maxi dress, Teva flatforms 

Despite the temperature only being around 28°C and us being pretty fit, it's still a good hour's hike up to Lakones and the ice cold frappes we treated ourselves to at the village bakery were gone in no time.

We visit Lakones every year and seem to take exactly the same photos, this pick-up truck hasn't moved since 2019!

To visit the museum you have to ask the owner of the coffee shop for the keys but it was closed on the day we visited - as it always seems to be. Maybe next time....

Seeing me taking photos one of the locals beckoned us over to show us these carved heads over the doorway of his neighbour's house, telling us that they were around 100 years old although I think they're more likely remnants from the island's Venetian past (1386 - 1797). 

No picture of Corfu would be complete without these elegant Cypress trees piercing the olive groves like velvet spears. The Greeks know them as Dachtila tou Theo, translated as finger of god. They were originally used to provide the upper floors in traditional Corfiot houses and are still used today for roof supports and boat building.

 Lawrence Durrell once stood here and declared it the best view in the whole of the Mediterranean. He wasn't wrong, was he? 

This is a regular stopping point for endless parties of coachtrippers who pile off the buses, take a couple of photos and leave. Fortunately for us they don't venture further than the viewpoint leaving the tranquil lanes of Lakones for those of us more interested in soaking in the atmosphere than bothering with bucket lists. 

Although there's a few chi-chi holiday villas starting to spring up on the outskirts of the village, Lakones mostly comprises 17th and 18th century buildings dating from the island's Venetian period. I much prefer faded pink plaster to that horrible fashionable grey.

Even in this state these 1950s Vespas sell for £££s back in the UK.

As always we stopped and pondered upon what might have been. We spotted this three storey 18th century stone cottage up for sale in 2019 and stalked the estate agent's website for over two years, watching the price steadily drop to under 40,000 euros & seriously considering whether we ought it make it ours. One morning I checked and it had sold and we've kicked ourselves ever since. What's even more annoying that whoever bought it hasn't moved in or done anything to it in the three years since they bought it. 

Chicken of the Woods, an edible fungus apparently. Don't you just love Google Lens?

 Lunch was Greek salad, village bread and large bottles of Alpha at Boulis ....yammas!

The taverna we ate at wasn't officially open but the lady in charge offered us Greek salad, bread and beer as long as we were able to pay with cash - which we could, we always make sure we've got a few Euros with us when we're out and about! 

Then it was back down the trail to Paleokastritsa for a few hours of sunbathing and swimming in that ridiculously clear Ionian sea.

And here I am yesterday. From bikinis and Club Tropicana to a hat & boots & the Season of Mellow Fruitfulness....a world of difference just a three hour flight from home!

More of Corfu coming soon....thanks for reading.