Autumn In Corfu - The Grand Finale!

It's my final travelogue and this time it's all about the stunning village of Paleokastritsa on the northwest coast of the island, where we always stay when we visit Corfu. Ever since our first visit, back in June 2017, we've been utterly captivated by its beauty and having to whittle down a few photos from the hundreds we take is a daunting task.

One of the first to fall for Paleo's charms was Sir Frederick Adam, the British High Commissioner to the Ionian islands in the early 19th century. Paleokastrítsa's appeal lay in her deep wooded slopes, blue sea and bathing beaches but the problem was the relative inaccessibility so Sir Frederick had a road built to the village, with the ostensible purpose of erecting a military convalescent home there. It was never built but Sir Frederick found it a lot easier to take his regular picnics in Paleokastrítsa.

The artist, Edward Lear (1812 -1888) immortalised Paleokastritsa in his watercolours HERE whilst, in Prospero's Cell (1945), Lawrence Durrell described Paleo (as we regulars call it) as having the most beautiful view in the whole of the Mediterranean and, after five glorious visits, we're inclined to agree.

These photos are all taken from Acapulco, one of Paleokastritsa's best kept secrets, described as a snack bar, which has to be the understatement of the century, it's actually terraced garden, carved into the rock, shaded by olive trees with access to the sea. The water here is said to be both the clearest and the deepest in Corfu, it's also supposed to be the coldest although, in September, it was a lot warmer than when we normally visit at the beginning of July.  The view over the bay towards Liapedes beach takes your breath away. Look closely and you'll see Rovina, Emma Tennant's family home immortalised in her biography, A House in Corfu. 

Paleokastritsa isn't a resort in the conventional sense, there's no tourist strip or main area, it's simply a 4km road cut out of the mountain below Lakones (which we visited HERE) dotted with apartments, a handful of shops and tavernas with steep stone steps leading to the various coves and beaches scattered along the shore. We always stay by the entrance to the village, near the campsite and well away from the big hotels. 

The coach parties and day trippers head to the opposite end, near Agios Spiridon beach (above), which apparently can get crazily busy. We're so content in our special little part of Paleokastritsa that we seldom venture this far but this year visited on a day of mixed weather which I suppose kept the hoards away.

Our favourite beach is Alipa, so much so that a previous photo is the screensaver on my PC. I love that it has no sunbeds making it more popular with Greek families than with tourists. There's a handy little minimarket a couple of minutes walk away which sells delicious Feta and spinach pies, freshly baked up the road in Lakones, and has a great choice of ice cold beers. It's a thirty minute walk from where we stay, although it feels like a lot further in the heat of July. We usually divide our days between Acapulco and here.

Overlooking Paleokastrítsa on a rocky bluff high above the village is the Byzantine Theotókou Monastery, believed to have been established in the thirteenth century. When we last visited, back in 2017, the cats far outnumbered the monks. This time we saw neither.

Again, the monastery can get really busy during peak season, the odd less-than-perfect day of weather does have its advantages!

By night Paleo is magical. These were the night skies from our terrace. I felt like I was living inside a Van Gogh painting!

This year we stayed in studio apartments attached to the minimarket, owned by the same family who runs the campsite and booked, as always via Booking.com. We also had use of a pool at a nearby property but never got round to using it - the sea's always best! The rooms looked out onto the mountains and an olive grove.

Nights in Paleokastritsa are always laid back and low key, no nightclubs or discos, karaoke or sports bars. If entertainment's your thing then you're in the wrong village! 

The hippest hangout in Paleokastritsa is La Grotta which has been run by the same family since 1960. On forums people moan about it attracting a younger crowd  - I think that's more to do with the 183 steps it takes to reach it than the owners being ageist! It's the only bar I've ever been to with a diving board - maybe one day I'll be brave enough to use it! 

Here's some more of our Paleo pals, Georgia & Spiros who run both Acapulco and Elia Taverna (our local!) along with Dorina, who mixes a mean cocktail.

And how did we fare with only taking a carry-on for 17 nights? Easy! Although I wore everything I could have left my shorts at home as I only wore them once. For beach days I lived in the crochet maxi dress (a charity shop buy) and didn't really need three bikinis, two would have been fine. 

Jon was happy with his packing, everything got worn on repeat. 

I can't sign off without sharing some Greek cats. This mum (grey & white), dad (huge tabby) and their three kittens (the black and white one's a girl) were regular visitors to our apartment and although they're loved and cared for by the Aris family, like all cats they do enjoy the odd treat and could tell soft touch a mile off! Don't tell William! 

Corfu was amazing.. we loved every minute and now it's back to reality. I've already submitted my Glastonbury 2025 application form!

See you soon.