Driving routes around Corfu. Reviews of travel around the island of Corfu

Corfu Island (Kerkyra), September 2009

CORFU

The island of Corfu (Greek name Kerkyra) is the northernmost of the Greek Ionian islands, sandwiched between the coasts of Italy and Greece. The northern part of the island is wide, mountainous, fertile and green, the southern part is narrow and rocky.

Alone on the island Big City, Corfu, the island of the same name, included in cultural heritage UNESCO for several surviving castles and ancient architecture. Many small very beautiful villages throughout the territory. A web of nice winding roads and paths, olive groves (I don’t remember exactly, but about 10 trees for every inhabitant of the island, including tourists) and many other trees and shrubs, herbs and flowers.

The seashore is indented with coves with clean, calm, safe water. The three seas washing the island give completely different characteristics of this water - temperature, color, flamboyance.

For me, this island is associated with the name of Gerald Durrell, a biologist writer who describes his childhood spent with his family on the island in his book series, which has been popular in Russia since Soviet times (and even a film based on his book was made in the USSR). Residents of other countries know better another Darrell, Lawrence, brother of Gerald, a famous English poet and writer (we consider Gerald almost a compatriot, although he is also, of course, part of English literature).

Hospitable wildlife, cheerful, interesting residents and visitors from all over the world. The rulers of almost all European countries chose Corfu as their holiday destination - this is certainly not without reason. Schengen and the European Union, which includes Greece, and therefore Corfu, provide both pros and cons (expensive and tedious visas, for example, which would be taken and canceled between our peoples who are so close to each other).

Paradise greek island, in other words, with a glorious history. You can list what the island is famous for further and further - and the relics of St. Spyridon and the squadron of Admiral Ushakov are revered by the inhabitants as defenders (and you can even find a monument to Ushakov opposite the entrance to military base NATO in the mountain under the fortress). The legendary Empress Sissi, Kaiser Wilhelm, Odysseus and Nausicaa, Paleokastritsa, Pantakrator, who can stop me - in the ten days I spent there, I fell in love with this island forever. Read Wikipedia, and then follow the links.

In Corfu, my beloved wife and I ended up in Honeymoon on the advice of friend Alex Revutsky, with the help of the travel agency he heads. September 10-20, Mitsis Roda Beach Hotel in the north of the island, all inclusive in the European sense of the term.

Now I’ll tell you what we remembered/liked in Corfu from what can be called attractions, what we didn’t have time to see, but would like to, and also how it all happened.

Paleokastritsa

The main attraction of the island is hidden behind this incomprehensible long word. Paleokastritsa is a village with an incredible blue bay. It can’t be said that there is a special beach there (even though it is the only beach in the world where I wanted to lie in the sand like a child, at the water’s edge, all day long), that there are special restaurants there (although you can eat lobsters at the same edge without any problems). queues and not even expensive). But what color is the water there, what is the temperature! Although I have not been to other places, I agree, Thailand and so on, but since Masha, who visited there, was just as delighted, then it’s not a matter of my dullness. We visited Paleokastritsa on an excursion, after that, every day after breakfast we ran to the bus, drove an hour to the city, spent an hour in the city under the scorching sun waiting for our bus at the bus stop, an hour to Paleokastritsa, there were three hours of happiness and three hours of the way back, running towards closing time for dinner. Can you imagine how great it must be there to experience such torment day after day, with enthusiasm? Now, words cannot describe this, only indirect signs. Well, maybe in the photo.

View of the beaches and bays from above. You go down from this mountain by bus when you travel along the Corfu-Paleokastritsa highway.

If you look at it from above (the area is mountainous, there is no need to rent a helicopter for such filming)

Neighboring bay

Here's a typical public beach:

Very beautiful natural grottoes, boats go there with excursions. These are of course not caves and it is rare that a boat can swim entirely inside

Here we are in the grotto, the guide fed the fish a little

View from the sea of ​​the town of Paleokastritsa itself. They say there are good hotels right here.

The waves foam near the grottoes, the color of the water is even crazier than in this photo, azure, milky blue, I don’t know what to call it.

But they sprayed it with their hand - and there was a rainbow.

Between the grottoes - picturesque rocks. Some have their own names and stories.

Only now, in the photo, I saw this heart shape created by the main beach bays of the town.

Who is tired of the beach - we rent a catamaran, even with a canopy (although you will still get sunburned, will you jump into the water?)

Well, then you can lie down like this, right in the water, the water is warm. The shallow water is not so long as to interfere with swimming.

The Old Fortress, the New Fortress and the entire city of Corfu

I've probably visited some old fortresses. But in Corfu this Old Fortress seems to have been abandoned by its defenders just yesterday. Only yesterday the cannons stopped firing, the bells stopped ringing, the staircases and casemates were empty. Masha and I got there literally for half an hour - and the fortress was closing and our only bus to the hotel was about to leave. The setting sun was setting into the sea, we basically had half an hour and were in the mood to run, we bought two tickets and ran around the fortress. A Byzantine fortress, perfectly (meaning indistinguishable) restored, a huge church of St. George in a classical, not at all Byzantine, style. The highest point of the fortress is an observation point (and we got there, yes) with a huge cross. And down, along the cobblestones, at sunset, and run through the city to the bus station. Stay there longer, and we'll be back again soon.

The moat around the fortress is now a parking lot for boats and yachts, but its walls are still formidable

The Church of St. George the Victorious, classical, not at all Venetian style, is located on a large square, probably the parade ground of this military fortress.

Steep staircase to the top

Bell - alarm on the square, next to the Church of St. George.

The temple is impressive, there are ancient frescoes inside

The road to the inner fortification of the fort, on the left you can see the red clock tower.

When filming on a cheap point-and-shoot camera, you won’t get much benefit from the setting sun, but there was a sunset and it looked incredibly beautiful through the eyes. We took this photo, completely dark on a soap dish, and ran to the bus.

If the Old Fortress is located on the outskirts, on a separate island, surrounded by water, then the huge New Fortress rises above the city. When we were on the island it was closed; a NATO garrison was stationed there. Now (as Wikipedia says) it is open for excursions, I can imagine what is hidden behind the doors, how many underground floors there are, how many ground fortifications there are. By the way, it’s not that new; it was also built by the Byzantines several hundred years ago.

And the city of Corfu itself, in addition to its fortresses, amazes with the beauty of its ancient buildings.

For lovers there is McDonald's:

We are approaching the city from the island of Lazareto, where there was a quarantine during the plague, a concentration camp for Greeks under the Nazis

Narrow, orientally colorful, but certainly European-looking narrow streets of the old city

Cape Kanoni, Pontikonissi Island and airport runway

View of this island - business card Corfu. Small, green, with the Pantocrator Monastery and a staircase that looks like a mouse's tail. It rises above the sea only 2 meters. Nearby there is a monastery on an even smaller island, apparently a bulk one, belonging to Cape Kanoni. Hundreds of meters away is the runway of Corfu Airport and also almost at sea level. The runway is bulky, on top of the sea, so flying in and landing, especially for an observer from the outside, from observation deck, very interesting and exciting.

View of Mouse Island (top left, such a green bush in the middle of the sea, in the bush there is a snow-white monastery with a staircase winding down like a mouse tail), the Kanoni monastery on a very artificial island and a long pedestrian bridge

Just like that, the runway begins and ends, like this airport is on the list of the most extreme.

A sun-drenched green island and a path like between two worlds

Observation deck of the airport and Pontikonissi, no restrictions on photography and security guards, greenery, flowers, chairs and a lot of tourists.

And here it is small island with a monastery on it - larger than the zoom of our soap dish could. Even closer to us is Kanoni, with boats parked nearby. There is a bell tower of this shape, traditional for Corfu, in every church here.

Mount Pantocrator

Here the result may not be as important as the process of getting to the highest point of the island (only 910 meters above sea level) - it may be small sightseeing bus, moped or motorcycle, bicycle (it’s unlikely), but we chose a two-seater buggy. A serpentine wobbling along the edge of the mountains, which you never know in advance where it will turn or where it will lead. There are few cars (maybe because it’s September), you feel like a resident of these mountains, covered with greenery and small villages along the entire route. At the top of the mountain there is an Orthodox monastery and a weather station.

We have already climbed high and far away, the road along which we arrived is visible

Even higher, and the road below winds and winds, you don’t really know until you get up where this Pantocrator is.

Here is a mountain village, people are cultivating their garden with this view from the windows

Someone's house is already among the mountains.

And here we are inside the monastery. Beautiful, green, the priests look exactly like ours - long hair and beards, black robes, crosses on their necks. Only one monk lives in the monastery, which, as I understand it, is not uncommon here. They delight tourists and collect donations.

At the entrance, women are given the choice of a headscarf, a beautiful one like this, for example.

At the exit from the monastery. As you can see, someone even gets here by bicycle (I would probably take it. It’s even more interesting how to get down and not fly away). Behind is a weather station.

Durrell House (White House) in Kalami

This is probably for lovers of book travel (to the places that happen in their favorite books). I was greatly impressed to visit exactly that point on the island where the events of Darrell’s books took place (although this is only one of the houses and in general biographers say that not all of this is entirely true), to imagine a barefoot boy on these stones by the water with a long pole, with whom he is busy with fish swimming near the shore, to see these boats with lanterns for night fishing. I really wanted to settle nearby and for my children to grow up here, in Corfu, also imbued with a love for life and the world around them.

Achilleion Palace

And this palace for me became part of a fairy tale, here is a fairy tale about a beautiful lonely empress who created beauty around herself and was part of this beauty herself, believed in the fairy tale and therefore did not completely belong to this fussy gray world. I have never had such feelings before, neither from beautiful estates, nor from imperial palaces, everything is homely, with great taste, with demands and oddities, but without delusions of grandeur.

Main entrance to the palace

The most important palace attribute, like imperial palace in Livadia - palm trees.

Painting walls and ceilings

For connoisseurs of porcelain painting

Flowers are blooming, flower connoisseurs

The same Achilles wounded in the heel, who takes out an arrow from there.

Boys in hats

View of the palace

Now about the hotel, its surroundings and their exploration

If you look at the offers on the island of Corfu from any operator (I looked recently), then the offers to go to Roda Beach go according to the most favorable price, with an all-inclusive option and excellent conditions: three free A-la-cart restaurants, a swimming pool, including a heated one, rooms in a multi-storey building and bungalows, picturesque sand beach, cheerful villages and a lot of entertainment nearby.

And I will confirm - all this is exactly so, and I cannot find fault with anything written. I would like to add the following advantages of the hotel, perhaps typical for mid-September: there is no feeling of a crowd of people, there is no intrusive animation (there is none in Russian at all, it’s German, there are whole clubs there, I don’t remember which tourists come), there is always a diligent Russian-speaking employee at the reception (Russians also reserve tables and work as waiters), the food is excellent, varied, fruits, meat, a picturesque terrace overlooking the sea, a swimming pool, with birds singing in the evenings (most likely the chirping of sparrows, but there are so many of them and they are so cheerful)

I will name the following disadvantages: the Internet is only in the lobby and for money (and it didn’t always seem to be there), the sea is already in full bloom in September, that you don’t want to swim in it, and the fact that it is far from the capital of the island, a transit point for all routes, for example in Paleokastritsa. Taxis are very expensive (if they don’t take you to a fur shop, then a black Mercedes will pick you up at your hotel for free and take you back, we rode one ourselves), but there is a cheap bus (3 euros per person or so), which However, you may not be able to fit in, so it’s better to come to the station in advance.

So: an impeccable hotel in everything except the distance from the center and the bad sea. The first is not a problem because the environment is incredibly violent and beautiful nature, wonderful roads and a huge range of vehicles (there are only cars with automatic transmission, they say they have dismantled everything, they say that automatic transmission is dangerous on narrow mountain roads, I really don’t understand why). The second is also not a problem, the sea here behind each rock is different, each bay has its own rules, its own color and temperature of the water, so literally get behind the rock near the hotel - and there is water as clear as water and not a single grass in it.

For two days we took a two-wheeled vehicle: a moped. They issue you with a license, not even an international one. Round-the-clock evacuation by phone call, they understand English, they are friendly, they come to the hotel if necessary, there is no need to walk (albeit along the beach) to Roda. This vehicle had a great ride through the olive groves, hills and hills surrounding the hotel, past streams and bays.

We also drove at night, to a larger city than Roda - Kassiopi, with its shopping street lit up (although Roda also has a beautiful embankment, albeit in the mornings). We went both to the west and to the east, nature is changing, the landscape is changing, beautiful and beautiful views open up, oh, what a pity that in my hands I only had a digital camera, bought, by the way, in a shop in the city of Corfu. While driving east we reached Kalami and saw, by chance, White House ik Darrell, after which the program was considered completed, we drove a little along the mountain roads and turned back. There are practically no cars on the road, no crowds of tourists either, it’s beautiful and we are alone. But this may be September.

In another neighboring town, Asharavi, they preferred to buy souvenirs; they bought Masha some very beautiful original handmade gold earrings. We issued a check for TAX FREE and then received a tax refund without any problems at the DUTY FREE airport store, quickly and without persuading anyone. We bought a fur coat, but they sold it to us with a deduction of tax right on the spot. At customs we asked to show our fur coat, we already had it in our luggage, a woman customs officer assessed whether we were resellers of fur coats and assessed it correctly. We bought a fur coat in the local main NAOMI salon, advertising of which can be found on the roads of the island, a car came to pick us up, of course the saleswomen were Ukrainian, we also managed to bargain.

Another means of transportation was a four-wheeled two-seater buggy, an excellent, safe, fairly fast means of transportation on the island's impeccable roads. You can also include in the transport a two-hour ride on a caravan of horses, from the hotel to the sea, along the coast with one pass for rest and photography and back. The nature is beautiful, you don’t let you fall off your horse, you don’t get bored either, I really enjoyed it. We drove in a buggy, without a map, following the signs (there were no problems with that either) to the very high mountain, Pantocrator, and also rolled off it in a situation of lack of fuel, that is, without gasoline. In the end, the car stopped moving (already in the night, just on the way to the place where it was handed over to the rental companies), we reached the owners on foot, they came and picked it up in a truck, no problem.

And then buses to Corfu and from there to Paleokastritsa. Of course, you can travel long distances, but we didn’t dare and there’s no reason to. Watching with what precision huge buses move around narrow streets, barely touching the edges of houses, what pirouettes they make and how well the drivers have calculated the routes over the years of work is an incomparable pleasure.

And now just random photographs, from those that are ready for publication, but have not yet been shown:

About the fertility of the island - this is an ordinary courtyard of an ordinary house, even somewhere like on a mountain, and not in a valley.

Every now and then the road leads to the embankment, it is difficult to understand each time which shore is there in the distance - Albania, Greece or Italy.

The mood is inspired, how could it be otherwise?

September flowers

And this is a shot from under the water, here you can see the New Fortress above the city, as well as parked boats, we are going on a boat with a transparent bottom

Not only does the earth feed, but there are also a lot of fish in the sea

I don’t know about lobsters, they may not be local, but just like tricks that come out of your pocket

But there is a floating circus of fur seals, between Corfu and Lazaretto (the island of lepers, the island of a concentration camp, a green uninhabited island that you definitely want to visit on your next trip)

View of the Mouse Island of Pontikonissi, do you see a white tail between the trees? This is a staircase to the monastery that is located there.

If there is a mouse, then Corfu itself is a cat island. There are a lot of affectionate cats in every village, hotel, and monastery.

And these seem to be cacti, with some kind of fruits that seem to be better not to eat.

Official ban on laffkas, smacks and simpaffs are allowed

Laffkas only go to those who drive such a car, high up the mountain, and with a young wife just after the wedding. It's sad for us!

I’m an experienced blogger, an experienced TBGer, I haven’t missed a single meeting and am widely known in our narrow circles, but this is my first story on the site, so I’m kind of ready for criticism:

Tags: Greece,

Solo travel route: Greece. Corfu - Italy. Apulia (Bari - Alberobello - Marina Serra Salento)

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step. Putting this wisdom of Lao Tzu into practice, we took our first step - booked tickets to the Mediterranean.

My story is dedicated to a trip to Greece, in particular to the island of Corfu and southern Italy(Apulia region).

The trip took place in September 2013 and took place along the following route: 7 days in Corfu, crossing to Italy, a day in Bari, a day in Alberobello, 4 days in the town of Marina Serra Salento.

First there will be a practical part (what, how much and where), and then an emotional one, so choose who needs what most.

Our route was developed based on the following considerations. We went on a trip as a family: two adults and two children (also almost adults). Everyone on the journey pursued their own goals. Some are beach and vegetable, some are excursion, some are pilgrims. All this needed to be combined and make the holiday interesting for everyone. Which is what gave birth to this route.

Initially, we considered that the island of Corfu met all these goals and planned to spend the entire vacation there, but upon closer examination it turned out that “across the road” from Corfu there is Italian city Bari, where the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker rest, which is why the second (Italian) part of the trip arose. True, in connection with this it was necessary to sacrifice some Corfu plans.

I wanted to book a trip “without bothering” from travel agents, but no one wanted to take on such an “individual” route, frightening me with the astronomical prices. Well, yes, okay, not the first time, I had to work hard and order everything myself, thanks to the global web.

Cost of the trip (all for four people).

Flight Moscow-Corfu charter "Vim-Avia" ordered by "Mouzenidis-Travel" 24,100 rubles.

Return flight Bari-Riga-Moscow on a regular Baltic Airline flight RUB 26,050.

Ferry Corfu-Bari 23,200 rub.

Accommodation in apartments in Corfu 21,000 rubles. for 7 nights (504 euros) + 1750 rub. (42 e) for air conditioning (6 e per day)

Night at the Bari hotel 4650 rub. (112 e)

Night in Alberobello 5800 rub. (140 e)

4 nights in Marina Serra 14,000 rub. (340e)

Car rental in Italy 6 days 5600 rub. (135 e)

Car insurance 1700 (40e)

Car insurance "Reso-garantiya" (without franchise) 1e per day 2630 rub.

Visas 10,000 rub.

Gasoline 100 e 4300 rub.

Excursions, food, other expenses

I write prices in rubles at the time of payment (when the cost of a dollar is still 43 rubles! I started writing a review a long time ago and wrote in rubles, too lazy to recalculate), in some places I wrote in euros, because... The course is changeable.

Since we are not residents of Moscow, we had to first find a person who would submit our documents to the Greek visa center and arrive in Moscow in advance to receive it. True, we combined business with pleasure and had a wonderful time in Moscow. The Greek visa is issued within two days, but we were afraid to take risks and submitted the documents in advance. Visa Center is located in Moscow in a very convenient area, a 7-minute walk from the Arbatskaya metro station. There are no queues or tension. A visa can also be obtained at the embassy, ​​but in this case it will take two months, but will cost almost half as much.

From the very beginning, the trip did not want to be easy and relaxed. Since our flight was at 6 am, we decided to spend the night at the airport and arrived there on the last Aeroexpress. Imagine our surprise (although with charters you shouldn’t be surprised) when we learned that our flight had been rescheduled for 3 p.m. the next day. I must say that we spent three days in Moscow with friends and were very active, and the last night before departure we hardly slept, and therefore this information greatly depressed us. We decided to go to the hotel. Having made a note about the time of contact with the airport service (for subsequent legal communication with Mouzenidis, from whom we subsequently collected 25,000 rubles for the flight delay), we went to the Meshcherino hotel, which is not far from the airport. On a note, if, God forbid, you have to get stuck in Sherementyevo, know about its existence. We paid 4800 per night for four people, the price includes round-trip transfer. The hotel has an iron and a kettle, the rooms are spacious with TV and a normal bathroom. For an inexpensive price you can have a completely homemade breakfast. In general, all the conditions for an airport hotel.

The flight itself did not leave any special impressions, which means that everything was as normal as possible for a charter flight.

And now we are finally in Greece. Kalimera, dear travel lovers, good afternoon in Greek!

Transfer.

We decided to get from the airport in the easiest, but not the cheapest way - by taxi. We chose this option of moving because we already lost almost a whole day of rest due to the flight delay, although when we chose the flight we were guided by the fact that we would arrive in the morning and we would have a full day of rest. But life made its own adjustments.

An official taxi (ordered at a stand at the airport) cost 39 euros. A very talkative guy arrived who told us a lot about the island and it was an introductory mini-excursion.

Here I will write the phone number of the taxi we used later: 00306936171654 (the female driver’s name is Marilena. She’s also very nice).

In Corfu we stopped at Agios Gordios beach (not to be confused with Georgios!). We chose our place of residence very carefully. And not even the apartments (hotel) themselves, but the beach. We were very pleased with the choice. We lived in an apartment that was called Golden Nests Appartaments on Booking, but on one of the apartment buildings and on the card it was written Lido Sofia Appartaments and the locals knew this place exactly like that, by the names of the owners. There was no need to pay for the reservation in advance; we paid on the spot.

We really liked the apartment, although there were some significant drawbacks. The apartment consists of two buildings, a swimming pool and a bar. The bar has a large TV and a small library of books in all languages ​​except Russian J But, it seems, we left a little book there. Meals are provided for a fee. As I already wrote, I also had to pay an extra 6 e per day for air conditioning.

The undoubted advantages include the incredible view from the windows of the apartments and from the pool. We took a two-story apartment with a patio. The furniture was no frills, but everything was quite cozy. There is a small kitchen right at the entrance with everything you need to prepare a simple dinner. The bathroom is small, the shower is really microscopic. A person with 140 kilograms will probably fill its volume completely. So it’s for slim people)) They don’t write about this anywhere, but it’s better to know such things in advance. An absolute plus is the presence of a patio (large loggia), but it is only available in two-room (two-story) rooms. The patio had a table, 4 chairs and a large umbrella, so we had a wonderful breakfast there while admiring the magnificent views. During the day, of course, it is a little hot there.

As for the minuses: on Booking it was written that the apartments are located 400 meters from the sea. Only they didn’t write that it was vertical))) My husband has a pulmonary disease. When I saw where they took us, I almost started crying, I thought he wouldn’t climb the mountain. But the miraculous climate (very reminiscent of the Crimean one: both in vegetation and landscapes and air), it not only rose, but also ran ahead of us, healthy people. So, in principle, instead of fitness, climbing a hill is quite suitable. Moreover, food in Greece is very high in calories and tasty.

We bought groceries from a store across the street. The owner of the store, a friendly, elderly man, Spyros (probably the most common name on the island, it’s not for nothing that the island of St. Spyridon) revealed to us a little secret that freshly baked bread is delivered every morning around 9. It would be better if we didn’t know this, we would weigh a couple of kilos less)) It’s sooo delicious. They also sell absolutely natural, amazingly delicious yogurs. Watermelon, for example, is great.

By the way, about shopping. We planned to pay with a visa everywhere, but that was not the case. Spiros asked us to pay in cash if the purchase is less than 10 e. But in the apartments they didn’t accept the card at all, so I had to pay it in cash. The impact of the past crisis was felt. We were, of course, in shock. All our lives we have been told that Europe is so advanced. But in many areas of life, we turned out to be much more progressive than Europeans. Including these cards, in our villages you can pay with them, but there in a hotel in a resort town - no. It was very strange for me.

Overall, Agios Gordios did not disappoint us. The place is quiet, but not boring. The whole life of this place revolves around the beach and one central street, where all the entertainment venues, taverns and shops are located. Everything is very nice and cozy. Of the taverns we liked, I can mention Argo. It is located on the right as you move towards the beach. Excellent price-quality ratio for everyday meals, friendly staff and excellent house wine at 5 e per half a liter. Keep in mind that portions in Greece are huge. For the 4 of us, we usually ordered two second dishes, for example, two moussakas and two salads. It’s realistic that we won’t be able to eat more, however, although our children are adults, they don’t eat very much. In general, you need to take 2 times less than you are used to, that’s for sure. Lunch for all of us usually came out at 25-35 o'clock. I also really liked the Delphi Tavern. We even celebrated my birthday there. This place is very cozy, there are swallow nests hiding under the ceiling. At the next table sat musicians playing guitars and singing wonderful Greek songs. Noticing that we were having a holiday, they even made fun of me, and when they realized that we were Russians, they sang “Katyusha” and were glad that we were singing along, since they only knew the words to the first verse and chorus. They tried to remember the second verse, we sang, and other guests of the tavern filmed us on their phones)))) It was funny and fun. There is also a cool Mikes-bar, they host themed parties, we went to an Elvis party. They had such a great time that they stopped the entire hunt of Russian women for European guys))

Probably everything about Agios Gordios. Overall, a wonderful place, the main thing is to choose apartments closer to the sea so as not to climb the mountains. And, yes!, be sure to go to the left edge of the beach, downhill, where there are large boulders, you can take wonderful photos.

Now about the excursion program to Corfu. There are a lot of options, there is a lot written on the Internet about all the places, I won’t repeat myself. I will write as briefly as possible.

Enough in Corfu convenient system bus service. The main junction is the capital. That is, from any beach you go to the capital of the island, and from there to any other beach or village. I am writing the bus schedule Ag.Gordios-Corfu (it may, of course, change, but just in case: Mon-Fri 9.15, 10.00, 13.45, 15.15, 18.15, 20.45; Sat 9.15, 13.45, 15.15, 18.15, 20.45; Sun 12.15 , 18.15. Return (Corfu-Ag. Gordios) Mon-Fri 8.30, 9.15, 13.00, 14.30, 17.30, 20.00, Sat 8.30, 13.00, 14.30, 17.30, 20.00 Yes; also direct buses Ag.Gordios- Water park - Paleokastritsa: Tue-Thu 10.30, return from Paleokastritsa at 17.00, water park 17.20.

Myself Corfu town worthy of special attention: cozy, small, you can go shopping, go to the port, museums. Naturally, the main attraction is the Temple of St. Spyridon, where his Holy relics rest (next to the altar). You can get to it like this: get off the bus and continue straight ahead in the same direction (it’s just a stone’s throw away), and after the round pedestal turn left. In the morning, after the liturgy, the relics are opened and you can venerate them (not through glass!). They are completely preserved, fragrant, this is something extraordinary! Who knows, after this he approaches the priest, who sits in the room to the left of the altar and asks for a piece of St. Spyridon’s slipper (St. Spyridon, after his death, as during his life, travels the earth and helps people, his shoes wear out and as After abrasion, it is removed, cut into pieces and distributed to pilgrims). Candles can be taken from the Temple; there is no set price; any sacrifice can be placed in the donation box. Candles are placed outside the Temple; if you are facing the altar, you need to go to the left, there will be candlesticks there. For the first time I saw huge candles, as much as a meter in size, this is probably for those who are very impatient)) In general, the Temple is very good, the liturgy, although in Greek, is so understandable and familiar. Orthodox, after all... And even before entering the Temple, if you move as I wrote on the left, there will be a shop, it’s already 400 years old, they sell icons (from the simplest ones for 0.5 e to infinity). So, the sellers there speak excellent Russian. They can tell you everything. Among other things, the guys there told me where to ask for slippers and what to say in Greek to get one.

In addition to visiting Corfu Town, we visited the palace of Princess Sisi Achilleone. There are audio guides there, in many languages, including Russian, which is very convenient. Admission ticket 7 e, with audio guide -10 e.

The excursion is interesting, not tiring. Around the palace is broken beautiful park. What can you say about the palace? If you compare it with the residences of our emperors, even the summer ones, of course, the palace is inferior both in size and beauty, but, on the whole, it is also beautiful and worthy of attention.

We visited and Kanoni-the place where the Blachernae monastery is located (one of the most replicated views of the island). We didn’t meet any nuns in the monastery, but we were unpleasantly surprised by tourists who went straight to the Temple of God in swimsuits. Why do we do this? For us, I mean Christians. After all, no one would dare enter a mosque in shorts or with their head uncovered, but here everything is possible. Yes, it's hot, well then don't go. It's unpleasant, in short. There is some kind of disrespect for God, and even if you don’t believe in him, then for the people who believe in him. In general, the place is very beautiful and cozy. The temple was built in 1685, literally microscopic, on every centimeter of the territory there is a flower or a pot. Beautiful. There is also a runway in Kanoni that goes straight into the sea and Mouse Island, where there is also an ancient current Temple The Transfiguration of the Lord is from the 15th century, peacocks are walking, cedar trees are growing, and in general there is such peace that you can spend hours there. A boat ticket to Mouse Island costs 2.5 e. Why mouse island remains a mystery. They say that these are its outlines on the map, but I didn’t notice the tail. The only local on the island is the caretaker of the Temple - he is also the seller in the shop. The caretaker is very welcoming, talkative, he showed us everything and told us everything.

We also went to Paleokastritsa, there are the most beautiful beaches islands. We took a pleasure boat (for 15 e per person) to the beach, which is impossible to reach by land. Along the way, they took us to other beaches and grottoes, they told us something, but in Italian, and under the noise of the engine, nothing was clear. And why? Such beauty! What else can you add to this? The excursion lasted 40-45 minutes. In 10 e you could simply ride around the bays without staying anywhere. But we chose a wonderful beach. The water in the bay is as clear as crystal, no matter how far you swim, and has a stunning color. Take snorkels and masks with you! The descent into the water is very steep: 3 meters and still deep. Keep an eye on the children. There is no special service on the beach. The shadow is only natural from the rock. Amenities include a canteen boat where you can buy drinks and something for a snack. We agreed with the boat that it would pick us up in 3 hours. We thought that he might deceive us, but no, he arrived and took us away in a minute, so everything was just fine.

We wanted to go to many more places, but we didn’t have time to do more in a week, because we also wanted to relax on the beach, such a sea, because that’s what we came so far for. In general, Corfu is ideal for a two-week holiday. You will have time to sunbathe and see the island, but you will not have time to get bored. So my advice is to give this island a separate vacation - it’s worth it.

Since we liked Corfu, it was a pity to leave the island, but we had to. The next point on our program was Bari. Our task was to get to Bari on Thursday morning, since only on Thursdays is the Orthodox liturgy held in the Basilica of St. Nicholas and you can venerate his holy relics.

We recklessly did not buy ferry tickets in advance, since not having found anything suitable for the price and quality on the Internet, we expected to buy them on the spot. This was a terrible mistake! We had to go for them three times, go around half of Corfu Town and spend a lot of nerves, because we thought that we wouldn’t get there, not only for cheap, but we wouldn’t get there at all, since there were no tickets! I’ll make a reservation right away that the tickets were “standing”, that is, there were no seats, but since we planned only one day in Bari, we wanted to sleep in the cabin at night so that we could go for a walk during the day. We didn’t really get enough sleep, but we still slept for several hours. In short, the whole point turned out to be that on this day, the only one we needed, there was only a superfast ferry, that is, an expensive and fast ferry. But we didn’t understand why we couldn’t find tickets for another cheaper ferry on the Internet. My advice: book all transfers in advance, save precious rest time and nerves. And yet, if it weren’t for the fact that our daughters speak English perfectly, we would not have been able to get anything with our clumsy explanation (we only got these tickets because someone handed them over and they called us by prior arrangement). The night ferry before Thursday is always full, also because Russians are going to the liturgy. And, as luck would have it, at this time the Italians were finishing their vacation and were heading home in droves after an inexpensive Corfu holiday.

All ticket offices in the city are concentrated in almost one place - not far from the port, about 700-1000 meters to the left (if you stand with your back to the port), one of the ticket offices, the official Superfast ticket office, will be located across the road on the right, about five hundred meters.

The superfast ferry has many accommodation options: there are cabins for 4 people (with a toilet and shower, bedding, a disposable shower set, a table. Everything is very clean and cozy), there are seats (in airplane seats, which, in my opinion, is also quite comfortable and 2 times cheaper), and there are tickets without a seat (what does this mean? This means that people who bought such tickets sleep side by side anywhere: in armchairs and under armchairs in restaurants, on air mattresses in the corridors, and the most thoughtful in sleeping bags and tents on deck). Judging by the number of people, it seems that the ferry is overloaded, but I don’t know if this is true or just my misleading impression. There are cafes and restaurants on the ferry where you can have breakfast. The superfast route takes about 8 hours, while you get in, settle in, wander around, look around, get up early in the morning to have breakfast and take a shower, there’s not much time left for sleep. We probably slept for 4 hours, no more. So airline seats would have been a completely satisfactory option, but such tickets were not available; smart people bought them in advance. Everything about the ferry. I just need to say that he was 2 hours late. Since everyone arrived early, we had to wait quite a bit. Fortunately, Corfu has wonderful warm nights.

Upon arrival, we immediately jumped into a taxi and rushed to the Temple. As I already said, the ferry was late, so we were correspondingly late for the liturgy (the liturgy starts around 10.30 on Thursdays). If you don’t make it to the liturgy, you can go to a prayer service with an akathist: Mon., Tue., Wed., Fri., Sat. at 10.30, Thu. at 16.30. The walk to the temple probably takes 20-30 minutes, there are even maps on the Internet showing how to get there, but we wanted to get there faster, so we didn’t regret 15 e.

The basilica itself is magnificent: the upper aisle is Catholic, the lower aisle is Orthodox (the entrance to the lower aisle inside the basilica is on the right, approximately in the middle of the Temple). There is also a museum. In general, the basilica has an excellent website where you can read everything in detail. Let me say briefly: the basilica houses many shrines, it’s a pity you can’t touch them, you can only look through the bars (almost at the entrance). The main shrine - the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept in the lower aisle in the altar under cover. After the liturgy, pilgrims bow and touch the stone. There is a window in the stone. Once a year they open it and scoop out the myrrh from it, mix it with water and sell it in bottles for 2.5 euros (when you leave the basilica, the shop will be on the left). In the shop you can also order prayer services: a simple note 1 e, for a year -15 e, forty-5 e.

I spent half a day in the basilica, went to the liturgy, then just sat on the benches, walked, looked, and enjoyed being in such a holy place. The liturgy itself was conducted in Russian. In general, this, of course, was something extraordinary: in a foreign country, in a foreign city, one might say underground (and the lower aisle is beautiful, but there is a feeling of underground) hundreds of people are singing “I Believe...” in Russian. It was so strong, all the people were united. Even now I’m writing and tears are welling up.

While I was in the Temple after the liturgy, my husband rushed over and rented a pre-ordered car. Next we traveled by car. I will say right away that the roads in Italy are ideal, driving on them is easy and comfortable, there are highways with a median between cities. So I recommend everything. It seemed to me that traveling without a car in Italy, especially in small towns, is almost impossible.

Rent a Car.

We ordered the car in advance at www.hertz.com. When renting a car, it is advisable to have an international driving license (a book in 6 languages, issued by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate for 1 year). When renting, an amount of about 1000 e is frozen on the card. Convenient to register credit card so that the money would be frozen on her. At the same time, you will not lose interest on withdrawing the amount, because... the money is not withdrawn, but only frozen. Any fines imposed on you will also be removed. Personally, I was charged 40 e for parking incorrectly (well, there are no parking spaces in small resort towns, everything is forgotten! If you want to get into a paid parking lot, try to find a machine to pay and you need money without change, in short, it’s epic. You’ll get there by car, read about markup parking spaces- it is different from ours).

We also bought additional global insurance, because... standard insurance does not cover minor damage (scratches, mirrors, tires). Typically, standard CDW insurance (damage and accident insurance) provides for a client liability limit (deductible), the size of which depends on the class of car. At your request, you can purchase additional insurance: SCDW (Super Collision Damage Waiver) - reduced liability in case of car damage. The cost of insurance ranges from 5 EUR to 25 EUR per day, depending on the class of car - very expensive. To save money, I recommend not taking SCDW, but using worldwideinsure (www.worldwideinsure.com) - full car insurance without a deductible. You can insure for up to 31 days and for a year. The cost is several times cheaper and there are only positive reviews on many forums. Moreover, you can find a discount code online for worldwideinsure insurance. Insurance payments are made, judging by the reviews, very quickly, within 10 days, documents must be provided only in electronic form, so it is very convenient.

We stayed at a hotel in Bari Giulia. A very convenient option. For 112.5 e we got a large room for four with breakfast. The room also had a balcony and a spacious bath with bidet. The hotel is within walking distance (15 minutes) from the center. There is a small shop nearby. In short, in all respects it is an excellent option for a short stay.

In the evening we walked around the center. Bari turned out to be a great city: beautiful, cheerful, youthful. Despite the fact that it was a normal working day, in the evening there were an incredible number of idle and staggering young people on the streets. And these were Italians, not tourists. I generally got the impression that the whole city went out into the streets to walk and sit in cafes. This only happens with us New Year, May 9 and Youth Day)) And what excellent ice cream there is. No, it's impossible to describe. You just have to try it! In general, Bari is a cool city. It was even a pity to leave there. But Alberobello was waiting for us and we set off the next day.

On the way we decided to stop at grottoes di Castellana. Have taken full route 3 km for 15 e/person. (there is also a short one a kilometer long). These grottoes are the largest karst caves in Italy. Amazingly beautiful! I've never been to a grotto. Liked. Of course, you don’t have to go the second time, but you definitely have to go once. Two minuses: you can only take pictures in the first cave, no further. The guides (naturally) do not speak Russian, and there are no audio guides.

Alberobello

Already approaching the city, you get the feeling that you are entering some kind of fairy tale. The trulli scattered throughout the suburbs create a simply fabulous, magical feeling. Trulli are houses with round conical roofs, which in their appearance resemble the houses of gnomes from children's fairy tales. The roofs of the houses are made in the form of cones, on top of which there are stars, and on the roofs themselves zodiac signs and other images are drawn (I really liked the description, I copied it from one review).

Alberobello is a very small town and unlike any other. The main attraction is the Monti district, completely built up with trullo. This area, naturally, has a sea of ​​souvenir shops. Moreover, every shop owner tries to attract tourists in the most intricate way. Some have a wonderful garden, some have a model of the city that exactly replicates all the streets and houses of the city, some have tripled a small cafe. But there is no special entertainment: wander around the city, eat in a restaurant and visit another important attraction - the Cathedral of St. Healers Cosmas and Domian, where their relics are kept. 1-3 days is enough for all these things. In my opinion, there is nothing more to do there. Although this is, of course, a matter of taste.

Yes, I remembered! If you stand with your back to the Cathedral, there will be a grocery store nearby on the right. How delicious everything is! Jamon, chorizo ​​sausage, and dozens of other sausages and fresh cheeses, orchietti pasta typical of this region, various sweets and wines. All this can be tasted there at the tables. The owner of the store, who himself stands behind the counter, prepares incredible sandwiches (for 5 e) with any filling you choose. After eating this, you may not eat for another day. Just lick your fingers!

In Alberobello we stayed a little outside the city in a very cozy place called “Fascino Antico” (address: S.s. 172 per Locorotondo Km. 0.5; Tel: 080 432.50.89; www. fascinoantico.eu) in a real, albeit modern, trullo . The hotel consists of several trulli arranged around a courtyard. Everything in the hotel is furnished very beautifully and stylishly. You are surrounded by antique furniture, decorative items, vineyards and the care of the owner Marilena, a responsive and unobtrusive woman. The hotel has a swimming pool and a barbecue, which you can spend the evening cooking if you have the foresight to buy food in the city. In terms of price-quality ratio, accommodation in this hotel is very good, because... It’s a stone’s throw from the city, and at the same time you can stay in a real trullo for a reasonable price (significantly lower than in the city itself). The only drawback of the hotel is that it is located between two roads, so in the evening, when we were in the hotel, as it seemed to me, completely alone (and all this luxury belonged only to us), preparing a barbecue, it was strange for me to hear the noise of cars. But it’s not the noise of the freeway, don’t think about it, it’s just a place so secluded that it was strange to hear cars at all.

You can order breakfast at the hotel for 4 EUR per person. For breakfast, Marilena prepares fresh, crispy croissants and brews delicious coffee, and, of course, serves the standard set: baguette, butter, yoghurts, jams, juice. Breakfast takes place under tents outside - very nice. Noticing that we had brought fruit left over from the evening for breakfast, she immediately brought us peaches. Very nice!

Naturally we left good feedback in the book of reviews and suggestions located near the reception, and noticed that we were the first Russians to visit this hotel. This needs to be fixed urgently!))

The next item on our program was a vacation on the coast. We chose the last place for a long time and painfully: we wanted something quite calm and close to nature, and not noisy hotels, and at the same time, the price was acceptable. We chose it on the website www.homelidays.com (a large selection of apartments for every taste and budget). We had another separate problem: almost all apartments are rented for at least a week. We only had 4 days. In the end, they were too smart. We chose a place that, to be honest, we were disappointed with. The place is called Marina Serra Salento and is located almost at the very edge of the heel of the Italian boot. The Internet says that this is a small town. Well, of course, we got carried away with this. By our Russian standards, this is just a village (or resort village). In general, in Italy, or maybe only in Puglia, there is such a feature - to slightly exaggerate. The place, of course, is not to blame for anything, it has its own charm, it just wasn’t very good for us appropriate place. It's too secluded. From tourism infrastructure: a couple of cafes and that’s it. There isn't even an ATM. There is absolutely nothing to do there without a car. We stayed in Nikolo's apartment. The owner is a very nice person, although he doesn’t know much English language , which caused translation difficulties. In general, I noticed that Italians don’t worry about it. Like, since you came to us, learn Italian. Even in the most touristy places, the menu is only in Italian. Of course, this gave me an unpleasant shock. These translation difficulties gave rise to one of the main problems: we did not expect to see the beach that we saw. At first we didn’t find an equipped beach at all, but saw how the locals simply jumped off the water from incredibly sharp and slippery rocks like mountain goats. We just couldn't get into the water! And that's 4 adults! Using a map, Nikolo and I found the only free sandy beach in the area, although it was a couple of tens of kilometers away (others were paid for at a hefty cost of 20-25 e per person). We went there, and it turned out to be the Sochi city beach at the height of the season. The beach is actually quite good and quite big, but it’s crowded! Italians in noisy families were located on every square meter. They, like electrons, were charged by friction))) We realized that this was not suitable for us either. We wanted to move away from Nikolo and spent 2 days looking for another place. We wanted to get to Santa Maria di Leuca. At least there is an embankment there. But everything, simply, everything!, except for the bedbugs themselves, was busy. Santa Maria di Leuca, although a beautiful place, is simply teeming with people... like in Sochi or Anapa. Not finding anything suitable, we finally decided to accept it and try to enjoy what we had. And when we finally made this decision, it happened. Apartment Nikolo is a two-story house with 2 separate entrances. The owner lives on the second floor (this is his dacha), and the first floor is rented out. It was not in vain that I used the word dacha, because the interior decoration fully corresponds to this concept. There is everything you need for life, but it’s...not fresh (as usual, it’s taken to the dacha). The truth is worth it accordingly. For 4 days we paid only 360 e. (and due to the impossibility of withdrawing money, they transferred it to Nikolo’s card only upon arrival home. What a kind man, he didn’t even bother us with the issue of payment). For the price mentioned, we got two separate rooms, a kitchen with everything we needed, 2 sun loungers outside, the ability to cook a barbecue and a slightly neglected fig garden. In 5-7 min. walking turned out to be an equipped beach. True, this is not a beach in the generally accepted sense. There are none here (neither pebbly nor sandy) at all! All existing beaches are plateaus carved into the rocks, where you can lie down, and steps to the water. But this is compensated by water of truly incredible purity and beauty. This is what attracts crowds of tourists here. In the morning, at about 7 o'clock, when the water is cool, clear as crystal and there are no tourists, local matrons conduct aqua aerobics in the water and cordially invite everyone to join. They are so positive! If you are planning to visit this region, consider everything carefully. Such villages are not for everyone. We realized that this did not suit us. In the evening you can only barbecue there, read or go to bed. Rest for the average pensioner or a person who is very tired of the noise of the metropolis. It turned out that we didn’t need such solitude))) A lesson for the future. Every evening we went for a walk to Santa Maria di Leuca. The views, of course, are stunningly beautiful everywhere, especially near the defensive towers (one of these, the 16th-century Palani Tower, stands right next to the beach). But there is no fun, no party (I don’t know how to put it). I read a lot of very enthusiastic reviews about these places. Apparently I didn’t understand anything, but I wouldn’t come here a second time. At least I wouldn’t go further than Otranto. These little box towns are not for me. Although, naturally, there are fans of such places. There was such a blot at the end of our journey, although everything we saw before that struck our imagination. And finally, I want to show you a few photos of the Salento region. The most beautiful places!

Respect to everyone who finished reading. If you have any questions, write by email [email protected] I will help as much as I can. Ciao! Best regards, Oksana.

So, the island Corfu or Kerkyra, Greece.

Before the trip, I carefully studied many reports, travel notes and impressions of the island. Since everyone noted the strangely cold water in the seas of the north and west of Corfu, I decided to go to the east coast. I studied almost the entire layout of those places, chose what I liked best - comparative privacy, rugged landscape, good reviews about the hotel.

Choice - Nissaki Beach . We never regretted it, but everything only confirmed the correctness of our choice. Perfect place, excellent cuisine, quite decent rooms for an adequate price. It was especially touching how the chef came out to the public in the evenings and talked about his dishes, sometimes even helping to put them on the plate. The cooking is truly one of the best hotel meals we have ever encountered (considering, of course, that there was Buffet). There is only one minus - paid sunbeds/umbrellas. But the price is reasonable, something like 2.5 euros per set. And with our frequent trips, we spent 5-6 days on our home beach in 2 weeks. It was funny how the Germans and the British found their way around - there were free sun loungers near the pool, so they ran up early in the morning and took places there, it was a stone's throw from the pool to the sea, however, most of them lay there by the pool all day long...

Rent a Car - In a hotel. Most often I take a Volkswagen Polo, the best car to rent. There were three of us, my son and my wife. The island is small, you can travel the entire coastline. Moreover, as far as I found out, there is nothing special to do in the very south, dull sandy places, without relief and with a small number of settlements.

Also of interest Mount Pantakrator, towering over the northern part of the island. Well, the capital, the city Kerkyra Town. Or Corfu town, both names appear. So, the hotel and surroundings:

Nissaki Beach. (on the right is Albania, visible from almost everywhere on the east coast)

Nissaki Beach. (on the right is Albania, visible from almost everywhere on the east coast)

Nissaki Beach.

Nissaki Beach.

A place within walking distance south of Nissaki Beach: We get into the car and drive to Sidari. This is the north of the island, the water there, as we already know, is cool. Here the cliffs are made of soft sandstone, the water washes away a bizarre coastline.

Sidari

Sidari

Sidari

Sidari, the so-called Canal of Love (a couple who crosses it together will never part, says legend)

Sidari, the so-called Canal of Love (a couple who crosses it together will never part, says legend)

Sidari, Love Channel

Sidari, Love Channel

There are many hotels here, a lot of people, but personally I would not like to stay here, the water is cool and muddy (due to the fact that the rocks are constantly being eroded, the water contains a lot of suspended matter). However, some people don't mind...

Sidari, rock relief

Sidari, rock relief

Sidari

Sidari

The town and the beach of the same name Ipsos. In my opinion, not very good, there the road goes a few meters from the water's edge, there is very little access to the beach, cars are constantly driving past...

The town and the beach of the same name Ipsos. In my opinion, not very good, there the road goes a few meters from the water's edge, there is very little access to the beach, cars are constantly driving past...

The top of Mount Pantakrator

The top of Mount Pantakrator

View from Mount Pantakrator to the strait between Corfu and Albania

View from Mount Pantakrator to the strait between Corfu and Albania

Kerkyra Town, view south from Old fortress

Kerkyra Town, view south from the Old Fortress

Kerkyra Town, view from the Old Fortress

Kerkyra Town, view from the Old Fortress

Kerkyra town, streets of the old town

Kerkyra town, streets of the old town

Kerkyra town, visible Church of St. Spiridon (with a red dome). A highly revered saint not only in Greece, but also in Russia.

Kerkyra town, visible Church of St. Spiridon (with a red dome). A highly revered saint not only in Greece, but also in Russia.

In the old town

In the old town

New fortress

New fortress

View from the walls of the New Fortress. The Old Fortress is visible in the distance.

View from the walls of the New Fortress. The Old Fortress is visible in the distance.

We are going to the west of the island. Here is the most famous and a nice place- Paleokastritsa. However, the water here is very cool, just like in the north.

Paleokastritsa

Paleokastritsa

Paleokastritsa, view from the Monastery of the Virgin Mary

Paleokastritsa, view from the Monastery of the Virgin Mary

Paleokastritsa, view from the monastery

Paleokastritsa, view from the monastery

Paleokastritsa, Monkey face rock (monkey face). The joker guide explained that in America there is a rock with the faces of presidents, they say, we have it too

Paleokastritsa, Monkey face rock. The joker guide explained that in America there is a rock with the faces of presidents, they say, we have it too

While in Paleokastritsa, you should definitely take a boat trip, the places are amazing, grottoes, wild beaches, rocks.

Rocks near Paleokastritsa

Rocks near Paleokastritsa

Paradise Beach. You can only get here by sea. People get off the boat, stay for a couple of hours, and return the next

Paradise Beach. You can only get here by sea. People get off the boat, stay for a couple of hours, and return the next

Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach

Paleokastritsa, top view

Paleokastritsa, top view

From Paleokastritsa we go north, through a small pass, and we go to the town of Agios Yorgos (Agios Georgios)

From Paleokastritsa we go north, through a small pass, and we go to the town of Agios Yorgos (Agios Georgios)

I’ve been wanting to walk through places whose nature was colorfully described in Darrell’s book “My Family and Other Animals.” But they had doubts: the island Corfu now it is a fashionable resort, and judging by the reports of tourists, there should be more bars and discos there than ancient olive groves and overgrown canals with turtles. Looking ahead, I will say that the island has an abundance of both: the question is who is looking for what. But it is better for a nature lover to fly to the island in the spring, before the start of the season. We chose the second half of April.

Almost immediately a roundabout appeared walking route: fly to Kerkyra, by east coast reach in a few days Kavos, take a radial walk along the practically uninhabited southern tip of the island and return back closer to west bank. In terms of choosing places to stay overnight, we were not tied to specific towns (Corfu is quite poor in cultural and historical attractions), and therefore were guided solely by the price, reasonable walking distance per day, and in some places - simply by the very fact of the availability of places to stay overnight.

Corfu airport is small. There are almost no highways here, and instead of using transport to Kerkyra, we walked - through the Vlaherna monastery to our first overnight stop in the town Perama. Kerkyra was caught only by the edge, leaving historical Center on the last day. The neighborhoods remote from the center are quite cozy and moderately shabby. Tiny Vlaherna Monastery consists of practically one church, occupying the entire island, connected to the shore by a dam. In the twilight, in an icon case covered with an old darkened glass, a famous icon is displayed, and in the stones of the dam there are many crabs, with a short photo hunt for which the meaningful part of our journey began.

With the exception of large settlements and some highways, there are sparse shops on the island. A small store about one and a half kilometers from our first home, to which the owners of the guesthouse sent us, differed little in product range from a general store somewhere in the Russian outback in the late nineties. Nevertheless, we managed to get some bread, beer and some ham in it on the second try, when the seller noticed us and came out of the neighboring house.

Castle Achillion considered one of the “pearls” of Corfu. Despite all the antique surroundings, it was built at the end of the 19th century, and the luxurious interiors of the palace and the beautiful garden were decorated by German artists and sculptors. The interiors are not completely recreated: although the central staircase opens in all its splendor, most of the rooms are simply renovated with a certain amount of stylization and filled with exhibits. You can understand this by looking at small cleared fragments of original frescoes, in which something more complex is discerned than the fresh ornaments decorating the walls. Like any famous site, it is best to visit Achilleion early in the morning: we walked through the palace and park almost alone, but when we moved further, there was already a crowd of tourist buses in the square, and the first ranks of organized excursionists gradually filled the entire space.

Not far from the palace is shell museum. The only room contains a good collection of shells, corals and other marine life - both modern and extinct. But there’s a problem with captions: either they simply don’t exist, or they’re too general, or they represent some kind of fantastic picture of the world. For example, from them we “learned” about the existence of Paleogene ammonites in Greece.

The works of local taxidermists evoke a special smile: stuffed sea creatures in the state of a bitten roach with false bulging eyes are not suitable even for a souvenir shop, not to mention a museum.

From a resort town Benitses a dirt road that turns into a path rises into the mountains, plunging the traveler into a completely different world. It passes through a small monastery with a spring and an ancient olive tree and winds further through colorful ancient villages with stunning views all around and an abundance of ruins - not too ancient, but picturesque.

The village kids are friendly, but they like to play pranks. Having waited until we entered a small fenced-in kind of observation deck, they closed the gate and stepped aside to watch how we would get out. We simply jumped over a low fence, which caused them great delight.

Next crossing to the town Messonghi It turned out quite long and hot. An attempt to rest by the side of the road in an overgrown wasteland led to the first full-fledged macro-hunt: the variety of insects was conducive to this. I was especially pleased to have the opportunity to get a “portrait” of an ant milking aphids.

The clarity of the sea in Corfu is truly impressive. Depths of up to several meters when viewed from above give the impression of shallow water, and through the crystal, slightly greenish water you can observe the life of marine inhabitants. The long route around the island allowed us to practically not use the equipped beaches (although they are practically deserted at the end of April, with fairly warm water), and each time to find picturesque corners of the coast, unspoilt by civilization and vacationers.

Snakes are often found on wild beaches, and they swim very quickly. We even managed to watch a hunting scene: an olive snake and a small lizard looked at each other motionlessly for a long time, and the snake was clearly preparing to attack. But, disturbed by the camera lens, he ran away from us into the nearest bushes, having managed to demonstrate his swimmer’s abilities a little before.

Walking through the heat to our next overnight stop, we found a construction site and workers: it didn’t look like they were going to move us in. We approached, explained the situation, the workers began to call somewhere, and after a while the owner came. She apologized that nothing was ready for the arrival of the guests, opened a beautiful room, in my opinion, and with doubt in her voice asked if we would agree to live in such conditions. We, of course, agreed, and, having asked for directions to the nearest store, we went in search of it. We walked quite quickly: from the words of the owner, we understood that the store seemed to be open until five. After walking a couple of kilometers, we entered a town that seemed to have died out. Establishments around central square there were quite a few - from cafes to hairdressers, but absolutely everything was closed with shutters. We checked with the locals: it turns out that the store is open not until five, but from five. That is, in a couple of hours it may open. So we had to wander through the surrounding fields, climb an abandoned monastery, scare turtles in a marshy canal and admire the surrounding scenery while waiting for the siesta to end.

Olive groves accompanied us most of the way. Ancient, intricately twisted olive trees, although planted by human hands, in some places create the impression of some kind of primeval forest, which is spoiled (or, conversely, complemented) only by green nets spread below for collecting fruits. These nets cover huge areas under the trees: during the olive harvest season, all that remains is to shake the tree a little and pour the finished crop out of the nets. In addition to olives, olive wood is also valued - it is quite hard, has a slight pleasant smell and a unique pattern. In large cuts from an array of huge old trees, suitably processed (I assume soaked in hot olive oil), entire landscapes are discernible, somewhat similar to the texture of burl or Karelian birch. Large products are made from a solid solid of old wood, dried over many years, and the best examples of them are very expensive.

Apart from olive growing, other agricultural activity on the island is minimal. In some places there are small private vineyards, sometimes with a shop where you can buy wine directly from local winemakers, but we didn’t come across any significant areas of grapes. But in gardening art, the inhabitants of Corfu surpassed many. Most of the landscape compositions are represented by vertical flower beds: the snow-white walls of houses and the slopes of terraces dividing the hillside into horizontal sections are covered with compositions of flowers and a variety of, often exotic, plants. This is how the owners simultaneously save fertile land and decorate their gardens.

Most of the southern half of the island can be walked along small dirt roads or quiet roads with poor asphalt that run along the coast or in close proximity From him. However, when approaching the southernmost settlement - Kavos - the situation begins to change for the worse (for a backpacker). The coastal zone here is too indented by numerous intersecting canyons and deep crevices, through which even a path, not to mention a road, is very difficult. Therefore, most of the roads and paths going to the sea diverge radially from the dusty highway, and when approaching the sea they dead end. We had to endure several kilometers of walking along the highway.

Kavos out of season - the town is completely “dead”. Despite the abundance of signs for various establishments, including night bars and strip clubs, in the entire city only a couple of “fast food” type cafes are ready to feed a traveler who arrived in April. But this also has its advantages: the surroundings of this party place during the season are unusually picturesque, and in the summer they are certainly filled with the roar of numerous scooters and ATVs, the non-working rental points of which can be found on almost every corner.

It's a stone's throw from here to southern point island - a picturesque steep cape with the ruins of a monastery. From the high clay cliffs, a strip of a huge deserted beach is clearly visible in both directions, and we managed to get down to it only after spending considerable time searching for approaches. But it was worth going down to this beach, and not only because of its picturesqueness. Peering carefully at the shore rocks between swims, I finally discovered a worthy addition to the paleontological collection: a small shark tooth, soldered into a fist-sized piece of shell rock.

There seemed to be no further path, and the navigator stubbornly sent us back along the same route. But, looking behind the nearby rocks, we discovered a piece of the old road, eaten by a landslide and hanging over the sea like a visor. The safety issue here is resolved simply: each driver must watch the road himself, and there were no warning signs or barriers for drivers. It’s scary to imagine the consequences if someone decides to drive down this path to the sea at night. Having climbed the landslide slope onto the old asphalt with some difficulty, we were able to return by a different route.

Then our path lay in the town Agios Georgios, already located on the west coast: having reached the extreme southern point, we began to close the ring on the opposite side of the island. The twenty-kilometer journey was a necessary measure: the number settlements In this area there is minimal traffic, and no operating hotels could be found.

However, we did not regret it, since this day broke all records for the number of things we saw - from the house of local Kulibin, in the courtyard of which absolutely fantastic examples of ancient equipment and equipment made from scrap materials were displayed, to blooming orchids, distinguished in these places by an exceptional variety of species. Several different forms can be found without literally getting up from your seat.

On one of the beaches, our attention was attracted by a pile of strangely shaped blocks. Upon closer examination, this section of the coast turned out to be an ancient reef: corals, numerous fossilized bivalves, and even shells were found here. sea ​​urchin, which, however, could not be extracted from the rock. It is curious that in one of the nearby taverns they are an expert in fossils: its interiors are decorated not with modern shells and dried fish (there are many of these here), but with numerous finds from this coast.

Surprisingly, among the lush vegetation of the island you can also find desert landscapes. To the northwest of Agios Georgios there is a lagoon lake, separated from the sea by a narrow spit. This spit is covered with sand and is a ridge of low dunes. Here you can look at the desert in miniature (however, that was enough for us: the winding path with numerous stops for photography took a good half a day). And closer to the water, lush thickets grow and the air is filled with the voices of birds, especially numerous in this corner of the island.

But the miniature desert is left behind, and olive groves begin again, in which villages are hidden with small altar-cases with icons and burning lamps inside standing in front of the houses. Such structures are very common in Corfu and are varied. Among the miniature models of temples there are both clearly mass-produced examples made of concrete and creations of folk craftsmen.

When moving north, towards Agios Gordios, from where it is just a stone's throw from Kerkyra, the seascapes change noticeably. The mountains here come almost close to the sea, the coastline is cut by numerous coves, and those reminiscent of quaint stone sculptures rocks increasingly protrude directly from the water.

In some places the roads turn into mountain serpentines, opening up new views around every turn. Also, either insects and reptiles felt the approach of summer, or there were simply noticeably more of them in this part of the island, but we saw plenty of butterflies, beetles and lizards.

Agios Gordios beach was disappointing at first. We were greeted by orderly rows of identical white sun loungers, a considerable part of which were occupied by motionless vacationers. It looked like today's swim in Ionian Sea- farewell: the next day we had a long journey back to Kerkyra, and not along the coast, but across the island. I didn’t want to ruin this day by swimming at a mass rookery. To avoid swimming in the crowd, we decided to go behind the rock. And then another, and another... And then one of the most beautiful sections of the coast of the entire trip opened up to us.

Behind a small ridge of rocks, an old fishing boat, washed ashore by the sea, was rusting. An unknown artist, apparently after the ship was abandoned, decorated it with a pair of eyes in the manner of ancient Greek galleys. It would seem, how can a pile of rusty iron decorate a beach? It turns out it can. The longboat fit perfectly into the surrounding rocky landscape with a strip of tiny sand and rocks protruding from it of such shapes that they could become a worthy decoration for any “cichlid” aquarium, even if they were several dozen times smaller. A flock of wading birds sat on one of the stones, not frightening anyone. However, when I got too impudent with the camera, they simultaneously rose into the air, putting their long legs back and equally long beaks forward.

The inscription on one of the large stones read: “Nudists only.” There were no people around. Behind the stone a natural arch appeared, entering which we found ourselves on a tiny private beach, closed on all sides. In addition, the low evening sun shone directly under its arch, covering this secluded corner with golden light. Having swam to my heart's content heavenly place, we hurried to the night hunt.

We were lucky: the hotel was located in a small, quiet garden, and there were a couple of lanterns in front of the entrance to our room. Having turned them on, prepared the equipment, and settled down on the open veranda, we began to wait: who would crawl or fly into the light? The “catch” in the form of three geckos, a bronze scoop butterfly with a fancy decoration on its head and a small centipede suited us quite well.

The geckos were especially good. Their soft pink, almost transparent bodies merged with the unevenness of the walls. The predators lazily waited, frozen in motion, for some mosquito to fly too close. One of the geckos was so keen on hunting that he allowed himself to be filmed several times almost point-blank, and the result was a large “portrait”.

The road smoothly departs from the sea, rising up the mountain. The last beach is hidden around the bend west coast, and in return the peak appears before my eyes Pantocrator- the highest point of the island. Despite its modest height (less than 1000 meters), against the background of the surrounding landscape with cypress trees drowning in haze to the horizon and low mountain ranges, it looks quite majestic.

Kerkyra We were greeted by a noisy multi-lane highway with virtually no sidewalks, which, especially after a week and a half in nature, was not very pleasant to walk on. However, on the way to the historical center, rural landscapes with constant olive trees, grazing horses and houses buried in gardens still awaited us.

The experienced traveler should not expect too much from Kerkyra. Although the historical center of the city is included in the UNESCO list, and the formal list of attractions is very large, in general it is a quiet, bright, but monotonous and in some places rather neglected town. Apart from two powerful fortresses and a couple of rather unusual churches, there is not much worth seeing here. So one full day at a brisk walking pace in the city is quite enough. Co Old fortress a panorama of almost the entire city opens up, and inside the fortress walls there is a small Byzantine Museum, consisting of only a couple of halls. Much bigger and more interesting Asian Art Museum, created on the basis of a huge private collection and very reminiscent of the Oriental Museum in Moscow. The exhibition, which includes a wonderful collection of classical Japanese paintings, is located in a luxurious old mansion, and the creators of the museum brilliantly solved the difficult task of showing both a rich collection of Asian artifacts and palace interiors in all their splendor. In the exhibition halls with plain walls and rows of exhibits, large “windows” are made, through which you can observe fragments of palace luxury and Western European painting.

Concluding the story about Corfu, I would like to give some practical advice.

Travel more on foot or by bike. With the exception of a couple of central highways, the island's roads range from moderately rough to terrible. By car you will not see much of what is available to a traveler on foot, and the speed of travel will increase slightly. I will not promote ATVs - as a means of transport that can scare away all the fauna within a radius of a couple of kilometers.

Stock up on snacks and water the night before. The daytime siesta here is long, and in some towns absolutely everything is closed, including grocery stores. And many places do not open at all until the start of the mass beach season.

Don't be put off by the high prices in the center of Kerkyra. Once you go to the outskirts of the city (not to mention remote villages), prices reach the level of the Russian average. For the same reason, you should not stay in Kerkyra longer than necessary: ​​one full day is enough to explore the city.

The old fort of Corfu and the Achilleion Palace are best visited in the early morning, before the mass migration of bus tourists begins. During this time, you will experience absence of heat, beautiful light and almost complete absence of people.

Those planning to make a radial ascent of Mount Pantokrator in one day are better off booking their accommodation well in advance. We were late: at the time of planning the route, there were few hotels left within walking distance from the top, and their prices were terrible - almost like in Iceland. I didn’t want to drag the tent, so I had to give up the idea of ​​climbing.

Be careful with local fauna. The island is a paradise for a herpetologist: I have never seen such an abundance of snakes, including poisonous species, anywhere else. As a rule, they are not aggressive and try to get away quickly, but at the same time they crawl quickly and swim well. But they looked for the scorpions colorfully described by Darrell on purpose, but during the entire trip they did not meet a single one.

Kerkyra (Corfu) belongs to the group Ionian Islands, most northern island Greece. The island is quite small, but very green and cozy. Olives and grapes are grown here, as well as a healthy citrus fruit - kumquat, from which liqueur is also made. Today we will pass interesting route on the island of Corfu, namely its northern part.

Driving route around the island of Corfu

So today our route will be like this:

Gouvia - Ipsos - Kalami - Acharavi - Pantocrator - Perisia - Sidari

Route along the northern part of the island. Corfu

The northern part of the island is mountainous.

At the foot of the mountains

Ipsos

If you move north, the first thing that attracts attention is Ipsos. This resort village has many shops and taverns, discos, a long sandy beach, and a promenade along the beach. But the most beautiful view The view of the village and the sea opens up if you drive a little further along the road and climb the mountain.

Panorama of Ipsos

Kalami, Darrell's house

Next, our route around the island of Corfu passes high in the mountains, and below, near the sea, small villages are hidden around picturesque coves. We looked into one of these bays. Kalami. Here is the estate of Lawrence Durrell (English writer and poet), where he lived for several years with his wife in the 30s of the 20th century. It is now a hotel with 1930s furnishings. Unfortunately, the estate where Gerald Durrell (Lawrence's younger brother, an animal writer) lived has not survived. The film “My Family and Other Animals” was made about the life of little Gerald in Corfu.

Kalami. The White house.

Moving by car according to the signs, we find ourselves on the road leading to the mountain Pantocrator. The top can be reached by two roads - from the south side, through the village Spartillas or from the north side, through Acharavi. We chose the second path and did not regret it. The road passes through several mountain villages, where local residents offer to buy olive oil (7 € per 1 liter); and between the villages there are olive terraces. Very picturesque.

In May, the Greeks are just harvesting. It looks quite interesting: all along the mountain slopes there are nets that catch ripe olives falling from the trees. They roll down, and all that remains is to drive your car to the lowest tier and load the fruits neatly folded into a pile.

Mount Pantokrator

Pantocrator(from the Greek παντοκράτωρ - omnipotent, omnipotent) - the most high point Corfu. Stunning panoramic views, despite the fact that the height of the mountain is only 900m. you can see the capital, the coast of Albania, and the opposite part of the island. Looking at all this splendor from above is breathtaking.

True, it is better to choose a sunny day to visit the peak, otherwise you risk seeing continuous fog and clouds. At the top there is a monastery, of course, a souvenir shop and a cafe. It is quite possible to drive to the very top by car, and if there are not many people, you can park right at the top. But many tourists climb the mountain on foot, catching all sorts of butterflies and insects with nets along the way, like the curious Gerald.

The view is spoiled only by numerous towers.

Old Perisia

Old Perisia was founded in the 14th century high in the mountains surrounding Pantokrator, people moved there from coastal villages to protect themselves from pirate raids. There are several restored and residential buildings, four taverns, and many abandoned houses with collapsed roofs and trees growing right on the walls.

Old Perisia

Mysterious and peaceful atmosphere, especially if you go a little further than the main street.

At the beginning of May there were practically no tourists; we met only a group of 4 young guys. Prices in taverns are the same as on the coast (for example, moussaka cost 6.5 €)

Acharavi

In the very north of the island there is a village Acharavi. Quite a large and popular resort village with many hotels, beaches and taverns.

Acharavi street

There is a museum, but we didn’t get into it - it was closed (the museum is only open until lunchtime). But there is a very nice gift shop Made in Corfu. In it you can find completely original items of Corfian, and not only production, for a reasonable price. I recommend visiting it if you want to take home original gifts and souvenirs. We read in the guidebook that there are similar shops in Old Perisia and Gasturi. But in Gasturi they could not find this store, and in Old Perisia it no longer exists (local residents said that there used to be one, but now it has closed).

Sidari, channel of love

Sidari. Love Channel

There is a legend that if lovers swim along this canal holding hands, they will remain together forever. True, at the beginning of May, no one dared to test their love.

Behind Sidari on the northwestern edge of the island there is nice beach and Cape Drastis (judging by numerous reviews and photos), but, unfortunately, we did not get there.

To be continued…

Thank you for your attention! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.