Paleokastritsa - Corfu

Paleokastritsa itself is actually a tourist attraction. This long stretched village on the mid-west coast of Corfu is one of the most visited places on the island because of its extraordinary beauty. The area now called Paleokastritsa (or Paleo, as the locals often call it) consists of a large number of beaches, bays, peninsulas and cliffs. The original Paleokastritsa was at the very end of the road covering the area of the Monastery and the 3 beaches. The resort is backed by a high cliff that is abundantly covered with millions of olive trees and other greenery. All in all, a majestic piece of Corfu, where it’s great to spend your holiday. So much so that Odysseus himself interrupted his sailing trip on the way home after fighting in Troy to visit Paleokastritsa. The residents of Paleokastritsa know this mythological figure came ashore in their village. We have no reason to doubt about it, although they might be somewhat biased.

Water fun on Corfu

paleo corfuIn Paleokastritsa you will find the best snorkelling areas on all Corfu. Because of the many rock formations on this side of the island there is so much to enjoy underwater – a veritable underwater paradise. Snorkelling from any of the beaches is a pleasure for your eyes or be a bit more adventurous and go diving (there are diving schools in the resort). Later on it's always nice to relax at one of the many beach bars. Tired after snorkelling maybe, but happy with a fresh snack in your hand you will soon drift away listening to the music that comes from the speakers. The almost ever present sunshine makes your eyelids heavy and before you know you are dreaming of an underwater paradise, huge fish and sunken treasures. Paleokastritsa is great fun.

Purchase a pair of water shoes. On some beaches of this idyllic coastal town some sea urchins have decided to make their home. Who can blame them with this scenery! In a fight with a sea urchin you will always lose. Experience has shown that it is a painful task to have to pick a few dozen or so needles out of your foot. A few bucks will prevent you from this inconvenience.

Discover Touristic Corfu

paradise beach corfuTraditional restaurants, bars and beach clubs, quaint shops, car and scooter rentals and much more can be found all along the miles of the winding road that is Paleokastritsa. Walk from the start of the resort through fantastic scenery and at the end of this former fishing village you will see some beautiful things.
On the left you see a beautiful bay lined with high cliffs rising from the water. The deep blue water reveals that the water there is a bit deeper than many other beaches. Perhaps that explains the rich fishing grounds. The fact is that there are a lot of fish, often of a considerable size. Not the size of the great white shark, but bigger than many of fishes you see in the aquarium. The harbour is a great place for fishing although since it has been developed as a marina a bit of rock scrambling is now needed before you can cast out to sea. Once NATO property, the cliff side behind the harbour is hollow and was used to store all sorts of interesting things. There is talk of opening this up as a tourist attraction but just now is used as a storeroom for the tables and chairs used at the local festivals.
To the right is another bay, which is always changing colour. You know the kind of bay you often see on postcards. Here you can park the car (will cost you a few dimes) and spend a great day at the beach.

Walking and cycling on Corfu

paleo corfuAnyone wanting an energetic holiday can indulge themselves in Paleokastritsa. The whole area just breathes the atmosphere of discovery. The mountain side that backs Paleokastritsa is crisscrossed by hundreds of mountain paths, narrow roads and paths rarely walked by humans. Put on you bold clodhoppers and go on the road to another junction of the path you discovered yesterday and find lots of new beauty there.
For cyclists the whole area is a paradise way beyond your wildest dreams. You will increase your range with a bicycle of course, so you will be able to enjoy stunning views of the West coast of Corfu. The real climbers and cyclists should climb the ridge in the direction of Krini and Makrades and reward themselves there for hours with an incredible view over the inland of Corfu.
Warning! Only for trained riders!

All the good of Corfu

monastery corfuThe icing on the cake is the Theotokis Monastery , located at the end of the road. Walk up the winding road and you have an opportunity to see Paleokastritsa from above. It also the only place in the area where is possible to see the original village of Lakones, although now that the village has extended there are other places in the resort where you can see the outskirts of the village. This is definitely a must-do. Because of all this beauty it is important to notice the only traffic light in Paleokastritsa. It is placed on this route to ensure that incoming tourists do not conflict with outgoing tourists. So you better drive only when the light is green. It's no fun at all to drive back 200 meters down the many curves and cliffs, with a mad bus driver who hunks his horn all the way as he keeps moving forward, because you jumped the light.
There are many opportunities to have fun with water sports in the beautiful waters of Paleokastritsa. Diving, water skiing, boat tours, boat hire, paragliding and other things you do not do in your Sunday suit. You can also rent a pedal boat, although this vehicle might not be very popular among some people. For those it is more fun to rent a boat and look for the caves of Paradise Beach. This is one of the tourist attractions that the righteous tourist should not forget. What you will find there is the finest water, not only very clear and blue, but also very cold. The sun never reaches the waters in the caves, swimming there is reserved for the tough guys amongst us. Since most tourists are not die-hards, they rarely swim in the caves of Paradise Beach. However the waters of Paradise Beach (officially Choumos Beach) itself are lovely and very clear. You will love it there.
There are so many beaches in Paleo, why not visit them all during your Corfu holiday?

Corfu nightlife at Paleo

At night Paleokastritsa remains bubbly. The restaurants, snack bars and bars open their doors and warmly welcome their guests. Paleokastritsa has four miles of road along which you will find opportunities for food-, drinks-, music-, fun-, etc. Imagine you can have a pub crawl and get fit at the same time! When you want you can visit another venue every hour every day during your holiday on Corfu. La Grotta is a must-visit, with an amazing view over one of the bays of ravishing beauty, and it has a large range of cocktails and fancy drinks, good music and a wonderful atmosphere but be prepared for the climb back up at nearly 200 steps it is not for the faint hearted.
The parent town Lakones is definitely worth a visit as well.

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