Drive to Palaiokastrítsa
This drive to Palaiokastritsa starts at Corfu airport and takes you across the Ropa Plan and through hill villages before returning to Corfu Town.
This Drive Takes You to Beautiful Palaiokastritsa
Palaiokastrítsa (or Paleokastritsa) is one of the most popular beauty spots on Corfu, so much so that Sir Frederick Adam, the British High Commissioner in the early 19th century, built a road across the island to speed his journey. This drive takes you there on a more scenic, meandering route through the villages and idyllic landscape of the Rópa Plain.
Note
These directions were accurate when we did the drive but signposts can always change so don’t assume it’s still 100% correct.
Drive to Palaiokastritsa
From the airport, make a left turn on to the road for the Achilleion and Lefkímmi. After 1 km (0.6 miles), turn right, following signs for Pélekas; then left again when this short road ends, and continue on the Pélekas road through the suburbs of Corfu Town (about 10 minutes).
Afra
Turn right at the sign for Afra. (Note that it appears to point straight on, but is actually a right turn.) Cross a small bridge, and the narrow road winds uphill for 2 km (about 1.25 miles) past attractive houses with beautiful gardens.
Beyond the village, just past an old olive grove, you come to a stop sign. Go straight on (signposted Gouvía), along a cypress-lined forest and over a single-lane bridge. At the next stop sign, turn left towards Gouvía and after a few metres turn left again, following signs for Templóni.
The road winds through pretty rural scenery, bright with wildflowers in spring. Between the clusters of sage and olive trees there are views across the countryside to the distant hills. As you leave the small village of Templóni, you’ll have the first view across the Plain of Rópa before descending to the valley floor.
The Ropa Plain
At the end of the road, turn right towards Palaiokastrítsa. After a few hundred metres take the first left, signposted Giannádes and Mármaro. You are now crossing the wide, grassy Plain of Rópa, dotted with pleasant rural houses surrounded by vineyards and beehives.
At the far end of the plain, ignore the turning to Mármaro and Kanakádes and continue uphill towards Giannádes, with stunning views back over the plain.
Into Giannades
At a fork in the road, take a sharp right turn uphill into the village. Follow the parking signs and park near the village square. Unlike many mountain villages, Giannádes has a big, open square with a fountain and benches that affords a fabulous view over the Rópa Plain. Alongside the square is a taverna where the local men gather for coffee, brandy and gossip. Giannádes is a good place to stretch your legs with a walk around the pretty village and up to the yellow church with its stone bell tower.
Retrace the route back to the bottom of the hill and take the sharp left turn signposted for Mármaro (1 km/0.6 miles) and Kanakádes (2 km/1.25 miles). Drive through an idyllic valley of olive groves, grazing sheep, small gardens and vineyards. The villages are little more than a string of houses which run into one another along a stretch of the road. Once past these, the road continues through the Rópa Plain up to the main road.
Turn left for Palaiokastrítsa, which is 6 km (3.7 miles) away. After 2 km (1.25 miles) turn left for Liapádes. The town is uphill to the left, but the streets are narrow and steep so if you want to explore, it’s best to park below and walk up into the town. You may see local women in traditional dress with white head scarves instead of the usual black. Alternatively, check out Liapádes’ beautiful beach, 1 km (0.6 miles) to the right.
Leave Liapádes and at the main road turn left for Palaiokastrítsa. The road winds along its beautiful bays and inlets until it ends at the far edge of town.
You can return to Corfu Town on the fast main road (25 km/15.5 miles) or take another scenic route to the coast. As you leave town, you will see a right turn for Glyfádes and Ermónes. Ignore this, but watch for the next left-hand turn. It is unmarked from this direction but leads to Doukádes. (If you reach a petrol station on your left, you’ve missed it, so turn around there. It will then be signposted from this direction.)
Through Doukades
This narrow, old road has hairpin curves winding up through the olive groves. At the stop sign, turn left and the road goes through the centre of Doukádes, a pretty village with two churches and a popular restaurant. Follow signs for the parking area if you want to stop.
Leave the village, following the signs for Róda, Sidári and Skriperó. The countryside is decked with wildflowers, poppies, tall grass and vines among the olive trees. At the road’s end, turn right onto the main road for Corfu Town. Continue through Skriperó. At the next stop sign, turn left and follow signs for Corfu Town, 14 km (8.7 miles) away.
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Where to Stay on Corfu
Other Corfu pages
Corfu olives are an important part of this Greek island's economy, with an estimated 3-4 million trees producing olive oil of exceptional quality.
Northern Corfu is the most diverse part of the island, with Corfu's highest point, Mt Pantokrator, and beach resorts like Sidari and Palaiokastritsa.
North-West Corfu’s beaches and villages include busy resorts, quiet beaches, hill villages, and places ideal for watching the sunset,
The Korission Lagoon on the west coast of Corfu is also called Lake Korission and has abundant wildlife, especially birds, and one of the best beaches on Corfu.
Kassiopi is a popular tourist resort on the northeast coast of Corfu with a sandy beach, Byzantine fortress, old church, and lots of places to stay and to eat.
Greece Travel Secrets’ pick of where to stay in southern Corfu including hotels in Moraïtika, Paramonas, Messonghi, Agios Georgios, and near Benitses.
These Corfu shopping tips include advice on buying souvenirs like ceramics, jewelry, gold, silver, wood carvings, and food and drink, with tips on haggling.
Information for travellers to Greece on Corfu festivals and events including Easter, the Feast of St Spiridhon, Carnival and Name Days.
The best beaches on Corfu, chosen by Greece Travel Secrets, include Paleokastritsa, Mirtiotissa, Sidari and Cape Asprokavos.
The history of Corfu and cricket goes back to 1823 when the island was under British rule, which left them with a legacy of loving both cricket and ginger beer.
Southern Corfu has busy beach resorts like Benitses, historical buildings like the Achilleion Palace and Gardiki Castle, and wildlife at the Korision Lagoon.
There are two sides to every Greek island, the tourist and the traditional, and this drive from Corfu Town through northern Corfu shows the two faces of Corfu.
Donna Dailey of Greece Travel Secrets visits Albania by boat from Corfu Town, staying overnight and seeing archaeological sites with Sipa Tours.
Greece Travel Secrets has its list of favourite places where you can eat in north-west Corfu, including in Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, and Ayios Stefanos.
The Corfu Climate page describes the hours of sun, the rain, the winds, to help you plan the best time to visit this Ionian island.
Corfu’s special cuisine includes dishes like sofrito and pastitsade and the chance to try ginger beer and kumquats.
The best things to do on Corfu include visiting Palaiokastritsa, a day trip to Albania, seeing the Achilleion Palace, and the museums in Corfu Town.
This is the Greece Travel Secrets selection of where to eat in northern Corfu, from classy restaurants and traditional tavernas to beachside fish tavernas.
The Achilleion Palace is one of the most visited sights on Corfu and contains a museum and impressive gardens with wonderful views over the coast.
Corfu Town’s Old Fortress is the town’s most striking landmark, standing east of the Old Town on top of a rocky promontory.
This guide to southern Corfu’s beaches and villages includes busy resorts, quiet beach, hill villages and the southernmost tip of Corfu at Cape Asprókavos.
Corfu or Kerkyra is the main island in the Greek Ionian islands with Corfu Town being one of the most attractive of Greek island capitals.
Benitses is a popular resort town south of Corfu Town with its own marina, remains of a Roman Baths, an old town, and plenty of walks inland.
The Corfu Trail runs from the southernmost point of Corfu at Cape Asprokavos and winds for 220km (137 miles) to the northernmost point near Andinioti Lagoon.
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