Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For
diving
in crystal-clear waters you'll find operators at Kassiopi, Agios Gordios,
Agios Georgios, Ipsos, Gouvia and Paleokastritsa.
land north to south and takes between eight and 12 days to complete. For help with
accommodation along the trail, contact
Aperghi Travel
( 26610 48713;
www.travelling.gr/aperghi
)
. The bookIn the Footsteps of Lawrence Durrell and Gerald
Durrell in Corfu(Hilary Whitton Paipeti, 1999) is an excellent buy.
For
mountain biking
, especially off-road, the
Corfu Mountainbike Shop
(
26610 93344;
www.mountainbikecorfu.gr
)
, in Dasia, rents bikes and organises day trips and
cycling holidays.
Horse riding
through olive groves and on quiet trails is offered through
Trail-
Corfu Golf Club
(
26610 94220;
www.corfugolfclub.com
)
is near Ermones, on Corfu's
west coast.
TOP OF CHAPTER
North & Northwest of Corfu Town
To explore fully all regions of the island outside Corfu Town your own transport is best.
Much of the coast just north of Corfu Town is overwhelmed with beach resorts such as
Gouvia
,
Dasia
and the linked resorts of
Ipsos
and
Pyrgi
, all with close-quarters human-
ity and narrow beaches, but with everything for a family holiday.
Beyond Pyrgi the tawny slopes of
Mt Pantokrator
(906m), the island's highest peak,
crowd down to the sea and reclaim the coast at some lovely scenic stretches along a
winding road. Just beyond Pyrgi, the road corkscrews upwards and eventually passes
through the picturesque villages
Spartylas
and
Strinylas
. It then climbs through stark
terrain that is transformed by wildflowers in spring to the mountain's summit and the
monastery,
Moni Pantokrator
, which is now dominated by a massive telecommunica-
tions tower. Superb all-round views stretch as far as the mountains of Albania and the
Greek mainland.
Hugging the coast north from Pyrgi, the first decent spot is
Barbati
with its shingle
beach and water-sports centre. The bay-side village of
Kalami
is famous for the former
home of Lawrence and Nancy Durrell, called White House and now a rental villa
(
www.corfu-kalami.gr
).
