Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Áyios Stéfanos
The northernmost of the west coast's resorts,
ÁYIOS STÉFANOS
is low-key, popular with
families and a quiet base from which to explore the northwest and the Dhiapóndia
islands (see p.717), visible on the horizon. The small harbour lies a good kilometre
south of the long sandy beach.
Avliótes and around
In the northwest corner of Corfu stands
AVLIÓTES
, a handsome hill town with the odd
kafenío
and tavernas but few concessions to tourism. The town is useful for its accessibility
to the small, quiet village of
Perouládhes
in the very northwest and stunning
Longás beach
below, bordered by vertical reddish layer-cake cliffs that make for shady mornings.
ACCOMMODATION, EATING AND DRINKING
THE NORTHWEST COAST
ÁYIOS YEÓRYIOS
Ì
Ostrako
T
26630 96028.
Gaily painted taverna with
a terrace overlooking the southern end of the beach,
unbeatable for seafood such as squid and octopus. The
eclectic recorded folk music helps create a pleasant
atmosphere.
May-Oct 11am-1am.
Pension Vrahos
T
26630 96366,
W
pension-vrachos
.com.
At the far northern end of the beach, under the
eponymous cliff, this pension offers bright, good-value
rooms in the building behind its tavern
a, w
hich serves
Greek and international cuisine. May-Oct.
€40
Studio Eleana
T
26630 96366.
Smart modern studios
with crisp white linen, nice kitchenettes and some sea-
view balconies,
50m
behind the central section of beach.
Late May-Sept.
€35
ÁYIOS STÉFANOS
Nafsika
T
26630 51051,
W
nafsikahotel.com.
Behind
the southern strip of beach, the resort's oldest hotel has
comfy rooms, a pop
ular
restaurant and gardens with a pool
and bar. April-Oct.
€40
Ì
O Manthos
T
26630 52197.
The oldest taverna,
behind the southern beach, is still the best, and serves
Corfiot specialities such as
sofríto
and
pastitsádha
. Ask the
venerable owner to show you his memorabilia. Music and
dance every Sat.
May-Oct noon-1am.
Restaurant Evinos
T
26630 51766.
Has small
apartments above the northern end of the village and
serves up wholesome food, a mixt
ure
of
mayireftá
and
grilled meat or fish. May to mid-Oct.
€35
11
AVLIÓTES AND AROUND
Panorama
Longás beach
T
26630 51846.
The taverna's
name gives the game away - perched on the cliff above the
beach, its garden terrace is a great spot for a sunset dinner
or cocktail at the attached
7th Heaven Café
.
May-Sept
daily 11am-midnight.
AFIÓNAS
To Panorama
T
26630 51846,
E
panorama_afionas
@hotmail.com.
Friendly family restaurant which serves
tasty meals made from organic produce and has great
views from
its it
errace; it has also some good-value rooms.
May-Sept.
€30
Central Corfu
Much of central Corfu is occupied by the
plain of Rópa
, whose fertile landscape backs
onto some of the best beaches on the west coast, such as delightful
Myrtiótissa
, as well
as the island's only mountain resort,
Pélekas
- all a quick bus ride across the island
from Corfu Town. The only place of note on the central east coast is
Benítses
.
Érmones and around
ÉRMONES
, around 15km south of Paleokastrítsa by road, is one of the busiest resorts on
the island, its lush green bay backed by the mountains above the Rópa River but rather
marred by the ugly tiered
Ermones Beach Hotel
and its private funicular. Just inland is
the
Corfu Golf and Country Club
(
T
26610 94220,
W
corfugolfclub.com), the only golf
club in the archipelago, and reputed to be one of the finest in the Mediterranean.
Myrtiótissa
Far preferable to the gravelly sand of Érmones is the idyllic strand of
MYRTIÓTISSA
, about
3km south. In
Prospero's Cell
, Lawrence Durrell described Myrtiótissa as “perhaps the
loveliest beach in the world”; it was for years a well-guarded secret but is now a firm
