Exploring Corfu

Corfu may be one of the most beautiful, peaceful and charming places that I've ever travelled. Time feels like it literally stops when you step off the plane and you have nothing to do but relax on beautiful beaches, quad bike around the coast, visit stunning hilltop monasteries, and eat some of the best food in the world (never mind partaking in some 1 litre wine drinking!). BLISS! Corfu, for sure, is a little piece of heaven hidden on our planet.

I could go on for days about how much I loved our trip here a few weeks ago but, alas, I shall narrow it down to my top memories of my time exploring Paleokastritsa, Corfu Town, Pelekas and quad biking around the North coast...

ANGEL'S POOL BAR APARTMENTS

If you're looking for a relaxing and peaceful location, with plenty of traditional Greek taverns, beautiful sunset views, beaches a stone's throw away, welcoming locals that make you feel like you've known them for years, and the most stunning monastery; then look no further than Paleokastritsa (a village in Northwestern Corfu). And really, there is no better place to stay than Angel's Pool. 

We spent a lot of time on our trip chilling with some cocktails and beer by the pool, relaxing in the jacuzzi, watching the sunset with a glass of wine and ouzos on our balcony and eating some of the best damn food in the world. There is a reason they repeatedly get 5 star reviews and customers coming back every year!

The owner Angela and her family are truly fantastic and welcoming hosts, catering, with no problems, to my vegetarian no mushroom diet (sorry Angela!). The Friday night BBQ will hold memories for a lifetime for me. Especially that Greek-Style conga round the pool. My god what a conga haha! This place, is a hidden little gem and I am SO glad we discovered it!

 Poolside 

 BBQ Night Greek Dancing (on fire, literally)

 Veggie Gyros (Pitta)

Veggie Pasta 

QUAD BIKING AROUND THE NORTH COAST

I have Tony to thank for this one. It's not often he's right (jokes) but he was spot on with booking us a quad bike to go round the North coast. We planned to only do a little part of it but were soon on our way round the entire Northwestern coast! Heading up to Sidari which I'm not gonna lie, I didn't rate much. Mainly because jeezo, trying to get to it and out of it was a logistical nightmare (I blame both our bad senses of direction). After a detour where we were halfway along the Northeastern coast (oops) we found it, had a decent lunch at Canal d'Amour which has a lovely little beach and sea view before heading onwards back down the coast. 

We soon passed beautiful village after village and some of the most stunning beaches which I am determined to get back to and explore next year. Eventually, we headed back to Paleokastritsa via the hilltops and Lakones and before we even realised, we were very (very) high up above the coast, taking in some fantastic views! I did however, think the quad bike was going to cave in and send us rolling back down the hill it was that flipping steep. Well done wee quad bike!

One of my must dos for this trip was to see Castel Angelokastro - a Byzantine castle on the highest peak on the coast. Perched atop a clifftop, it was an absolute highlight of the trip.

Next up on our tour was the mindblowing viewpoint at Bella Vista. And let's just say, this bad boy, needs no further introduction...

We finished our trip off back in Paleo with a drink at The Grotto Bar - a rather hip beach bar hidden in a cove with a live DJ and customers diving off a board into the sea, don't see that every day!

SPEEDBOAT TO PARADISE BEACH

What better way to spend your day than a private speedboat (60 euros via Michalas) that takes you on a tour around the caves dotted along the coastline before leaving you marooned on a secluded beach? A must for everyone visiting here! Just watch when you snorkel in the shallow end of the water...there's fish. LOTS of fish!

EAT, DRINK AND SMASH SOME PLATES

BBQ night at Angel's Pool - veggie moussaka, veg, pitta, tzatziki and the best damn potatoes

Where do I even begin with the food?? I don't think, in all my 31 years, I've visited a place where at every meal, I have enjoyed every single mouthwatering bite of food. Not one average 'yeah that was OK' meal. Everything was just spot on and moreish. Paleo has ample supply of traditional Greek taverns to breakfast, lunch and dinner at and I am sooooo down with the litre wines! We had so many delicious meals, fun nights Greek dancing and smashing plates and drinking local wine, that I had to include some pics.

Petrino Garden - fried saganaki, greek salad and the best damn local white wine (to start)

O Meraklis - Greek Dancers

O Meraklis -  greek salad, pitta, tzatziki 

 O Meraklis - literally THEE best napoli pasta I have ever had in my life (and I've been to Italy)

 O Meraklis - wasn't me

O Meraklis - nope, not me again...

 Sunset views at Belvedere 

Belvedere - Fried Saganaki, greek salad, stuffed peppers - to start

Ταβερνα Ναυσικα - stuffed tomatoes, Greek roast potatoes, salad

 Morning views from Tango Cafe Bar

Tango Cafe Bar - continental brekkie

CORFU TOWN & MOUSE ISLAND

Walking through the streets of Corfu Town, you can see the Venetian influence that takes root in the town. We spent the day taking a leisurely stroll around the cobbled streets discovering great boutique shops, restaurants with views overlooking the sea and Albania, fortresses, you name it, before heading over to Mouse Island where we were lucky enough to watch planes land right over us! 

 Old Fortress

  Old Fortress

 Lunch views at AntPanik

 Liston Square

 St Spyridon Church

 Mouse Island

Church on Mouse Island

 Vlacherna Monastery (where you get the boat over to Mouse)

Plane landing over Mouse Island

SUNSETS AT PELEKAS

With Corfu Town and Mouse Island successfully ticked off our list, we headed over to Pelekas - a little village in central Corfu - to catch up with our lovely family Christina, Niko and their beautiful new baby boy Tellis (what a beaut of a baby!!). We kicked off with some homemade wine at their house before heading up to a great viewpoint where we took in the best sunset I've ever seen.

We were ravished by this point so headed to a lovely local restaurant Jimmy's where we had so much bloody good food I didn't want to leave. A lovely little introduction to an area I want to explore more of (next time).

 

MONASTERY OF PALEOKASTRITSA

This monastery was a complete pleasure to explore. Even though there were plenty of tourists around, I still felt a sense of peace, calm and serenity. The sea views from the cafe (pic above) were astounding and the monastery itself was just out of this world. A must-see.

LIFE'S A BEACH

Quad biking, Corfu Town/Mouse Island exploring, speedboats, sunsets at Pelekas...we had plenty of activities and adventures to keep us entertained during our week in Corfu but one of the best things to do (and which we had plenty of time to enjoy) was chilling on the beach (there's a few of them dotted around Paleo) with a frozen strawberry margarita. Or daiquiri. I wasn't fussy.

Until next time Corfu!

Leanne x