Places

The island of Pontikonisi is located south of the town of Corfu, close to the areas of Perama and Kanoni. It is a very small uninhabited isle. The only building on it is the Byzantine church of Pantokrator, built between the 11th and 12th centuries. The isle can be accessed during the summer months by boat which leaves from a small port opposite to Pontikonisi. The isle is listed as a heritage monument and it is not allowed to the visitors neither to walk around nor visit the church. The church is open to the public and pilgrims only on the 6th of August, when the 'Transfiguration of Jesus' is celebrated.

How to reach Sivota Sivota is an area of amazing natural beauty. It lies opposite to Corfu, on the west coast of the Greek mainland. It has all the characteristics of the Ionian sea with the vast greenery and crystal clear waters. There are several small sandy beaches such as Zeri, Galikos Ormos, Bello Vrako, Zavia and the bay of 'Psisina' where some scenes of the film 'Blue Lagoon' were shot. If you travel from Corfu, you can reach Sivota by a ferry boat which takes about one hour and a half. Sivota is about is a 20-minutes drive from the port of Igoumenitsa. Preveza has an airport which hosts charter and domestic flights and it lies 80 km from Sivota.  The city of Ioannina lies at the same distance. There is also an airport there which hosts domestic flights. From Ioannina, there are regular bus routes to Igoumenitsa. There are also ferry boats from Italy (Ancona, Venice, Bari and Brindisi) and Patra that arrive in Igoumenitsa with the following companies: Superfast Ferries, Anek Lines and Minoan Lines. Prices Corfu - Parga - Sivota - Blue Lagoon (with coach transfer to the port) € 40,00 euro Corfu - Parga - Sivota - Blue Lagoon (without coach transfer to the port) € 35,00 euro

Parga is a very popular weekend destination for both Greeks and foreigners. You can easily get the ferry from Corfu which has more frequent services in the summer. The journey from Corfu takes about two hours and from Paxos island about one and a half hour. There are also several tour boats which offer day-trips to the exotic secret beauty of the Ionian Sea. Prices Parga - Sivota - Blue Lagoon (with coach transfer to the port) € 40,00 euro Parga - Sivota - Blue Lagoon (without coach transfer to the port) € 35,00 euro

How to reach Corfu from Igoumenitsa There are frequent ferry boat services connecting Corfu to Igoumenitsa. The ticket desks are located at the entrance of each port. Foot passengers must be at the port half an hour before departure. There are two types of ferry boats operating the Corfu-Igoumenitsa journey. Open-deck boats operate exclusively when the weather is good and the journey takes approximately two hours, while close-deck boats operate in almost every weather condition and the journey takes an hour and a half. Prices 11 euros per person 40 euros per car 16 euros per motorbike

There are daily ferries from Italy to the port of Igoumenitsa, Greece. Italian Ports: Ancona, Bari, Venice and Brindisi. All the ports are connected with railway to the entire country. Ferry Companies: Minoan lines, Anek, Superfast, EMMC. It is not necessary to reserve your booking online with the above ferry boat companies, but you can get your ticket just before you are ready to sail. There are scheduled ferry boats from Igoumenitsa to Corfu on almost hourly basis. The cheapest option is with Minoan Lines - http://www.ferries.gr/minoan/ (free for Eurail and Interail in the low season). Alternatives are Superfast - http://www.ferries.gr/anek/defaulten.htm (accepts Eurail and Interail). Anek Lines - http://www.ferries.gr/ (no Eurail or Interail but under 26 discount).

How to reach Albania from Corfu There is a ferry-boat departing from Corfu to the city of Ag. Saranda- Gjirokastro- Licoursi- The Blue Eye. The port of Ag. Saranda is located in the southeast coast of Albania. The town is visible from the southeast part of Corfu. The Greek borders in the mainland are 26 km south of the town. The ancient name of the town was Onchesmus. The town of Butrint has also great historical importance. It has been continuously inhabited since the prehistoric era, it later became a Greek colony and a Roman city. The city was also a bishopric during the Byzantine era and met great prosperity. It fell into the Venetian rule but was abandoned in the late Medieval ages. After the abandonment, bogs were formed at the site of the city. Nowadays, the entire area operates as an archaeological site where you can learn about the history of the city. The old city of Gjirokastro is located on the slopes of the mountain Mali I Gjere, south Albania. Its population is approximately 30.000 citizents. It is named after the princess Argiro and the coat of arms of the town is its castle which dates back to the 4th or 5th century.  The castle lies at the left shore of river Drino. It was protected by 7 towers and in 1811 - 1812 it was refurbished by Ali Pasha Tepelena. The castle of Gjirokastro houses the Museum of Arms. There is a great market with several shops inside the walls of the castle. The village of Himare is located in the southwest coast of Albania and is part the municipality of Gjirokastro. It lies just 32 nautical miles from the principal port of Corfu,  close to the isle "Othoni" and opposite to the southeast coast of Italy, in particular the area of Otrando. Licoursi is a castle in Albania. The Blue Eye Spring could be characterized as a paradise on earth: a spring with crystal clear waters which forms a natural pool. The underwater formations reflect and resemble the iris of the eye; hence the name of the area. It is surrounded by a thick woodland. It is approximately 22km east of the city Saranda on the way to Gjirokastra. If you plan to visit, make sure you bring a swimsuit because you will not be able to resist diving into the cool waters on a hot summer day. There are coach services from Saranda that drop you at the nearest bus station, but after that point it is a 3km walk to reach the heavenly oasis.  

How to reach Antipaxos from Paxos During the peak season, there are frequent sea taxi departures from Gaios port on Paxos to Antipaxos, and vice-versa. The journey time is approximately 15 minutes. It is recommended to make sure you know the timetable of the boats prior to your departure. For information about routes and prices, please contact your Local Manager. A good option to travel from Paxos to Antipaxos is hiring your own boat.

Paxos is a small island in the Ionian sea, just seven miles south of Corfu. Paxos does not have its own airport and the visitors need to arrive via Corfu which is connected to several European cities with charter flights during the summer season. Companies that operate charter flights are Aegean, Olympic, Easyjet, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Transavia, Air Berlin. After that point, you can easily get to Paxos by hydrofoil or sea taxi. After you arrival in Corfu, you can get a taxi to the 'New Port' from where the sea taxis and hydrofoils depart to Paxos. The drive is only about 10 minutes and it costs 10-12 euros. The journey to Paxos takes about an hour by hydrofoil which can fit up to 100 passengers. There is also a slow ferry boat 'Zanadu' which takes about two hours. As soon as you reach Paxos port, there are several taxis to drive you to your destination.  Info about timetables, costs and bookings can be given at: • Corfu-Paxos Bouas Hydrofoil "Ilida II" /tel: (+30) 26610-49800 or fax 26610-44004 • Paxos-Corfu Bouas Hydrofoil "Ilida II" tel: (+30) 26620-32401 or fax 26620-32610 The journey by the speed boat "Despina" takes approximately 1"30 to bring you to Paxos. Info below: Corfu-Paxos Kamelia lines "Despina" tel: (+30) 26610-40372 Paxos is connected to Igoumenitsa via ferry boats. For further information about the routes please contact: From Igoumenitsa Port F/B KERKYRA: Tel: (+30) 26650-25908 or click "Ionion Lines" From Igoumenitsa Port AGIOS PANTELEHMON: Tel: (+30) 26650-24090/26280 or click "Corfu ferries" From Paxos to Igoumenitsa F/B KERKYRA: Tel: (+30) 26620-32269 From Paxos to Igoumenitsa AGIOS PANTELEHMON: Tel: (+30) 26620-32114/32772

The isle of Lazaretto is located two nautical miles off the eastern coast of Corfu, between the island of Vidos and the Kontokali and Kommeno peninsula. The history of Lazaretto is connected to the World War II, when the Axis powers established a concentration camp for the prisoners of the Greek Resistance movement. There are several complexes still visible on the isle such as the two-storey building which was the command centre of the Italian rule, the wall where the condemned to death were led for execution and a small church. The 27th of May is the remembrance day and people from Corfu and abroad put flowers on the wall to commemorate the prisoners. You can easily get to Lazaretto if you hire your own boat.

The small isle of Vidos is located near the Old Port of the Corfu town. Once you get there, you can have great views to the historical buildings of the town center and the church of St. Spiridon which are surrounded by a vast greenery and crystal clear sea. The island is accesed during the summer period by a small boat which leaves from the old port. Vidos houses the wildlife refuge of Corfu and you may see several animals like pheasants, rabbits and goats. It takes about 10 minutes to get to the isle.  The boat leaves every hour from Corfu and 30 minutes past each hour from Vidos. Price 2 euros

Traveling to Diapondia ( Othoni, Erikousa, Mathraki  ) Diapontia islands are a complex of small islands situated only a few nautical miles off the northwest coast of Corfu. The islands are not subject to extensive tourism and are considered an ideal destination for rigorous travellers. Othoni, Erikousa and Mathraki are the three islands of the Diapontia. The most distant island is just seven nautical miles from the coast. The islands can be accessed during the summer season by ferry boat which leaves either from Corfu town or the villages of Sidari and Agios Stefanos at north part of the island. Price 13.50 - 15 euros

There are several traditional settlements and villages in Corfu which offer astonishing views over the countryside and the sea. Some of them are coastal, while others are located in the central mainland or the highlands. There are more than 100 villages in Corfu that they might either be touristic or not. Their architecture and character might be significantly diverse depending on their date and influences. Some of them have Byzantine or Venetian characteristics while others date back to the Roman times and host significant ancient elements. There is a range of villages which all have a unique history and past. The traditional architecture with the stone-built houses, the squares with the old coffee shops and old churches, but mainly the hospitable Corfiots will definitely make you feel great emotions and links to this place. Some of the traditional villages to visit are: Sokraki, Korakiana, Nimfes, Perithia, Rou village, Xlomos, Zigos, Klimatia, Agios Mathaios, Strinilas, Spartilas, Lakones. Corfu Panoramic Views Lakones, Mountain Pantokrator, Abbey Pantokrator in San Matthaios, Sokraki, Stavros Mountain, Kanoni, Porto Timoni, Giali Beach, Top of Old Fortress.