High on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator, near the village of Loutses, Megali Grava is a cave that few visitors find. It sits at about 480 metres, it is usually quiet, and it is one of the guide's five-star places.
Getting there
From Corfu Town it is about 45 km, just over an hour by car, the last part on mountain roads that take some effort. From the end of the road the cave is a short, almost level walk of about 160 metres, two minutes or so.
The cave
Its mouth opens in the mountainside, a short step from the road. If you want to look inside, bring a torch and sturdy shoes, and go no further than you can clearly see your way back.
Make a day of it
- Old Perithea village, 10 minutes by car, or just under an hour on foot: a Venetian-era village on the same mountain, with tavernas for lunch.
- Kalamaki, 11 minutes: a very large sandy beach with shallow water, sunbeds, a café and a taverna.
- Old Sinies village, 18 minutes: the old village of Sinies, quiet and hard to reach, best by 4x4.
- Agia Aikaterini ruined monastery, 18 minutes: an abandoned monastery in the forest by the Antinioti lagoon, with frescoes still on its walls.
- Bataria, 19 minutes: a small, spotless beach of white pebbles and blue-green water.
Our take: a small adventure on the mountain. Combine it with lunch in Old Perithea and a swim on the north coast.