Danilia is not quite what it seems. It looks like an old Corfiot village, with stone lanes, arched gateways and plants spilling from the walls, but it was re-created in the 1970s by the Bouas family, as a kind of open-air museum of island life. It is one of the guide's five-star places, and usually busy.
Getting there
It sits in the hills inland from Kontokali, about 10 km from Corfu Town, roughly a quarter of an hour by car. There is parking about 50 metres away, and a bus stop right outside.
The village
Wander the lanes and take in the details: the arches, the old façades, the plants. Danilia has also had a second life as a film set: much of the TV series The Durrells, which brought 1930s Corfu to British screens, was filmed here.
Today the village belongs to the Grecotel hotel group, which uses it for weddings and events, so check that it is open to visitors before you go.
Photo: Ardfern, CC BY-SA 3.0
Make a day of it
The west coast is close:
- Ermones waterfall, 11 minutes by car: a quiet waterfall near Ermones.
- Mirtiotisa, 12 minutes: a small sandy beach with deep water at the bottom of a very steep road. It is a nudist beach, and very popular.
- Glifada, 13 minutes: the island's big, easy beach day, with sand, shallow water and everything you need.
- Glifada view, 14 minutes: a quiet viewpoint over the bay, easy by car.
- Giali beach view, 16 minutes: a five-star viewpoint above Giali, the last stretch on foot.
Our take: a pretty, slightly theatrical stroll through the Corfu of old postcards. Pair it with an afternoon on the west coast.