Old Perithea is a village that time almost let go. Its stone houses, from the Venetian era, sit at about 440 metres on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator, Corfu's highest mountain. Its people moved down to the coast, mostly in the 1960s, and only a handful live here all year. In 1996 the whole village was declared a monument. It is one of the guide's five-star places, and usually busy.
Getting there
From Corfu Town it is about 47 km, roughly an hour by car, the last part climbing into the mountain. There is parking about 130 metres from the village. Walkers can also arrive on foot: the Corfu Trail, which crosses the whole island, runs right through it.
The village
Walk its lanes slowly. Some houses have been restored, others stand empty, with weathered doors and barred windows, and the white bell tower of Agios Spyridon rises above the trees. A few tavernas have opened in the village, so it makes a fine place for lunch, and there is a viewpoint about a kilometre away.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
Make a day of it
- Megali Grava cave, 10 minutes by car: a quiet cave on the same mountain, a short walk from the road.
- Kalamaki, 12 minutes: a very large sandy beach with shallow water, sunbeds, a café and a taverna, for a swim after the mountain.
- Lafki ntamari, 16 minutes: the quarry at Lafki, quiet and easy by car.
- Agia Aikaterini ruined monastery, 18 minutes: an abandoned monastery in the forest by the Antinioti lagoon, thought to go back to the 11th century, with frescoes still on its walls.
- Bataria, 20 minutes: a small, spotless beach of white pebbles and blue-green water.
Our take: come for the quiet of the old lanes, stay for lunch. One of the most atmospheric places on the island.