Greece - Korina Miller [562]
Hotel Zefiros ( 26630 41244/41088; www.hotel-zefiros.gr; Paleokastritsa; d incl breakfast €60-80, tr incl breakfast €75-105, q incl breakfast €90-130; ) On the roadside near the seafront, but a delight and with immaculate, stylish rooms, some with a massive terrace. The downstairs cafe is a bright oasis.
Rolling Stone ( 26610 94942; www.pelekasbeach.com; Pelekas Beach; r €30-40, apt €98) The clean and colourful apartments and double rooms surround a big sun terrace with funky trappings at this laid-back place. There’s even a resident ‘wellness’ practitioner (relaxation treatments €10 to €30).
Jimmy’s Restaurant & Rooms ( 26610 94284; info@jimmyspelekas.com; Pelekas; d/tr €40/50; ) These decent rooms with rooftop views are above a popular restaurant (mains €6 to €12), a short distance uphill from the centre and on the road to the Kaiser’s Throne.
Yialiskari Beach Studios ( 26610 54901; d studio €65; Yialiskari Beach; ) Studios with great vistas are perfect for those who want seclusion away from neighbouring Pelekas Beach. The studios are run by the owner of Yialiskari Beach’s taverna.
There are two budget options in the Pelekas area, both on the backpackers’ circuit and both piled high with facilities and activities; the Pink Palace ( 26610 53103; www.thepinkpalace.com; Agios Gordios Beach; dm per person incl breakfast & dinner €18-25, r incl breakfast & dinner €22-30; ) south of Sinarades and Sunrock ( 26610 94637; www.sunrockcorfu.com; Pelekas Beach; r per person incl breakfast & dinner €18-24; ). The experience at both is relative to how young you feel.
Eating
There are also a few eating places at Afionas to the north of Paleokastritsa.
Das Blaue (The Blue House; 26630 52046; Afionas; dishes €4.50-8) Superb balcony views enhance the food at this bright place where the salads are especially good and the desserts heavenly.
Limani ( 26630 42080; Paleokastritsa Harbour; mains €4.50-11) Located down by Paleo’s harbour, the well-run Limani, with its rose-bedecked terrace, does local dishes with a sure hand. Fish is by the kilo but a generous fish plate for two costs about €38.
Nereids ( 26630 41013; Paleokastritsa; mains €6.50-11) Halfway down the winding road to Paleokastritsa beach is this smart place, below road level and with a huge leafy courtyard. Specialities such as pork in a mustard sauce with oregano, lemon, peppers, garlic and cheese are hard to beat.
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PAXI ΠΑΞΟΙ
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Paxi packs a great deal into a bite-size island. At only 10km by 4km it’s the smallest of the Ionian’s main holiday islands and has hung on to a reputation for serenity and overall loveliness – a fine escape clause to Corfu’s more metropolitan, quicker-paced pleasures. There are three colourful harbour towns – Gaïos, Loggos and Lakka. All have pretty waterfronts with Venetian-style pink-and-cream buildings set against lush green hills. Idyllic coves can be reached by motorboat, if not by car or on foot. The dispersed inland villages sit within centuries-old olive groves, accented by winding stone walls, ancient windmills and olive presses. On the less accessible west coast, sheer limestone cliffs plunge hundreds of metres into the azure sea and are punctuated by caves and grottoes. The old mule trails are a walker’s delight. An obligatory purchase is the Bleasdale Walking Map of Paxos (€10 to €15), available from the island’s travel agencies.
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CORFU ACTIVITIES
Corfu brims with great outdoor action. Dinghy sailing and windsurfing buffs will find Greek Sailing Holidays ( 26630 81877; www.corfu-sailing-events.com) at Avlaki, while for chartering try Corfu Sea School (www.corfuseaschool.com) or Sailing Holidays Ltd (www.sailingholidays.com), both at Gouvia marina.
For diving in crystal-clear waters you’ll find operators at Kassiopi, Agios Gordios, Agios Georgios, Ipsos, Gouvia and Paleokastritsa.
Corfu has some excellent