Paleokastritsa is on the west side of Corfu. It’s a historic location, described by Homer in the Odyssey. The large bay offers both a harbour and plenty of room to anchor.
Scattered around the bay are a number of beaches. Some of these are only accessible by sea. But I’m afraid that local boats provide a good taxi service so don’t expect to find them deserted.
On most you will find sun loungers and umbrellas for hire. Watersports are available and there are a couple of dive schools as well.
As you may have deduced, the place has been well and truly discovered. There are a number of large hotels and much more smaller accommodation which rather detracts from the beauty of the place. It’s somewhere I think I would have preferred to visit 50 years ago.
This does mean you’ve a large choice of restaurants, bars, and cafes to choose from. There are several supermarkets. Banks are thin on the ground but there are ATM’s and the hotels will also change money.
If you don’t fancy another beach, a short walk from the harbour is the Monastery of Paleokastritsa. Parts of the Monastery date back to 1225. Paleokastritsa translates as “old castle” and the Monastery is on the site where the castle once stood.
Or maybe not! A couple of miles out of town is Angelokastro, another castle which may be the one the town’s name refers to.
Angelokastro is located on top of the highest hill on the island. It dates back to at least the 7th century and is well worth a visit. It was restored in 1999 so there’s still plenty of it to see!
Back in town, Paleokastritsa also hosts Corfu’s aquarium. As well as examples of local sea life, there are reptiles and amphibians from round the world.
Significant development has now been stopped so hopefully there will be no more large hotels. It’s just a shame they didn’t stop a bit sooner.