Southern Corfu

Southern Corfu
The highest summit in this part of the island is Aghios Dheka, at 576 meters, with forested lower slopes. Pendati is a simple fishing village with no tourist development or accommodation, though rooms can be found in Paramonas, which also boasts some good views of the coast; the inland hill village of Aghios Matthaios is very traditional, with some tavernas, grills, and kafenia. The ruined 13th century castle of Gardhiki Pyrgos is near Halikouna Beach, with apartments for rent to its north and also inland—a very quiet place.

The Korissa Lagoon, with both sandy flats and dunes, has both indigenous and migratory birds, as well as turtles, lizards, and tortoises. There’s an old Roman bathhouse with mosaics at Benitses on the southeast coast, a small museum, and many rooms and tavernas; Moraitika has a great beach, and is a major resort on the southeast coast, as is Messonghi, but the upper hill village (Ano Moraitika) is its antithesis, a quiet village with quiet tavernas, one with a garden that affords sea views; Boukari and Aryiradhes are also quiet, with an unspoiled stretch of coast; inland from Aryiradhes is an appealing wooded region.

The beach at Petriti has hills and olive groves behind it, and a quiet harbor with some rooms and tavernas on the waterfront; Lefkimi is second ferry port to the island, with some fine churches and some nice architecture, a canal and bridge—a genuine place with rooms, good tavernas and bars.

Kavos is a big party resort with heavy drinking and watersports; one can reach the Arkoudhilas beach on a path from Kavos for some solitude; a monastery ruin sits up on the cliff above. The most remote beach on Corfu is Aghios Gordhis Palaiohoriou, around the southern tip on the west side;the village of Aghios Yiorgios is touristic, but sandy its beach is 12 km long, with perhaps enough room to find some solitude; dunes flanking the undeveloped Issos beach, are popular with nude bathers, though there’s also a wind-surfing school on the beach. A herd of donkeys inhabit the two Lagoudhia islets off the coast near Issos beach.