Villa Korali - Apraos the Beach

Corfu - The North Shore

The island of Corfu is often referred to as the one Greek island which is like no other. Uncharacteristically green for a Greek island, its diversity of coastline can be found in no other island of Greece, while its historical influences from Europe have shaped the architecture and culture of the island into a cosmopolitan, if not grand destination. While most similarly sized Greek islands can be defined by a few characteristics, Corfu has many different faces depending where one looks.

For more adventurous activities, nearby Kassiopi offers some great diving spots and depending on the season, big game fishing such as tuna, greater amberjack and swordfish. On the west side, the sandy beaches of Acharavi and Roda offer all the usual water sports to be expected and on occasion, when conditions are just right, some fantastic waves for surfing.

Apraos, also known as Kalamaki beach, is one of the smallest sandy bays along the north shore, but stands out as one of the shallowest beach of the island, making it particularly safe for young children, a fact reflected by the large number of families who choose to spend their days there. Another advantage of Aproas is the near total absence of boat traffic, at least near swimmers, unlike some of the more popular beaches which can, at times, be annoying. All this makes Apraos attractive for sports like snorkelling, SUPs and kayaking.

As such the north shore has its own special look and feel, characterised by some of the longest stretches of soft sand the island has to offer, interrupted by jagged rock formation and sandstone sculptures. The surrounding views are also different to anywhere else on the island, with mount Pantokratoras standing proud behind the shore line, overlooking the mountains of Albania which are close enough to swim to.

But the North shore is not just for sea and sun, those flat sandy planes make for some great mountain bike and horse riding trails, all readily available. A visit to the ancient village of Perithia is well worth the 30min drive, if for nothing else the exceptional honey produced by the region. A short detour and easy hike will reward anyone who ventures into the Loutses cave with some stunning views ( and subsequent selfies ).

Slightly longer drives towards the west coast begin to reveal some dramatic changes to the coastline, starting from the famous “Canal de Amour” in Sidari all the way to Sunset beach of Peroulades, with Cape Drasti being the highlight of the journey. If conditions allow, this route is best experienced by sea, a fast RIB being the weapon of choice for its speed, safety and ability to beach almost anywhere.