Canal D’ Amour

Canal d’amour: The most special beach of Corfu – It is… carved and carries a legend about lovers

In the north of Corfu there is a beach with a worldwide reputation. It looks like it was hand carved by an artist…

The water and the wind sculpted the sandstone rocks creating a “work of art” unique in the country and in the wider region of the south-eastern Mediterranean: The Canal of Love or otherwise… Canal d’amour.

The beach in question, which is located between the villages of Sidari and Peroulades, is one of the most famous of Corfu, a point of reference for tourists who come from every corner of the world to swim and admire this special beach up close.

The Love Channel is essentially an opening created by the erosive effect of water and wind on sandstone rock. The constant influence of the elements of nature changes the natural landscape in the Channel of Love over time creating in other places channels with blue-green water and in others small caves and creeks.

As for the name of the channel, “Channel of Love” comes from the tradition that wants couples who will swim in it to stay in love forever. Specifically, it is said that “godmother” is a French tourist who, together with the love of her life, discovered the first large cave in the sea.

Old Perithia Village

This historic ‘Heritage Protected’ village of Paleá (Old) Períthia is situated in the north-east corner of the island, just beneath the highest mountain, Mount Pantokrator. It is the oldest permanently inhabited settlement in Corfu, with records dating back to the 14th century. Once the wealthiest village on the island, by the mid 17th century there were 130 houses of Venetian origin, built entirely by hand surrounded by 8 churches. Originally the village acted as a hideaway from pirate attacks on the island during summer months, ‘to see the sea but not be seen‘. Then in the 1960s with the onset of tourism the inhabitants drifted back down to the coast. From 2010 until today, as the village begun its journey back to life, it continues to be loved by locals & visitors alike. As night falls, a gentle peace descends over the village, and there beneath the unpolluted night sky nestled in the palm of the island’s highest mountain, is silence. Only occasionally interrupted by the lullaby of natures song.

Today, Corfu is loved for its beaches, its crystalline waters and its picturesque seafront towns and villages. Life on the coast wasn’t always so attractive, however, as the Ionian tides brought with them a constant stream of unwelcome visitors, from marauding pirates to disease-carrying mosquitos. To avoid such dangers, many islanders headed for the hills, where they used the plentiful local stone to build agricultural villages at a safe distance from the turbulent shores below. One such, practically the only surviving example, is Old Perithia.

The village, which was built in the 14th century while the island was under Byzantine rule, is located on the northern flanks of Mount Pantokrator at about 400m above sea level. The surrounding land was ideal both for sheep farming and the cultivation of olives and vines, and Old Perithia was soon relatively prosperous. 

Times were harder by the 20th century, however, and as tourism began to bring wealth and jobs to Corfu’s coastal areas, the village’s residents were drawn back down the mountain in search of work. Today, the village is a protected heritage site whose 130 houses, many built in a Venetian style, lie abandoned in varying states the village are eight churches, one for every 150 of the village’s 1,200 former residents.

Old Perithia is no ghost town, however, thanks to the presence of a bed and breakfast and a handful of tavernas serving excellent mountain fare. Apart from good food, the village offers visitors a fascinating insight into Corfu’s history, jaw-dropping views, and an ideal “base camp” for anyone wishing to hike up to the summit of Mount Pantokrator, which takes about an hour.

Nymfes Waterffall

The Nymphs Falls just outside the beautiful homonymous village of Nymphs, in a verdant area with oaks and holly trees. The settlement of Nymphes has become associated with the spectacular Nymphs Falls, which are located there, attracting many visitors throughout the year.

This area of the mountain once teemed with life as Corfiots, wanting to avoid pirates, abandoned the coastal areas and settled in the remote, mountain villages, feeling protected, under the shelter of the demigod fairies as the legend had it.

The legend says that the Nymphs, from whom the village takes its name, bathe in the emerald waters of the towering, 15-metre-high waterfall and hide from the eyes of mortals, thanks to the lush vegetation around them.

To reach the waterfalls you have to cross the village, pass outside the local football stadium and follow the rural dirt road for about a kilometre and a half.

The scenery at Nymph Falls is magical. Rushing waters fall from a height of more than 10 metres into a lush green gorge. Two other, smaller waterfalls are located a short distance away and since the island receives a lot of rain in winter, the waterfalls do not dry up in summer.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Aggelokastro

Corfu Angelokastro Castle: Aggelokastro, which is also referred to as Angel Castle, is strategically located in close proximity to Krini. It is believed to date back to the 13th century. The Aggelokastro is conspicuous by its domed gate at the entrance. It boasts of priceless vestiges and there are exclusive storage rooms as well. Another interesting remnant is an ancient church dedicated to the angels Gabriel and Michael which is surprisingly constructed in a cave.

Legend has it that an ancient emperor was on the lookout of a precipitous rock in which to build a fortress so that it could easily thwart most pirate attacks. With this in mind, the emperor stumbled upon the neighborhood of Aggelokastro where he came across the towering fortress that was reportedly built by the then Archbishop of Epirus. The primary reason why the fort was built was to shield the inhabitants from pirate attacks.

The major threat emanated from pirates from Africa and that of the Venetians. According to historical records, the Angelokastro was the capital of the island of Corfu and the Governor himself resided here. Historians are of the opinion that in the infamous pirate attack of 1403, the inhabitants of Angelokastro fought tooth and nail from the fortified castle against the Genoan pirates.