Staying in Corfu Old Town gives you a wonderful excuse to leave it for a day. The island’s interior — olive groves, abandoned mountain villages, clifftop paths above turquoise coves — is half-forgotten by most visitors, and well worth a car-and-sandwich day trip from the apartment. These are the six walks we tell guests to rent a car for, all within a 45-minute drive of Oikia 4.
Why Walk on Corfu at All
The short answer: four million olive trees, some of them 500 years old, and the network of footpaths that connect them. The long answer involves the 220-kilometre Corfu Trail — a long-distance route established in 2001 that runs from Kavos in the south to Cape Agios Stefanos in the north — and the half-forgotten infrastructure of mountain villages abandoned in the mid-20th century. It’s a quieter Corfu than the coastal strip, and once you’ve walked a bit of it, the beach-resort version feels thin.
1. Mount Pantokrator via Old Perithia (45 min drive) Challenging
8 km return · 4–5 hours
The 906-metre summit of Corfu’s highest peak. From Old Perithia — itself worth the drive — an ancient path climbs through scrubland to the monastery at the top. On clear days: Albania, mainland Greece, Paxos, occasionally Italy on the horizon. Start before 8 AM in summer. Full water bottles.
2. Angelokastro Fortress (35 min drive) Moderate
5 km circuit · 2–3 hours
Our pick for the perfect half-day out. Park in Krini or Makrades and follow the 800-year-old path up to the Byzantine fortress on its rocky peak above Paleokastritsa. Free to enter; 360-degree view across both coasts; excellent lunch tavernas in the villages below.
3. Pelekas to Sinarades (20 min drive to start) Moderate
10 km one-way · 3–4 hours
A section of the Corfu Trail you can reach in twenty minutes from the apartment. Start at Pelekas village, climb briefly to Kaiser’s Throne for the sunset view (or sunrise, if you’re early), then follow the trail through five-hundred-year-old olive groves down to Sinarades. Taxi back to Pelekas at the end.
4. Korission Lagoon (40 min drive) Easy
6 km loop · flat
Corfu at its most natural and unspoiled. A flat walk along the sandy strip between a Natura 2000 lagoon and the sea. Flamingos in spring; cedar woods, dunes, wild lilies. End with a swim at Halikounas Beach. Bring binoculars.
5. Old Perithia Ghost Village (45 min drive) Easy
4 km loop · 2 hours
Even without climbing Pantokrator, the village is worth the drive. Medieval stone houses slowly returning to the hillside, restored tavernas serving some of the best traditional cooking on the island. Plan to spend the afternoon; eat slowly. A walk as much about atmosphere as distance.
6. Paleokastritsa Coastal Path (35 min drive) Moderate
7 km one-way · 3–4 hours
Clifftop path from Paleokastritsa to Liapades, passing above Rovinia Beach — one of Corfu’s most beautiful hidden coves. Detour down for a swim midway. Taverna lunch in Liapades at the end.
Planning From the Apartment
Season: March–May, October–November for the best conditions. Summer: early start, back by noon.
Packing from the kitchen: Before heading out, stop at the Old Town market for bread, cheese, tomatoes, Noumboulo. Build your own picnic; it’s half the pleasure of the day.
Shoes: Proper walking shoes for Pantokrator and the coastal path. Trainers are fine for the others.
Maps: AllTrails and Komoot have offline GPS tracks for every walk on this list.
Guided options: Local companies run half-day guided walks for 30–50 euros per person. Good if you want botany or deep local history woven into the walk.
You’ll Need a Car
Buses don’t reach the trailheads of any of these walks. A rental for 2–3 days is the right call if you plan to do more than one.
★ Herbie Cars — Delivered to the Apartment
Our rental partner delivers to the edge of the pedestrian zone (a one-minute walk from the apartment). Free delivery, honest prices, city cars through to small 4x4s for the mountain trailheads.
Book a car →★ Pair With a Beach Stay?
Our partner Corfu Beach and Town has beach houses near many of the trailheads on this list — a good option for a full trip split between town and walking-friendly beach bases.
Browse houses →Cross-reference: our Old Town walking guide for the in-town version of a walk day. For the full travel reference to the island, see CorfuRide.