Walking Corfu's West Coast

We loved the combination of hills and beeches, as well the wonderful old paths through olive trees.  Walkers must be ready for all types of routes, to include roads from time to time.  However, overall, it was a fantastic holiday

We really enjoyed the walks and enjoyed  the mix of coastal walks and seeing the olive groves. It's a good itinerary with shorter days following the longer walks. The first two hotels are in great locations by the sea but the last hotel is notable for the welcome and lovely too. We really enjoyed the swimming opportunities and were able to change/shower in cafes (some sunbeds free and others a few Euros). We spent our last day in Corfu Town which was a good way to finish our trip, exploring the old town and a walk and lunch by the sea.

One of our favourite Inntravel holidays just loved it!

A wonderful walking holiday through ancient olive groves to stunning coastal views. Dinner at Hotel Levant watching the sunset was a highlight, as was a music festival in Liapades - dancing with the locals! An extra night in Corfu Town is a must - a very beautiful city. Walking poles were a definite boon so would recommend for some of the steeper sections. Don't assume it won't rain, just because you're in Greece! Lightweight waterproofs essential packing.

The best walks were the walks from Paramonas to Pelekas and the walk from Pelekas to Liapades. these were lovely - largely off road and with fantastic views.  We took poles and were glad to have them.

The best hotels were The Corfu Pearl which is outstanding in terms of hospitality and genuine warmth with great facilities for walkers and a real care for guests, and the Paramonas Hotel - an honest basic hotel again with good facilities for walkers, and kindness.  The Levant hotel has a great location and ok food but it desperately needs investment and better management. The man on reception should not be working in hospitality.

We feel the walking notes need to be revisited by Inntravel as the Corfu Trail has recently been remarked. We didn't use GPS but regretted it at times. We found the walks from Liapades ok - we had a late start on the one to Agios Georgios due to torrential rain and cancelled the taxi as we turned back at Lakones.  We would have preferred more off road walking.  Rather than going into Corfu we walked to a couple of local villages and would have enjoyed walks up into the hills if these could be offered.

We took two picnics - one from Paramonas and one from the Levant hotel - both were disappointing - the boiled egg and the sliced cucumber in clingwrap were the highlights - Why not give us a cheese and spinach pasty (something Corfuite) rather than left over breakfast offerings?  We didn't want the white bread and the processed ham and cheese at breakfast but it followed us up into the hills....maybe a bit of guidance to hotels about walkers' picnics would be helpful? For vegetarians breakfast consisted of delicious tomatoes on brown bread and local olive oil with chopped boiled egg, greek yogurt and honey which was a good start to the day. We ate in at the Corfu Pearl twice and enjoyed our vegetarian meals very much - good home cooking! The outstanding meal was lunch at the Taverna at the quiet little beach on from Pelekas beach which was a lovely surprise - a post swim bowlful of Briam with bread - so delicious! 

Overall, despite the weather - rain, thunder and lightning with occasional sunshine - we had a lovely time.  We felt we saw the best of Corfu.  We enjoyed some wonderful views, good food and some genuine hospitality, but there are improvements to be made.

TIPS: Liapades - The Bar Taverna Elizabeth in Doukades is excellent for a meal and well known to locals. Both the Coffee Specialist and the Barafuza at the crossroads near the Corfu Pearl are excellent for a coffee or aperitif. Pelekas - Alexandros on the road from the village to the hotel is very good for drinks or lunch.

Inntravel did a wonderful job at giving us a holiday mostly apart from major development. Gorgeous views, charming villages... a great getaway!

A springtime walk of wonder. An amazing walking itinerary by Inntravel. We used them last year for the Camino-The Old Way-but following the Camino way-makers was a doddle compared to the Corfu trail path makers. But thanks to the excellent research by the Inntravel team writing up the hike (self-guided) directions we never got lost once! Corfu's west coast in May is a delight for the senses. Stunning displays of wild flowers, wild life at plenty and the buzz of pollen gathers a constant companion on the trails. Some of the walks were challenging in parts for us, but then our ages ranged from 67 to 83 years. All three locations were excellent and in fact just got better with each subsequent stay. ALL the various staff were extremely helpful and spoke very good English. Taxi connections were on time and again very professional with smart and spacious cars. Luggage transfers were trouble free. The Emperor's Playground is aptly named. The beauty of the west coast a delight and the routes provide a wonderful insight into the real Corfu. All together a wonderfully tailored package that provides value for money, a hallmark on Inntravel deals. Looking forward to more adventures with Inntravel.

Beautiful part of Corfu and mid May is a good time to be there. The countryside is covered in a huge variety of spring wild flowers. The food and wine is excellent! A stay in Corfu Town was a good decision

A combination of heat and trail erosion certainly reduced our overall enjoyment. As experienced walkers we were able to modify our hiking to cope with the conditions, however, for less experienced walkers this would not be 'a walk in the park'! Greater than average water supplies (we recommend 2L per person per day) were required. Effective mosquito prevention CERTAINLY needed, especially in woodland areas. Inntravel organisation and quality of stopovers generally good. Special mention to Athena and Chris at the Corfu Pearl in Lipiades who went far out of their way to make our stay the best experience we have ever had from hosts. 

Inntravel has been so easy to work with - everything was very efficient and well organised - we had to change our dates and Inntravel made it straightforward with no stress. Also during our walk we were horrified when a critical page of our journey blew away! We made a desperate phone call to Inntravel which was answered immediately; the missing page was copied straightaway and sent to us via email. This was incredible service and we were extremely grateful (and REALLY in need of that page !!) - thank you!!!!

Wonderful views on the walks. Enjoyable to get to know a small area well. The Greeks were very friendly. Walking notes detailed and good. Swimming pools clean and excellent. Wonderful sea swimming. The walking was more challenging than expected.

Rewarding, if sometimes challenging, walks in Cofu -- a beautiful island, with fantastic views, seas and forests. The full package!

Another fantastic Inntravel holiday. Beautiful scenery on the quiet side of the island, with lovely hotels. 

We had a lovely relaxing holiday with many good memories. If asked, I would recommend other Inntravel holidays before this one. I think we have seen a lot of Corfu, so probably wouldn't go back, where we felt we would happily repeat some of our Italian Spanish or Portuguese holidays. 

It was the most amazing holiday that took us to places most visitors to Corfu would never see. We had a great sense of achievement at the end & were grateful that we could do it!! Fantastic views and wonderful snorkelling & swimming at Paramonas & after a long walk, Liapades beach.

All the walks were lovely and well described in the excellent notes. For the longer walks between the hotels an early start and a longish lunch in the heat of the day is recommended. We found that using a walking pole was very useful on a number of ascents and descents. It was great that all the hotels had swimming pools which were very welcome after a hard day's walk. The hotels were all very friendly and overall we had a really great holiday.

An excellent selection of some of the best bits of the Corfu Trail and a really enjoyable combination of climbs, beaches, olive groves, monasteries and simple pleasure. And hardly a soul on the trails so plenty of peace and quiet to enjoy the views. Great for September but still hot. Accommodation starts very basic but improves and the delightful Athena and family make the Corfu Pearl a great end point. Don't moan about the packed lunches - yes they might not be walkers making them - just give back what you don't want. Personally, it thought they were all great (if a bit bulky). I would suggest an alternative to day 4 and to do the CT loop to Mirtiotissas beach and monastery (obvious on map) with option of climbing the peak (1k from masts to the top and a great view of where you have been and where you are going). Days 2, 4 and 5 are great but for very different reasons. This is a fun, if challenging, walk which is well planned and well supported. Guides are largely great but access to GPS was helpful for me on four occasions. This really is the "best if Corfu and the best of the Corfu Trail." Highly recommended for end of summer (Sep) trip.

Definitely invest in a device that can guide you using the GPX files, so much easier knowing something is going to beep at you if you go off course and you can look at the scenery instead of walking notes or map. Keep mosquito spray on you during the walk, as they seem to like the olive groves. Duck, under the spider webs!

Our highlight was Day 2, after the long walk arriving at the amazing Levant hotel and having drinks on the wonderful terrace. Plus also the beaches are amazing. If there's a choice of walks, do the beach ones.

Personal highlights: beautiful scenery, friendly people and gorgeous weather

Tips: make sure to wear well worn-in walking shoes or boots which will not cause your feet to be plagued by blisters or hurt feet

We enjoyed the walks and seeing a quieter side of Corfu. The hotels are varied and each have something to recommend - the pool and beachside setting of Paramonas, the views at Levant (and best food) and the friendliness at Corfu Pearl, plus a lovely room. Paramonas Hotel was a bit basic and we were surprised not to have any choice for evening meal at both Paramonas and Corfu Pearl and limited choice at breakfast. The walks were longer than we've done on previous holidays, but were all manageable even in the heat in early June, although I don't think I'd want to do it much later. The walking itself was fine and there are plenty of places to stop for refreshment or a swim. Would recommend the little beach just past the Black Rocks restaurant on Day 2 for a dip, as well as the restaurant itself. The butterflies in early June were absolutely beautiful and in such great abundance it made the walking even more of a pleasure. We were very happy with the optional shortcuts on Day 2 - the roads are very quiet around there. Favourite walk was probably the last one to Agios Georgios - great views on much of it and you walk through some lovely villages. We did the detour to Angelo Castro and would thoroughly recommend it if you have the time and energy. It probably added about an hour to walk to the top and back to Krini, but fabulous views and history. We found the downloaded GPX files a very useful addition to the notes at times.

The walk has an abundance of wildlife and flowers with many stunning views. The hotels are delightful, set in villages allowing us to see and feel the real Corfu. The Levant Hotel is steeped in history and has amazing views, sunrises and sunsets. 

For snorkellers, excellent opportunities all along the route. Lovely beaches, clear water, highlights were Paramonas, Yaliskari and Rovinia

Our personal highlight was returning to the Levant Hotel.  We stayed there some 15 years ago and enjoyed a rather faded elegance, but returning this year we are very pleased to find the new areas and swimming pool upgrade have been a great success and we would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the West Coast.

This was a delightful holiday, the scenery, accommodation and walks were all superb. Having pools at each venue was a bonus and all the staff at each location were helpful and friendly.

We were so looking forward to this trip and it did not disappoint in any way. The entire holiday was fabulous. Corfu is very beautiful and still retains the traditional Greek lifestyle; small quiet villages, amazing butterflies and we were informed 4 million olive trees! The hotels were clean & comfortable with very friendly staff, in particular Corfu Pearl at the end of the holiday was great. Very comfortable beds, spacious apartment with kitchen area and you walked straight out onto the crystal swimming pool. The walks were certainly "challenging" at  times but I pehaps should have read the introduction notes provided more thoroughly? Some of the walks had sections where you were scrabbling up steep inclines. Myself & husband are 59 and very fit and you need to be "sure-footed". The final planned walk from Liapades to Agios Georgios Bay was the highlight of all the walks as the views were stunning, we came across a wild tortoise on the walk and managed to stop off for a couple of hours for a swim in the sea. Best so far.

This trip was such a fantastic mix of adventurous, relaxing and just gorgeous. Walking with my mom down ancient stone paths and quiet country roads was such a fantastic way to chat and reconnect. We loved the family owned hotels and the luxury of not having to find or book them, just knowing we'd arrive at a wonderful place at the end of our daily walk. The food at the hotels was also very excellent. We have already started looking for our next Inntravel trip. 

Beautiful swimming - particularly at Rovinia (below Liapades).  Wild flowers were a joy

Excellent walking, which follows some choice sections of the Corfu Trail on the unspoilt western coast. We went mid-May with flowers in glorious profusion. The hotel Levant, Corfu Pearl and Bella Venezia were all great hotels in their different ways and all truly memorable places to stay.

Walk extremely enjoyable but felt that maybe it should be a grade 2/3 because of the climbs. This has made us think that maybe in future we should only attempt grade 1. (We are experienced 'walkers' not climbers). We've never had problems with either grade 2 or 3 in the past .

It was unseasonably cool and wetter than expected, but ideal for walking, particularly with the longer walking days. May is the ideal month to see the profusion of wild flowers. Beautifully rural trip. Only managed one sunset, but clearly that would be a highlight. Corfu Town definitely worth visiting (and the Inntravel walk notes are good for getting to know the place).

The walking was generally ok, but the final day was excellent, both for the route and the fantastic views as we reached our final destination at Agios Georgios. Too much road walking on the 2nd day, especially the alternative route to avoid the difficult descent to the beach. Dinner at the Levant Hotel was fantastic; no point looking for anywhere else on the 2nd day! The food in the other hotels less so; adequate. Packed lunches are an issue at all hotels; have the staff preparing them ever walked? Large and heavy apples and oranges were unsuitable, and we always left these behind; unappetising sandwiches prepared from left-over breakfast ingredients were disappointing, and often discarded. We usually looked for bakeries or cafes to provide lunch, with the provided packed lunches being a backstop in case nothing else presented itself. Recommend a stop at the bakery in Agios Mattheos on the way back to the hotel; coffee and hot/cold pastries can be enjoyed sat at their tables/chairs outside. Also recommend a stop at the Black Rocks restaurant on day 2; cheaper and better than the numerous places encountered in the village and on the beach. The bakery/mini-market/cafe at the entrance to Lakones is another recommended lunch stop; superb lemon cheesecake! For dinner in Liapedes, look no further than Marineris in the village square - great atmosphere. Breakfasts were generally adequate, but we were disappointed by the limited provision at Corfu Pearl. The staff at both Levant and Corfu Pearl were great; enthusiastic, informative and outgoing. Paramonas less so, but always friendly and helpful. Due to the unseasonal weather we were often cold at night, and needed to ask for additional blankets at all three hotels.

We walked back to Corfu Pearl from Paleokastritsa. It poured with rain and we sheltered at the Poseidon taverna on a very nice beach on the way. We resumed our walk going down the ladder and the very steep and by now slippery path down to Liapades beach. We didn't fancy doing the trip in reverse next day so we thought we'd get a taxi to the Aris supermarket at the top . However, the hotelier at the Corfu Pearl suggested we got dropped in Lakones. This was an excellent option for making the linear walk to Agios Georgios a shorter, more comfortable route. A highlight was definitely the parade in Corfu town. 

Lovely walking, especially between resorts amongst olive groves and views of the sea. Basic hotels but a feeling of seeing the genuine Corfu. Lovely terrace at Hotel Levant and here we did get a choice of food. May was a good time to go; not too hot for walking and lots of wild flowers although we did get some cold nights so bring some warm clothes!

A great walking holiday with fantastic wild flowers at the beginning of May. Slightly suprised at limited facilities at Corfu Pearl, more chalet accomodation than a hotel.

An additional day in Corfu Town at Siorra Vittoria Hotel was well worth it.

A super mix of coastal and olive grove trails with stunning views (some of which you have to work for) and amazing sunsets.  Watching the sunset from the terrace at the Levant Hotel is magical.

This was definitely one of our favourite Inntravel holidays. Beautiful scenery and great walks.There always seemed to be a coffee stop in the right place ! They was a real feeling of traveling up the coast. We had perfect weather at the end of September and first week of October. Some of the days are very strenuous and we were glad we booked an extra night both in Pelekas and Liapedes to relax on the beach. We enjoyed our day in Corfu town and managed to get the bus from Liapedes. The hospitality and food at the Corfu Pearl were outstanding.

Corfu Pearl was a delight - simple but very welcoming and great food.  The wines offered ("white or red") were also good and should be tried.

Our our 7th Inntravel holiday, and our first walking one. We really enjoyed the peacefulness of it, and it was a wonderful way to see the quiet and untouristy side of the island. Hardly ever met a fellow walker. We found the walks quite challenging, but beautiful. Glad we took our walking poles! The hotels were varied, and quite simple, and we thought the Corfu Pearl the best overall. The weather was unusually changeable for the end of September, and the pools and sea quite cold. However, for walking, much better than being too hot. We were very glad to have the two nights at the end in the beautiful Bella Venezia hotel. Very comfortable and well situated base from which to explore Corfu Town. It is in striking contrast to the West, with lots of tourists and cruise ships. This hotel is on the edge of the old town that is rather quieter tourist wise. Lots of good restaurants and bars. Salto, recommended by Inntravel, was fantastic. We also highly recommend Fishalida for seafood near the market, and another restaurant very close to the hotel, Del Sole, for dinner (only). Booking essential at both. Great pizzas in Rosmarino.

Personal highlights - the sunsets and the views along with the welcome. There were some very special outlooks, such as from the monastery viewpoints on Day 1, and from the head of the escarpment track on our Day 6.  Comments for others - the tracks are mostly very rough and stony (worse than Forestry Commission hoggin surfaces), so hard underfoot.  Roads in September were fairly quiet.  Long ups and downs (some very steep/scrambly with a bit of exposure), we found poles useful.  We also found the GPX files and A4 printed maps very handy, it saved using the Freytag & Berndt map.

Enjoyable Inntravel holiday as always. You need to be fit to tackle some of the hills especially the track up to the former Aerostato. Corfu is a beautiful green island, the hotels were great, and the staff lovely. We went in September and had good weather until our add on in Corfu Town, so perfect as we could shelter in the museums and cafe bars around the town. Well organised as ever.

The walk through Lakones, with views down to Paleokastritsa was very very good.....

So many stunning views particularly along the coast.

The incredible views and sunsets from Hotel Levant were a real highlight as was the Sea Bream served in the restaurant. 

The Corfu Pearl was outstanding. The warmest of welcomes from the owners, delightful and spotlessly clean grounds and swimming pool and the evening meals were fantastic. We would happily stay here again.

This walking holiday was amazing. We've now been 5 times with Inntravel and this definitely takes silver! The walks and scenery were breathtaking... the hotels clean and confortable. The food mostly was delicious. The only letdown was the lack of choice of food from the first Hotel at Paramonas (where they run a full a la carte menu to non Inntravel guests) and the surprise non included drinks with dinner at the Levant, be mindful!  

This was a superb holiday. We have visited Corfu resorts before but this gave us a great insight into the island. The walks were a nice mixture of length so some days could be a little more relaxed and could incorporate lunches into the day.

The eroded section you highlighted on the way to Pelakas was doable but it was becoming dangerous and perhaps shouldn't be encouraged.

Overall though we were delighted - the views were magnificent and the mountain village resorts were like going back in time to a simpler Greece. It would make me reconsider the location of my next visit to Greece where I have usually just gone to beach resorts.

The properties were all good and in great locations and all the people we encountered were friendly and welcoming.

Arias Grill is worth the walk down the hill in Liapades - very basic and traditional and good value for money

We thoroughly enjoyed all the walks for the level of challenge, particularly on the first two days, but also because of the stunning views some of which opened up quite suddenly following steep or wooded sections of the walk. This was especially the case on day 5 with the walk to Agios Georgios as the clearing at the end of the road suddenly opened out to expose a superb view of the bay. The views again were a particular feature of our stay at the Levant Hotel in Pelekas - an early start for the walk to Liapades provided the opportunity for misty views across the valley. By far our favourite hotel was Corfu Pearl in Liapades- bright, spacious, clean, well-equipped rooms, lovely surroundings, welcoming hosts and wonderful food. We combined our week of walking with a few days in Corfu Town which provided a good contrast to the holiday on the west coast.