Out of a chance last summer, a friend told us about three beautiful islands north of Corfu that have the best beaches and the most gorgeous nature! We go to Corfu every year for the last four summers and yet we hadn't heard about these small islands. Searching the web, we were amazed by the pictures we found. As there were not frequent boat rides there, we understood that they would be totally isolate and calm.
A family of four, we rented a boat from Agios Stefanos and went to these islands in a day. Peter the boatman was an excellent driver, although the sun really burnt us on the boat, but still it was a remarkable experience.
First stop, Mathraki. Less than an hour from Agios Stefanos. We did the tour of the island and stopped at Plakes for a morning coffee and a swim. The water was shallow and clean. Not many fishing boats or yachts and only a few locals were doing their nets at the port. There is a nice tavern in the port that makes only Greek coffee and frappe. Obviously, luxuries and comforts are few in these islands.
To my surprise, the locals could speak good English and they said that most of them had lived abroad for a lifetime and after pensioning, they returned to their homeland. So sweet, isn't it?
Less than 30 minutes walking in the inland and you see houses here and there. Small houses, most were abandoned, but all the inhabited houses had a nice yard. A couple of fellow Germans had made a precat house on the edge of a steep and were playing tavli with an old Greek man. Very traditional scenes in Mathraki and real Greece...
To be continued about Othoni and Erikoussa...
