Holidays in San Stefanos Corfu

Things to do

San Stefanos is a small village on north west Corfu; so what do you do once you get here apart from lie on the beach, swim in the pool, sleep, eat and drink? Well, two hours travelling takes in a number of islands, the Greek mainland, Albania and the whole of Corfu. However, I will restrict my comments to Corfu itself as we have never yet felt the need to leave the island!

Diving (Scuba - Snorkeling)

I have yet to try scuba but I have number of friends who have done it for years. Here in San Stefanos we have one of the best scuba dive centers in Diving In Corfu where Bev, Ray and the crew will take anybody from the absolute novice to the expert to the best sites in the area. Further, they will make sure you are safe and and teach you at the same time as you are having fun.

As for Snorkelling I have done it a bit and I love it. Swimming along with the fish and exploring the rocks is just wonderful. During one swim at Paleokastritsa this summer I put my hand up to give me something to judge how far away a fish was and discovered it was between me and my hand - amazing! Again, if you want someone to help you go speak to Bev at San Stefanos Waterfront they will take you snorkeling or sell you the gear.

Boating

The Yellow Boat Company and San Stefanos Boat Hire offer boats for hire that take up to eight people for a day of fun in the sun. The coast of north west Corfu is very varied with everything from sandy beaches to very high rock cliffs within a couple of hours cruising of our little harbour. Swimming in the cool dark open sea from a small boat is great on a hot sunny day as long as you are careful.

Cruise along the coast for a couple of hours, find a little beach under a cliff or a quiet rocky cove and have a swim and a picnic. Afterwards take a very leisurely drift back to home. What a way to spend a day.

Motobikes, Quads and Beachbuggies

These are fantastic fun but I do need to give a word of warning; Greek roads are not English roads and many people, particularly on motorbikes, wear very inappropriate clothing and no helmets. There are an incredible number of people injured and we would hate you to be amongst them! Having said that, some of our best times on Corfu have come through hiring two wheels or four and exploring the more remote areas of the island.

Every time we go exploring Corfu we find a new beach or village and inevitably there is a small taverna or restaurant. Eating in these small places is almost always a really great experience and, if you are feeling really adventurous, try buying a bottle of wine or a bag of herbs from the farmers stall on the roadside. The locals seem to spend a lot of time sitting outside their houses and we are convinced that this is partly for the entertainment of watching lost tourists drive by several times trying to find the right road!

Walking

This is another favourite; I get great pleasure from walking the beaches, through the olive groves and over the ridge to Arillas. It is advisable to take a bottle of water, a hat and a mobile phone if going off the beaten track (although signal is sometimes a little hit and miss!). Please also watch where you walk as Greek fields and crops are not always obvious.

Beach Activities

Captain Nicos offers everything you would expect from Doughnuts and Matrices through to Parasailing and Pedalos and, of course, canoes. If it can be done legally on the sea pulled by a power boat I am sure they do it! A great way to cool off as the day hots up. Don't forget the clay at the far end of the beach by which a lot of women swear as a beauty treatment ... just remember you have to walk through the nudists to get there!

Further Afield

Corfu town (Kerkira) is well worth a visit with enough to do for several days without the need to go shopping. However, once you start shopping gold, jewellery and leather are all great buys. The museums, the fort and the municipal buildings are all worth visits and that's to say nothing of the churches. Please be aware that all Churches and Monasteries require visitors to be dressed appropriately and rather severe monks have been known to turn people away!

Old Perithia is on top (almost) of Mount Pantokrator and is a fascinating village which was, until recently, deserted but is now being restored with European Community funding and opened as a craft village we believe. It is some years since we visited and we cannot be sure of the present stage of regeneration.

There are now several water parks on Corfu but my favorite is still Aqualand, a great place to spend a day with (or without) the kids. The down side is that the food is very definitely fast and served in large volumes. Otherwise relax on the Lazy River, bounce around the Crazy River or Crash Down one of the slides and when you have had enough of that go have a go in the wave pool. GREAT