Arrival on Corfu: Agios Stefanos Avliotes
Well, I nearly didn’t make it to Corfu. I had booked a one-way flight a week before travelling. Within days of doing this I came down with a virus – you know – the one that affects your stomach. No matter how much I was looking forward to this trip I wasn’t going to risk travelling with a dodgy stomach. I felt pretty lousy the night before I was due to fly so I decided not to go. Typically the following day I began to feel a bit better so I booked another flight for the day after. Catching a bug is so annoying. I work from home and hardly ever have contact with other human beings except members of my household. I’ll blame them!
I had a great flight from Manchester to Corfu. There was a little bit of turbulence but nothing too traumatising. I’d read in a couple of Corfu forums that flights on the day I should have originally travelled had been very turbulent. Apparently, the planes were queued up over Corfu waiting to land between lightning strikes. Well, that was quite fortuitous for me!
Now Corfu. It is always hard to visualise somewhere before you visit it. No matter how much you read or watch films about a place, it is never exactly how you imagined it to be. I don’t know what I’d imagined Corfu to be like apart from green, beautiful, a little mountainous, clusters of little traditional villages and established tourist resorts. As the plane began to drop in altitude, we skirted the coast of Albania. On the approach to Corfu we passed by the Diapontian islands and then along the island’s west coast before turning inland to land. I couldn’t think of anything more articulate to say other than “Wowzers!” I mean this island is stunningly beautiful! This has really whetted my appetite for this visit!
After landing I was able to get through security and luggage reclaim quite quickly. Yes, I travel with hold luggage. It doesn’t make me an amateur traveller because I’ve never mastered the art of light packing. I just like having my stuff with me! I had booked a shared shuttle transfer for the flight that I’d cancelled yesterday so I went to see if they could fit me onto one today. Unfortunately, none of the shuttle buses were going to the northwest of the island today. The shared shuttle bus cost around £10 from the airport to my destination. A private transfer would have been 70€ or more. So, public bus it is!
After exiting the airport I found the bus stop to the left of the terminal building. After about 20 minutes the number 15 bus from the blue line arrived. There was a small stampede to get on the bus (queueing is not a thing) but after paying my 1€ I was able to get a seat. I am heading to the green bus station, the main interchange for the long-distance buses. It takes less than 10 minutes to get there by bus and is about a 20 minute walk, but I’d been warned that there are no pavements along the way. Best not to play ‘dodge the traffic’.
Although there is a digital display on the bus I couldn’t see it very well but thankfully the driver shouted out the stop. I retrieved my case from under a mountain of others and squeezed my way off between lots of sweaty bodies. The bus interchange is a large building with facilities including toilets and a large cafe. Just inside the entrance is the ticket desk and paid 4.50€ for my ticket to San Stefanos Avliotes. It seems that I’d just missed a bus and the next one was at 1630 – I have a 3 hour wait. This I don’t mind – well I do but what can you do! It will give me a chance to get some refreshments and use the facilities which I did. The ladies were pretty stinky!
I was able to fill my time by answering some work emails and soon it was time to get ready to board. The display board directed me to Bay 11. A bus that said Sidari arrived into Bay 11. I double-checked with the driver and apparently it does go to Agios Stefanos Avliotes but this wasn’t very clear. Maybe it’s a request stop. Who knows.
The journey headed initially into Corfu Town, then along the Eastern coast passing through tourist resorts such as Gouvia. The further North we went the more mountainous the island became and much less built up. We passed through traditional hamlets before finally arriving on the North coast of the island. After Sidari, and just a handful of passengers still on the bus (I kept looking over my shoulder to check), we arrived at AS Avliotes. The journey had taken around two hours.
I thumbed my accommodation into Google Maps. Sun Sea View is less than a 10 minute walk away, back in the direction that I’d come from. The map took me onto a small road but I couldn’t see any signage for the accommodation. I asked a gentleman at a nearby taverna for directions and he told me it was the property next to where we were standing. That’s so weird that there wasn’t any signage – maybe they’re trying to keep it a secret. Anyway – I made it. NB I found out later that this used to be a popular property called Vicky’s Apartments. This is its first season as Sun Sea View.
Once at the reception building, I saw a man just about to mount his motorbike. Yavuz, had sent me a message giving me instructions on how to find and access my room as he’d been expecting me earlier. I hadn’t seen this message but an earlier one had said that he had upgraded me from a budget room to a sea-view room. How fab! I’m glad that I’d caught Yavuz because he very kindly carried my case up the 2 flights of steps to my studio. That’s no mean feat – and even he was out of breath!
The studio is great. I’m very happy with it. Considering that I was looking for something that was good value and in the location that I wanted I think that I’ve struck very lucky, especially with the room upgrade. The front door opens out onto a long terrace overlooking the sea – only shared by one other person. Through the French doors is another terrace overlooking the interior of the island and the surrounding low pine-clad hills.
So of all the places to choose to stay on Corfu, why have I decided to spend my first week in Agios Stefanos? The answer in short is the Diapontian Islands. The three small islands Erikoussa, Mathraki and Othonoi that sit just north of Corfu have been on my bucket list for several years. I had spent some time trying to map a route using the Kerkyra Lines ferry, staying on each island for 3-4 days. The ferry doesn’t go daily so mapping it and trying to match it with accommodation availability became somewhat convoluted. I also knew that a small boat called the Pegasus, part of Aspiotis Lines ran day trips – again not daily but should give me the chance to see them. In the end, I decided to stay in Agios Stefanos close to the port where the Pegasus boat departs from. However, being a small boat, it won’t sail when the weather is bad and since last week the weather has been – well bad, for tour boats like this anyway. This part of my trip is well and truly in the lap of the gods. The Pegasus only runs until the end of September so time is not on my side. Anyway, I’m very philosophical about it. If it happens it happens. If not, well I have to come back another time!
Onto the here and now. After unpacking, showering and changing I head downstairs to check out the views from the pool (Yes there’s a pool which is a real luxury for a budget traveller!) The sun was about to set over the Diapontian Islands in the distance. (Oh so close and yet so far!) I sat on the terrace overlooking the beach below and just sat gazing at this incredible view. With sunsets like this, you really need to take the time to appreciate its magnificence. But no applause. I draw the line at applauding a sunset! Oh but what a sunset!
I take the short walk to the taverna that I’d for directions at earlier. It is called Spiros and Maria’s. This place has a really lovely feel to it. Like Sun Sea View, it is set just outside of the main village and off the main road down an asphalt track. It’s close enough to the village but far away enough to be quiet. The staff here are very attentive and I’ve been made to feel very welcome. The chicken souvlaki and ouzo x 2 goes down a treat. Now relax!