A green holiday in Corfu: Mount Pantocrator

Corfu is a small island on the north west of Greece, between Italy, Albania and the Greek mainland. It is green and hilly, but its best attraction for green travelers is certainly the mount on the north. This mount, which is 918 meters high, is called Pandokratoras, which in Greek means ‘the One who governs everything.’

Mount Pantocrator (sometimes Pantokrator) is the nest of many small villages, such as Korakiana, Skripero, Petalia, Perithia, Episkepsi and Spartilas. Nature lovers can enjoy a beautiful view from those and smell the aroma of the fresh herbs and wild flowers that grow on the mount.

Healing nature

Chamomile is plentiful in fields on the mount but the visitor should take care to know where to pick it up and not trespass private property. Oregano grows in many places up there too, as well as wild tea which is called ‘faskomilo’ by the local people. Faskomilo has got a special aroma that is very distinct and different from the common tea. In winter time the visitors can find arbutus berries which are beautiful to see and taste. There are also blue berries and rosemary, wild figs and thyme bushes. You can smell pine, myrtle and laurel which are abundant. You can pick a bunch of everything and let it dry in a dark corner so as to feel the nature in your house.

Breathtaking landscapes

At the top of Mount Pantocrator there is a small monastery that celebrates God every year on the 6th of August. Lots of people visit the monastery on that day, both local and travelers. To enjoy the trip more, you can visit the monastery a day before the celebration, or right after. The road up there is narrow and winding so it may take you a long time to reach the top. Once there, you will have a beautiful view or a romantic sunset.

Hiking trails

For sport lovers, hiking is a very good idea. The road is full of green and you will breathe fresh air mixed with the aroma of herbs and wild plants. It is a pure place that will revive and de-stress any person. There are paths you can follow but you should be careful when the weather is hot as snakes come out and some of them may be poisonous. The best is to follow the road to the top. Many travelers cycle to the top, so this is an alternative solution, though rather tiring as the road is uphill.

All around the route you can see endless olive groves and cypress trees. As you walk you will see the red tiled houses of the villages and the church towers in each of them. Some villages have got more than one churches. Orchards and vineyards lie in between the green as well as oak and pine trees.

Picturesque villages

Pantocrator is a small paradise mount for green travelers and nature sensitive people. Visitors can stay overnight at village houses without having booked in advance. They just have to ask the people at the café (there is always one café for the local people) of the village and they will find a place. In busy months though, they have to be prepared in advance (and maybe book a hotel accommodation in the area, such as Hotel Pantokrator).

The mount is the perfect holiday combination for all nature lovers, including families and independent travelers who seek local flavor. It is within easy reach of the beaches and the tourist resorts and it is only half an hour drive away from the town of Corfu!

Photo originally posted by sonderzeichen

Topic:  General | 3 Comments
Tags:  Greece, green travel

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About the author

Liana Metal lives in Greece, on the island of Corfu. She is an EFL teacher (MAEd -Applied Linguistics), book reviewer and freelance writer. She loves writing articles in a variety of genres for publications worldwide. Her latest academic article is at http://www.eltnews.gr