The east coast from Benítses to Boukári
Corfu is an island of contrast. There are some areas of outstanding natural beauty, and sadly there are also areas where excessive tourism and traffic has taken its toll. It’s a sad fact of life, but inevitable when cheap package holidays become popular. However, one of the beauties of a Villa holiday in Corfu is that you can, should you so desire, avoid these hot spots and head of to the more remote coves and sandy beaches. However, it can be unfair to judge harshly: one man’s meat is another man’s murder as they say. Some people who rent a holiday villa may actually like such places. The advantage of a Corfu holiday villa is that it’s possible to spend the days in the livelier places that are full of entertainment, and then retreat to the hills at night for a peaceful night’s sleep and recuperation. If that’s how you would prefer to spend your villa holiday, then the east coast of Corfu has exactly what you’re looking for.
The east coast of the island, from Corfu Town’s suburbs/resorts off Kanóni and Peráma, south to Messónghi is almost as developed as the stretch north of the capital. South of the suburbs is the resort of Benítses. This has now become one of the resorts on the island and is very popular with tourists. It wasn’t always the case: in the 70s it was a sleepy hamlet with 2 tavernas and small beach with a view across the Ionian Sea to Albania. However, times have changed, Benítses has a small and unassuming beach close to the main road, an olive grove , lots of tavernas and bars, a go=kart track and many, many visitors. It’s very popular with British tourists. Some argue that the redeeming feature id the shell museum, but that’s a little harsh.
Much of the east coast is like this, until you reach Messónghi. Set beneath Hlomós Mountain, which is fast merging with Moraítika, Messónghi lies along a sandy stretch of beach, separated from the road by a line of low-rise hotels, bars and restaurants. The road south of Mesónghi is still a bit rough, but there are plans under way to resurface this. In Boukhári you’ll find a couple of small hotels, several tavernas and a working fishing port. There are opportunities for swimming and walking further round the coast near the village.
As an alternative you can take a detour to Petrití. This is another small working fishing port, but the feel here is all together different. Reached by an un-surfaced road from Boukári, or by a side road off the Boukari-Aryirádhes road, Boukári offers a little more peace and tranquillity. You can share the small stretch of beach with just a few villa dwellers and relax in the year round sunshine. Fishermen still spread their nets under the olive trees, and at times you could almost imagine you were actually back in the 1970s.
