The most picturesque place in Corfu, by which you immediately recognize it, is the Kanoni district, which is located only a few kilometers from the city center…
Here are some of the attractions worth leaving the beach for half a day. Kanoni is located above the Halikiopoulos bay, and the Corfu airport is right next to it.
Kanoni was named after the cannons that the French placed on top of the hill in 1798.
What is so important about this neighborhood? There are two islands.
On the first is the church of Panagia Vlacherna.
The church can be visited on foot because it is connected to the mainland by a path that is about 300m long. It is completely flat and accessible for wheelchair users.
Also, the entrance to the church itself is fully accessible. The only thing that is inaccessible is the souvenir shop.
The church was built in the 17th century. There is a wooden iconostasis inside.
Here you can also light a candle, and, with a modest contribution you can also leave a paper with the names of your loved ones so that a prayer for their health can be read.
The church is decorated with interesting icons.
Above the entrance there is a belfry that can be heard from far away in all directions.
Once this church was a women’s monastery, and today, it has other “residents”.
At a very short distance from the mainland, there is another landmark in the part of Corfu, which is Mouse Island. It is so close that it seems you can swim to it.
This island is not connected to the mainland and is reached by boats parked nearby.
Mouse Island got its name because of its size. The island is only 110 m long and 100 m wide. On the islet there is a Roman chapel surrounded by tall cypress trees that have completely hidden it. Legend has it that this islet is actually Odysseus’ ship that was petrified by the god of the sea, Poseidon. Another island that you should visit when you are in Corfu is Vido. I wrote about it here.
In addition to these attractions, there is also a narrow concrete path that connects two points in the bay and is full of tourists.
Why? Here, planes land directly overhead. As the steel monstrosity lands, it becomes clear to you how something made of metal flies at all, because the power of the engine is really felt. For adrenaline lovers, this is the right place be.
Although, sometimes a stowaway appears here.
Here, in the vicinity, is a nice beach and also a toilet for the disabled.
People mostly come to Kanoni because of all the attractions mentioned above. After the walk, they can refresh themselves on the beach itself. Officially, the most beautiful beach is Paleokastritsa, which I wrote about here.
Once you’re done with the islands, the next item on this mini-tour is to climb the hill above the bay. You can climb it on foot, but I don’t recommend it for people in wheelchairs, because the climb is steep.
At the top of the hill in Kanoni there are two cafeterias with a spectacular view.
From both you can watch the planes that land and take off every 5 minutes in the season.
The airport in Corfu, which is called “Ioannis Kapodistrias” after the first governor of Greece and a great diplomat, belongs to the airports with a special category of difficulty, because it has only one, narrow, runway with a length of 2373 m. Since it was built next to the sea coast, apart from being one of the 10 most unusual airports in Europe, it also requires a special skill from the pilot, who at low altitude has to direct the great monstrosity in the right direction.
The airport was used by the Italians and the Germans, who constantly extended it to reach this length as the planes grew.
Since the terrace is very beautiful, weddings are often organized here. This roundabout is for that.
From the second cafeteria there is a nicer view of what you visited before.
The best way to end a visit to Kanoni is to take a picture in front of these colorful letters. Then everyone will know for sure where you have been.
If you don’t have time to visit everything the island has to offer, be sure to, at least, stop at Kanoni. The sunsets here are also spectacular, and they say that you should not miss it when you are in Corfu. I wrote about other places you should visit here, here and here.
Enjoy the sunset with refreshing cocktails!
Have you been to Kanoni?
Did I miss anything?
Traveled and enjoyed,
Marko Velickovic
