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Corfù and Albania

by Luggage Around The World

Written by Silvia Rampinelli

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Who am I? I would describe myself as a person who never stops, and each time is excited by a new hobby, a new passion, a new experience. I am a positive person who believes that one day without a smile is a lost day, and the journey and the discovery of new cultures are what brings the smile in my life.

6 September 2017

Corfù and Albania

In 2017, after having been in the Cyclades in 2016 and having fallen in love with it, we decided to return to Corfù in Greece. In the meantime, however, we have seen that right on the opposite side of the coasts of Corfu, there is Albania, a very underrated place but actually very cheap and with incredibly beautiful beaches and very courteous and hospitable people.
As always, this trip plan that you find here is designed to rest very little and move around a lot, but if you are a person who prefers sea life you can extend your days at sea to your liking.

10 things to do in Corfù and Albania

1. Take a boat at sunset to see Corfù from the sea

Corfù is the capital of the homonymous Greek island, located in the Ionian Sea.

The island is very famous especially for its cobbled streets and pastel-colored Venetian architecture.
Right in front of the old port of Corfu is the island of Vido, also called the wooded island. Taking the trip to the island of Vido is a fantastic experience because you are enchanted by the beauty of the unspoiled nature of this island, where peace and tranquility reigns. There is a walk of wooded paths through which you can visit the whole island and admire the crystal blue sea.
There are frequent ferries that allow you to visit it and the trip takes just 10 minutes. Taking the boat for this small island at sunset is a very pleasant experience as it allows you to see the pastel-colored houses of Corfu at sunset, a very romantic sight.

2. Visit Mon Repos Palace to see Corfù from above

The Mon Repos palace was built as a summer residence for the British Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, Frederick Adam, and his second wife, in 1828. 
The palace if full of coloured flowers, but the most beautiful thing about the building is that it is in an elevated position and has, towards its end, a splendid terrace from which you can admire the whole island.

3. Watch the little boats coming and going from Vlaherna to Pondikonissi

The monastery of Vlacherna, together with the island of Pontikonissi, are the symbolic places of Corfu, recognized worldwide.
Dating back to the seventeenth century it is located south of Kerkyra, in the southernmost part of the Kanoni peninsula. The very small Monastery of Vlacherna is very special because it is located in the middle of the sea and is connected to a small port by a narrow jetty which also serves as a dock for fishing boats.
In front of this islet is the island of Pontikonissi, and boats continually take tourists from one island to another. It is a wonderful view to sit on the pier as the sun goes down and watch the boats that come and go between the two islets, waiting for the sun to set over the lagoon.

4. Admire the transparent blue water looking down from Angelokastro castle walls

Angelokastro is a castle located on the top of the highest peak of the island’s coastline in the northwestern coast near Palaiokastritsa and built on particularly steep and rocky terrain.
It rises 300 meters above the sea. 
For this reason it is a particularly fascinating sight to look down from the walls, as there are rocks overlooking the sea that allow you to see the deep blue sea from above.

5. See a thousand fish through the blue water in Paleokastrista blue caves

Have you ever been on a boat having thousands of fish under you? Mayb
e yes, but you won’t be able to see them as well as in the Paleokastritsa blue caves.On this trip you will be taken by boat to the caves with the bluest sea, and inside the caves you can also admire the pink coral inside. 
One of these caves is called “Blue Eye” cave because of a patch of incredibly blue water which resembles an eye.

6. Let the wind ruffle your hair on Loggas beach

Loggas beach is at the north-western end of the island of Kerkyra.
The particularity of this beach is to be at the foot of an immense cliff overlooking the open sea.
To access the beach there is a narrow and steep street to do on foot and a good number of steps, while a very strong wind blows, but just look at the landscape to repay the immense effort.
A good time to go to this beach is the sunset, drinking a cocktail at the restaurant above the cliff admiring the sun going down.

7. Get lost among the flowers in Paleokastrista monastery

The monastery of Paleokastritsa is located on a promontory overlooking the village of the same name, located on the northwest coast of Corfù.
You can reach it on foot or by car, but on foot you can admire the blue coast below.
Before entering, clothes are given to cover shoulders and legs.
This place inspires a feeling of peace and tranquility, and inside there is an explosion of flowers among the most diverse and colorful, moreover the view enjoyed on the island is magnificent. After visiting the monastery, you can stop for a swim at the nearby Paleokastritsa beach.

8. Have dinner by the sea when the sun is about to set

The island of Corfù is full of fantastic restaurants of delicious fish overlooking the sea.
It is very romantic and suggestive to dine in one of these places by the sea, enjoying a good glass of wine while the sun sets. 
In the restaurant in the picture, we had the table right in front of a swimming pool overlooking the sea, I couldn’t stop taking pictures!

9. Take a dip into the “blue eye” in Albania

The Blue Eye in Albania – also known as Blue Eye or, in Albanian, Syri i Kaltër – is a spring located in the south of the country not far from the beaches of Saranda and the beautiful city of Gjirokastra.
The name of this Albanian attraction, also known as Blue Eye Source, derives from the fact that the center of the source, with its dark blue color, looks like a pupil, while the surroundings, lighter and blues, reminiscent of an iris.
There is a small bridge from which you can dive, and in the summer there is a large row of daring tourists who take a dive after another. The spectacle of clear blue water in the midst of greenery makes this place one of the most beautiful attractions of our trip.

10. Enjoy the sunset in Dhermi

The stretch of coast  near Dhermi is ideal for those seeking relaxation, Caribbean waters and excellent fish dinners in small restaurants perched on the rocks. 
We stayed in a wondeful hotel, called “Summer Dream Hotel”, near Dhermi. the hotel is located at the end of the beach, so nobody passed by, and the beach was entirely for hotel tourists. An ideal place for peace and relaxation. There is nothing better than ending the holiday with days like this!
The “plov” recipe should be: rice, chopped vegetables, pepper seeds, bay leaf, meat.
I admit it: I love Asian cuisine in general, so I’m biased, but I must admit that Uzbek cuisine offers very simple but very good and light dishes. Plov is served in almost all restaurants and is one of the typical Uzbek dishes, impossible not to try it!

When to go?

Winter

It is quite mild, even if it is not mild like the most southern islands of Greece; it is also rainy, especially in December and January

Spring

It is mild, with rains that are quite frequent at the beginning, but which then gradually become rarer, and sunny days that become more and more frequent.

Summer

It is warm and sunny: the maximum temperatures exceed 30 degrees with a certain frequency. This part of Greece, overlooking the Ionian Sea, is outside the area where the Meltemi blows, so even the sea is warmer.

Autumn

Autumn is mild (initially quite warm) and rainy.

The best time to go to Corfu for swimming in the sea is from June to August, although the weather is often still good in the first half of September. The Albanian coasts lend themselves to beach tourism in the same period as Italian ones: July and August are the months when the sun is practically assured and the sea is warmer.

We visited Corfù and Albania in August, and the weather was ideal, the sea warm and the temperature pleasant. Weather always clear and sunny.

three unmissable stops

Best photos spots

I’m a photographer, so I’m always looking for the best corner in the world to make the perfect picture. Often, with great pleasure of my traveling companions, I also spend hours staring at the landscape, waiting for the perfect moment with perfect light. Therefore, when I decided to create my blog, I could not avoid to include a dedicated section to photography enthusiasts like me, always looking for the landscape that leaves you breathless. Hope you will enjoy these places where, in my opinion, you can enjoy wonderful landscapes and take the best pictures. 

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