Mount Pantokrator, at the summit of Corfu

It towers above the northern part of the island and beyond. Mount Pantokrator, at 906m, seems omnipresent when you're walking around Corfu. What's more, it's always a good idea to leave the coast, its resorts and beaches behind for a while and explore Corfu's inland areas, where you'll find lush green landscapes, hundreds of olive trees and villages still in their original state...

The landscape quickly becomes more rugged as you approach the flanks of Mount Pantokrator. A winding and sometimes vertiginous road leads to the summit by car. It's a fine ascent, which ends in front of the monastery that sits atop the summit (and, unfortunately, some large mobile phone masts that spoil the picture a little). The monastery is also dedicated to the Pantokrator, the Almighty Christ.

The view is simply incredible, but be sure to make the trip on a clear day: clouds sometimes cling to the summit, while in midsummer the heat haze limits visibility somewhat. Otherwise, this panorama is the most spectacular in the whole of Corfu. In high season, there's even a café on the summit where you can take a break to fully appreciate the setting!

If you're feeling more sporty, you can opt to climb Mount Pantokrator on foot. Several hiking trails of varying difficulty enable you to reach the summit and its monastery in just a few hours' walk. As you can see, the views are worth the effort.

The main one is the Corfu Trail, a walking route that crosses the whole of Corfu from north to south. The trail is signposted throughout in yellow, and crosses Mount Pantokrator in particular. If you're a good walker (5/6 hours' walk), you can set off from the village of Spartilas to climb to the summit, via the chapel of the Taxiarches and a vast karstic plateau - the wildest spot on the island!

Another, easier starting point (2-hour walk), Palea Perithia is one of the most touching villages in the whole of Corfu: on the north-eastern flank of the Pantokrator, invisible from the sea to protect itself from pirates, the foundation of this venerable village dates back to the Venetian period, in the 14th century. Today, you can still admire the old houses that have fallen into disrepair, the village having been abandoned in the 1960s.

Some houses, however, are coming back to life: a few traditional cafés and tavernas, a renovated guesthouse... Palea Perithia has an inimitable charm, and an atmosphere all its own, at an altitude of 400m: without doubt the most beautiful village in the whole of Corfu... not to be missed!