Kato Pavliana: Mountain Village on the Corfu Trail

Kato Pavliana is one of Corfu’s typical mountain villages. The Corfu Trail heads inland to Áno Pavliána and Káto Pavliána. The village thus combines the character of a mountain village with a specific connection to hiking.

Hiking the Corfu Trail

An early, steep climb crosses a coastal ridge, offering good views. When planning your hike, bear in mind that this climb comes early on the route. Check current trail conditions before setting out. On the scale of the whole island, the Corfu Trail is 180 kilometres long, passes through several settlements, and includes Benitses among its 13 overnight stops. These are two different scales: the early climb describes a notable section of the trail, while its total length describes the island route. If you are interested in Kato Pavliana, you can place the village’s specific connection to hiking in the context of the longer trail.

Corfu: Old Town and Cultural Discoveries

On Corfu, the Old Town offers a different focus from the mountain village and hiking trail. Its historic urban fabric has been almost entirely preserved; the buildings date from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The Old Town and its two fortresses are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a trip that includes urban history as well as hiking, this historic cityscape offers a clearly defined cultural theme.

The Museum of Asian Art in the Old Town houses more than 11,000 objects from China, Japan, India, the Himalayas and Central Asia. The collection thus offers a thematic perspective that extends beyond the island’s history. The Archaeological Museum of Corfu displays the Gorgon Medusa pediment from the great Temple of Artemis. The pediment was created in 585 BC and excavated in 1911 near the Aghioi Theodoroi Monastery. The museum was built primarily to display it.

The permanent exhibition at the Kapodistrias Museum offers another historical perspective. Through the life of Greece’s first governor, it explores the history of Corfu, Europe and Greece by means of significant artefacts and documents. The lush garden on the hill near the museum offers views of Corfu’s landscape and across the island. Here, the museum’s subject is paired with a specific garden and landscape setting on Corfu.

Choose the right focus for your holiday apartment

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to consider what you want your trip to centre on. Hiking and the character of a mountain village make Kato Pavliana a good choice as a base; the Old Town and museums offer other cultural interests on Corfu. If you plan to include both, you can take these different interests into account when choosing where to stay without combining them into a single destination profile.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Velianitatika, Agios Gordios, Mesongi, Áno Garoúna, Arillas Magouladon, Magazia, Gaios, Kalami

For the main travel overview: Corfu.