And to say it up front: walking along the coast up to the village of Afionas is no walk in the park. Children usually have a lot of fun scrambling around on the randomly thrown, rough rocks so close to the sea. And they can even take a shortcut through a narrow tunnel.
To ensure that adults also enjoy the trail, they should know what they are getting into beforehand. The yoga resorts in Arillas like to cleverly advertise the route as a mindfulness trail. This gives you an idea: A finely secured hiking trail is not to be expected. But first things first.
Off to Afionas!
A little adventure. With great impressions
Corfiot oaks, violets and wildflowers
From the Honigtal farmland, we head towards the beach. We can already see our destination there: on the hill that closes off the horseshoe-shaped bay of Agios Georgios on the right-hand side, the front houses of Afionas beckon. And because it is nicer to walk along the beach than along the road, we continue by the sea. We stop for a drink at the right-hand end of the beach and prepare for the path over the rocks.
At the beginning, our mindfulness trail is still clearly visible, but soon everyone is looking for the rocks that seem suitable for progress.
After about 20 minutes, we reach the start of the ascent. We hike up past nasty bushes, Corfiot oaks, violets and magnificent wildflowers, enjoying the view of our bay, which becomes ever more fantastic.
Sleeping dragons
At the top, a well-deserved bench awaits. We look back the way we came in amazement. This spot in the sun is not suitable for a longer stay, so we head to the viewpoint on the other side. This has been marked with a large cross for a number of years and the village's Easter procession ends here.
It is hard to imagine a more blessed place. The seemingly endless view across the sea towards Italy. In front of it, the Diapontic Islands, which rise bizarrely out of the water like sleeping dragons. The high mountains of Albania at the end of the mainland. Anyone who sees this arrangement of nature cannot help but be deeply moved by so much beauty.
The model mountain village
After enjoying our first refreshment, we stroll through Afionas, Corfu's flagship mountain village. Its narrow alleyways lead past courtyard doors that conceal studios and workshops. Afionas artists are inspired by the splendid colors and the unusual freshness of this special place. An old olive mill, formerly powered by an internal combustion engine, has been renovated with great attention to detail. It now serves as an authentic store for souvenirs of all kinds. A few meters further on, next to the village church of Agios Ioannis dating back to 1636, two torpedoes are an irritating sight. They are there to remind visitors to Corfu that things were unfortunately not always as peaceful and international here as the pleasant atmosphere would suggest today.
"Ice!!!"
We snack a little further down in the village, after which the way home awaits: a small side road towards the beach. There's still plenty to experience here too. Like the sculpture garden, which brings the journey of Odysseus to life in a very unique way. Back down by the sea, our group usually disperses quickly. Some jump into the water, children ask for ice cream, others need a cold drink at the nearest beach bar.
Everyone will be raving again by dinner time at Honigtal Farmland. About Afionas. About all the new impressions. And about how easily they mastered the difficult mindfulness trail.