Arillas to Paleokastritsa

[sharonF]

Has anybody travelled this road?  We hired a jeep in september when we were in Arillas.  What an experience this journey is. 

We went through Priniplas, the locals were making their own wine.  Past Priniplas is the top of the mountain, the views from here are outstanding.  Can't remember if its Lokanades (is this correct spelling) or Makrades you come to next.  Anyway HOW do those coaches get through Lokanades.  At one end of village is a red/green light which is supposed to coincide with light at the bottom to let one stream of traffic through at a time.  Oh no, the one at the bottom doesn't work.  So you set off and suddenly somebody comes running up the hill waving their arms, big coach, big coach coming.  Chaos.  It is so narrow you can't even get two cars past each other.  People are reversing into alleys, up ramps, screaming at each other.  One car, already parked up, had 6 people picking it up and bumping it out of the way.  It landed on a street light base.  Would have loved to have seen the owners face on return when his front bumper came off!!!   We were fed here, a lovely old man was handing out grapes to everybody waiting in their cars.  lovely. 

Makrades, beware how you drive into this village because you will be ambushed from either side, by old ladies selling wine!  They literally jump out in front of you, shouting.  We thought we had done something wrong at first, then saw the wine.  They also sell honey and nuts.  Don't stop for the map man (Baldy Barry has a great description of him). haha x  The village itself is small and was full of coach loads of german tourists.  We sat in a taverna for lunch just in time, 4 coach loads pulled up as we sat down. 

Elini next to Makrades is a lovely old village, don't think the old ladies sat chattering in the little square were very impressed to see us.  They were all dressed in the old greek style and one of them hid her face with the head dress.  They have a fascinating little "museum" full of old newspaper clippings and items from wars. 

Would love to hear other people's experiences of this route.

Sharon xx

[gaye]

Hi Sharon
Yes it's quite an experience isn't it, that hairy trip to Paleo? But Makrades in particular hold such memories for us as a family.

There is a thread about this unique little village on the forum from last year.

[kevin.g]

i found the drive not to bad,but when we got there that hill up to monastry nearly killed me,but after a nice lunch and a ouzo down by the bay, all was well for the drive back.yammas

[TerryW]

We did almost the same journey Sharon and was quite shocked as we entered Makrades, and a lady ran into the road waving her arms about. I thought that there must have been a very low speed limit so I slowed down, and then another lady appeared waving a bottle at us. I thought blimey its a molotov cocktail if you break the speed limit.

On the way back we stopped there and thought it was a very unique place and will spend more time there next year.

[Steve & Lou]

Hi Sharonf,

We did the exact route & had the old dears trying to stop us for the olive oil,wine & kumquat stuff! then took a wrong turn & ended up at the foot of a castle (castelo san angelo i think!), then spent 40mins in a traffic jam as a delivery lorry unloaded his paving slabs in Lakones i think! see photo!! All in all though fantastic route.

[JohnJ]

We have made this route during most of our visits to Corfu over the last 15 years or so and the road has improved dramatically.  The first time we went in 1994 the  "road" from Pagi up to Prinillas was a dirt track that resembled a dried out river bed with horrendous ruts and bolders all over it.  Somehow the upgrading of these old tracks like the one from Arillas to Affionass which are now tarmacced do detract from the excitement,  Mans view, wife much prefers it tarmacced,  But hey ho I suppose thats progress.
John

[Maggie]

We've been on that old road too john! Very exciting... Our kids met their first tortoise on that road. It was a very friendly one, and didn't try to sell us any wine!  lol.