--- title: "The Corfu Trail – 220 km across sand dunes and olive groves" description: "Corfu isn't only a beach destination, you'll also find a 220 km long trek across the whole island here. We interviewed Jiří, who finished the entire route." canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/the-corfu-trail-220-km" last_updated: "2018-05-13" --- # The Corfu Trail – 220 km across sand dunes and olive groves Authors: David Czempka Date: 2018-05-13 Corfu isn't only a beach destination, you'll also find a 220 km long trek across the whole island here. We interviewed Jiří, who finished the entire route. Corfu – an island most Czech guidebooks call the emerald of the Mediterranean or the green island of famous beaches. Maybe that's why you think of it as a purely lazing-on-the-beach destination. But that's not entirely true. The island also has an official 220-kilometer trail running from south to north across the whole island. Jiří Čapka decided to hit the trail and experience Corfu his own way. ### Why hike the Corfu Trail? Was it a long-planned trip or a spontaneous decision? I'd never in a million years have guessed I'd end up on Corfu, of all places. I'd never been to Greece and wanted to go there someday. In January I came across ultra-cheap flights from Bratislava, looked up what the weather on Corfu is usually like and what there is to do there, and discovered The Corfu Trail. Then all that was left was to arrange time off and buy the tickets. From the birth of the idea to the email with my tickets landing in my inbox took about half an hour. After that, I just looked forward to setting off on Friday, April 13. ### How did you prepare for hiking the Corfu Trail? I thought about what to take with me. The evening before my flight, I threw everything into one big pile and thought hard about what I'd really need. In the end, I ditched half of it. I downloaded an offline map of Greece to my phone, and apart from getting to the airport and a quick look at the local public transportation, I didn't bother with anything else. ### You hiked the trail solo – is that your usual way of traveling, or did you want a change? I was looking for a kindred spirit to do the crossing with, and a few people were pretty keen, but in the end nobody joined me. It's the very first time I've set off on a longer trip alone like this. For the first two days, I kept thinking about everything else I could be doing during the two weeks I was going to spend on Corfu, where else I could be, how to make better use of the time. Those dark thoughts vanished after Saturday, when I pushed a bit harder and covered 40 kilometers. Part of that stretch was sand dunes. I was sinking in up to my ankles and wondering how to get across painlessly. There was no way around it, so I gritted my teeth and forgot about everything else. Before bed, I rewarded myself with a typically Greek retsina, and the next day I was a new man. ### When is the best time to hike the Corfu Trail, weather-wise and crowd-wise? I think the time I went, the second half of April, is ideal. The tourist resorts are empty, temperatures around 22 °C during the day and around 13 °C at night are more than pleasant, and it doesn't rain as often as in autumn and winter. Plus, you can swim in the sea without any problem. ### How would you rate the Corfu Trail's difficulty? It's my very first trail, and I don't think it's difficult – you can walk it without major problems in a week. Then again, I'm pretty used to tackling tougher day hikes and I enjoy getting my heart rate up on the climbs. The route is mostly just small hills, so there isn't much elevation gain. Some of the narrow little paths in the mountains were trickier, though, thanks to the omnipresent limestone, which was polished smooth in places and really slippery. [Fizan Compact](/p/fizan-compact.md) ### What were your best and worst experiences on the trail? The worst experience was the mosquitoes – not even threatening them with all-out chemical warfare got me a peaceful night's sleep. It's hard to say which experience was the best – there were so many. The incredibly welcoming locals, skinny-dipping on long, empty beaches, unbelievably tasty fruit, food, and wine, and also the island's historic sights made a big impression on me. ### Where did you sleep on the Corfu Trail? Exclusively under the stars – I even found a place to sleep in the center of the capital where my presence didn't bother anyone. A few times, I slept on the beach, even knowing the sea moisture would soak nicely into my sleeping bag. I liked sleeping tucked away on the old terraces of olive groves, and the very best was sleeping just below the highest peak, by the ruins of the Taxiarchis chapel. There were no mosquitoes there. Before falling asleep, I watched the lights of the villages and the capital below me, while a decent thunderstorm raged in the distance over Albania. The whole place had an incredible magic to it. And it wasn't only because I feel good at higher altitudes. Three times, my bivy bag helped me out at night. Only a few drops fell, but sleeping and waking up completely dry is priceless when the mornings aren't exactly warm. ### How did you handle food and water on the trail? Corfu is one of the most densely populated areas of Greece, and there are plenty of tavernas and little shops along the route. Most of them, however, were closed and only just getting ready for the main tourist rush. It was enough to carry water and food for two days, and I restocked along the way with whatever I happened to feel like. I focused as much as possible on local food, which was incredibly tasty, and I also see it as part of getting to know a place. This year, the island reportedly had an extremely dry spring. There weren't many springs and streams where I could refill water or wash my clothes. I crossed plenty of dry riverbeds instead. [Katadyn BeFree 1 L](/p/katadyn-befree-1-l.md) ### Did you try to go ultralight, or didn't you worry about your pack weight? I did have to think about what went into my pack and how big it was, because I was traveling with carry-on luggage only. Roughly half the space in the backpack was taken up by a self-inflating sleeping pad and a sleeping bag. Luckily, thanks to the weather, there was no need to haul warm clothes. Including water, the backpack weighed about 10–12 kilograms. ## Gear for sleeping under the stars - [Therm-a-Rest ProLite Apex](/p/therm-a-rest-prolite-apex.md) - [Cumulus Lite Line 200](/p/cumulus-lite-line-200.md) - [Patizon G Quilt 350](/p/patizon-g-quilt-350.md) - [3F UL Gear Tyvek Bivy Mummy](/p/3f-ul-gear-tyvek-bivy-mummy.md) - [Sea To Summit Nano Mosquito Single](/p/sea-to-summit-nano-mosquito-single.md) - [Tyvek 75x230 cm (for 1 person)](/p/tyvek-groundsheet-230-x-75-cm.md) - [Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT](/p/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-nxt.md) ### How long did the hike take and how far did you walk? What about trail markings? The trail took me seven days, during which I walked a little over 200 kilometers and climbed 8 000 meters – nothing extreme. After finishing the trail, I slowed down a bit. I visited more historic sights and notable places off the route, worked out at the only CrossFit box on the island, and ended up walking another 100 kilometers. I recommend taking a detour here and there, or visiting the Achilleion Palace and the capital after finishing the trail. The trail markings were inadequate in places, but it was no disaster – if anything, I'd sometimes blame myself. When you're on autopilot or don't want to turn on your phone, you'll just have to tramp a few extra kilometers every day. ### Did the trip live up to your expectations? I came back full of new energy and positive impressions, with a slightly different view of the world. My head was full of sorted-out thoughts and new ideas. With all of this, the trip far exceeded my original expectations. Spending 14 days "alone" in a completely unfamiliar place probably isn't for everyone. But I always found a buddy for part of the way. Sometimes a dog (as long as it wasn't trying to bite you), sheep, goats, donkeys. ### Would you do anything differently? Nothing was missing – it was flawless! But when I think back on it, next time I'd probably walk a bit slower and enjoy it more – there was more than enough room for dawdling. Or I'd go for another option – right after the trail, I'd take the ferry to Albania and do something there. The round trip from Corfu to Saranda costs about €36, I snagged the flights from Bratislava for €30, and Albania is cheaper than Greece. ### Do you already know where you're heading next? I'm tempted to try a tougher multi-day ski touring crossing of winter mountains. And I'm drawn to roaming wilder nature, say in Romania, Ukraine, Scandinavia… There are plenty of ideas, but my priorities are a bit elsewhere for now. When the right opportunity comes up, I definitely won't just sit on my butt. ### Jiří, thanks for a great interview – we wish you lots of luck and great adventures on your future travels. ## Gear that fits in your carry-on - [Montane Trailblazer 32 (2024)](/p/montane-trailblazer-32.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction 40 (2025)](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-junction-40.md) - [Gramino Ultralight Waterproof Backpack Liner](/p/gramino-ultralight-waterproof-backpack-liner.md) - [Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-ultra-sil-dry-bag.md) - [Liteway Wash Bag](/p/liteway-wash-bag.md) - [Sea To Summit Airlite Towel – Medium](/p/sea-to-summit-airlite-towel-medium.md) - [Sea To Summit Nano Mosquito Headnet](/p/sea-to-summit-nano-mosquito-headnet.md) - [Petzl e+LITE](/p/petzl-elite.md) - [Gramino Trucker Hat](/p/gramino-trucker-hat.md) This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/the-corfu-trail-220-km). ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.