Alykes Potamos Holidays

Alykes Potamos is a quiet seaside town on Corfu’s eastern coast. It’s a restful place with a secluded sandy beach and a couple of family-run tavernas along the sleepy main road. Dense pine woods give a dramatic backdrop, while a pretty little canal runs along its southern edge. It feels like you’re away from it all here – but this is almost a Corfu Town suburb, with the cosmopolitan capital just 10 minutes’ drive away.

Alykes Potamos’ beach is a soft sand number lapped by clear blue water. It’s divided in half by a patch of juniper trees – to the north there’s a larger section with lots of sunloungers and umbrellas, while at the southern end it’s just you and the sea. Up the coast are Gouvia and Dassia, a duo of long shingle beaches with beach bars, clear shallow waters and watersports like jet-skiing and parasailing. Gouvia is 5 minutes’ drive away, Dassia 10 minutes.

The island’s bustling capital is a 10-minute bus ride away. There’s the old fortress from the 11th-century, and the relatively new 15th-century Venetian fortress – you can walk around both, but the view from the top of the newer one looks across the entire town. Close by is the French-style Liston, an elegant colonnade lined with chic cafés. A little further on is the old town, where the bell-tower of the 16th-century Church of Saint Spyridon dominates the skyline.