Makrades

Makrades, Corfu

The mountain village of Makrades, which was founded in the 13th century, is situated in the northwest of the island of Corfu on the southern foothills of the bay of Agios Georgios Pagon (Agios Georgios Pagi) at an altitude of about 280 to 300 m above sea level. Makrades is located about 10 minutes by car from the charming bays of the holiday resort Paleokastritsa and about 14 minutes by car from the kilometers long sandy beach of the bay Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi). Hikers can reach the nearest sandy beach in Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi) between the tavern Fishermans Cabin and the tavern Akrogiali in about 1 hour (4 km walking distance) via the donkey path and the nearest sandy beach in Paleokastritsa via Bella Vista and the path from Lakones in approx. 1.5 hours (approx. 6 km walking distance). 

The village of Makrades has been inhabited since the 13th century. The builders of the Angelokastro castle, which is located about 1 km to the west on a hilltop, probably inhabited the mountain village of Makrades during the construction of Angelokastro castle. Hidden behind a hilltop (if you look from the sea) like many other mountain villages in Corfu, the location should provide enough protection from pirates attacks for the Makrades settlement. The local rock formations served as building material for the houses. Makrades is surrounded by vast ancient olive groves, most of which are still cultivated today.

The mountain village of Makrades belongs to the municipality of Paleokastritsa. Paleokastritsa (Palaiokastritsa) is the somewhat larger, more well-known of the two adjacent resorts and is situated south of Makrades. In the village of Makrades you find an old, lovingly decorated village church with ancient icons, the tavern Colombos with typical Corfiot dishes, the Café Veatriki with a small mini-market and post office on the small village square and several art and souvenir shops on the outskirts of the village, offering typical Corfu products, clothing and art objects.

Particularly interesting in this village is the well-established village structure, which is still visible today, with the ancient village church, the narrow main alley and the winding lanes. Thanks to a by-pass road, the typical Corfiot atmosphere of Makrades village was not affected, so that in the last 15 to 20 years several Germans and Englishmen have settled here to renovate old village houses. They enrich the small mountain village of Makrades now also culturally and support the locals in preserving the village, which, like many other rural villages, suffers from the exodus of young people to the larger cities.

A must see for every Corfu holidaymaker is a visit to the wonderful viewpoint "Bella Vista", which is situated about 1.5 km away from Makrades on the way to the neighbouring village of Lakones. From here you can enjoy a unique and fantastic view over Corfu's west coast, the beautiful bays of Paleokastritsa with the old monastery of Panagia Theotokou, the harbour of Paleokastritsa, the bays of Liapades, the Ionian Sea and if you have a good view you can even see the Greek mainland towards Igoumenitsa. Several restaurants ("Bellavista", "Golden Fox" and "Veranda") on the steep slope offer a unique view of typical local dishes and cool drinks. In the café "Dolce" you can enjoy homemade ice cream and homemade cakes. About 2 km away is the village of Lakones with further taverns, a supermarket, a butcher's shop, a bakery and a hairdresser. In the neighbouring village of Krini, about 400 metres away, there is also the tavern "Sunset".

The popular holiday resort of Paleokastritsa (translated "Paleokastritsa" means "old castle"), which is famous for its cloverleaf-shaped bays and its scenic beauty, is located about 10 minutes by car from Makrades.

In Paleokastritsa several sandy beaches and rocky bays invite you to swim. In addition, with small motor boats that can be hired in Paleokastritsa or in Agios Georgios Pagon (no boat licence required) you can reach the magnificent white gravel beaches "Kastelli" and "Mikro Kastelli", which are situated at the foot of the steep coastline rising several hundred metres into the height below Krini and Angelokastro and can only be reached via the waterway.

Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi) with its impressive large horseshoe-shaped bay and its nearly 3 km long sandy beach is located about 14 minutes by car from Makrades. On the way to the bay you can enjoy a fantastic view of the bay of Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi), the three further northwest situated small islands Othoni, Mathraki and Erikoussa as well as the north of the island of Corfu. The two villages of Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi) and Makrades are closely connected, as the many of the holiday cottages, apartment buildings and land plots in Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi) belong to persons born in Makrades or to the inhabitants of Makrades. In the summer months the number of inhabitants of Makrades is reduced from about 125 inhabitants to almost half, as the majority of the working inhabitants from Makrades are employed in the taverns, supermarkets and shops or manage their holiday accommodations in Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi).

The beaches of Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi) and Paleokastritsa offer a wide range of water sports and activities.

In the meantime, Makrades is also very popular with hikers, as there are a number of beautiful hiking trails from the mountain village. For example, the hiking trails via Bella Vista and Lakones to Paleokastritsa, via Krini to the Angelokastro fort and viia Prokima to Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi). Other old hiking trails in the surrounding area are now being reopened. Hikers can enjoy a wonderful view from Prokima, for example, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the bay of Agios Georgios Pagon, the offshore diapontanese islands and the whole north of Corfu to the mountains of Albania.

Distances from Makrades to Corfu City, the airport and ferry port of Corfu and other places in the surrounding area

The small mountain village of Makrades is situated about 25 km from Corfu city (Kerkyra) with its ferry port. The new hospital in Corfu City offers good medical care. On the main road from Paleokastritsa to Corfu town (Ethniki Odos Palaiokastritsis) is the nearest pharmacy (approx. 7.5 km away). Another pharmacy is located in the centre of Agros (approx. 7.9 km away).

The international airport (CFU) of the island's capital Kerkyra is located south of Corfu city and the distance to Makrades is about 27 km. Numerous taxis at the airport offer the transfer to Makrades, whereby a single trip from Corfu airport to Makrades costs about 45 - 50 EUR. You can also rent a car at Corfu airport. For more information on transfers, see Airport Transfer Corfu.

Leisure offers & activities in and around Makrades on Corfu

In Makrades:

In Krini:

  • Angelokastro (visit)
  • Souvenir shopping
  • Hiking

In Agios Georgios Pagon (Agios Georgios Pagi):

  • Boat trips
  • Cycling / Mountain biking
  • Diving / Diving courses
  • Sailing (catamaran)
  • Bowling
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Stand-up paddling
  • Kayaking
  • Pool Billard
  • Snorkeling
  • Water-skiing
  • Jet ski
  • Sunbathing
  • Windsurfing
  • Swimming
  • Yoga courses
  • Silversmithing/gold forging
  • Horse riding

In Paleokastritsa (Palaiokastritsa):

  • Visit to the Monastery of Paleokastritsa (Monastery of Paleokastritsa)
  • Boat trips, Boat rental
  • Souvenir shops
  • Diving / diving courses
  • Sailing
  • Fishing
  • Hiking / Guided walks
  • Pool Billard
  • Snorkeling
  • Swimming
  • In Paleokastritsa you can rent a water taxi or a motor boat and go to secluded beaches that can only be reached by boat.

Nearest major towns near Makrades on Corfu

  • Paleokastritsa (Palaiokastritsa), approx. 6 km (entrance to town) or approx. 7.5 km (middle of town). Travel time approx. 10 minutes by car.
  • Agios Georgios Pagon (Pagi), approx. 9 km away (travel time approx. 15 minutes by car).
  • Corfu city (Kerkyra), approx. 25 km away (sightseeing and shopping).