Kassiopi, Corfu

On holiday me and my fiancé Dave are not the type of people who like to stay in one place and just explore that area, instead we opt for the more adventurous path of getting out and seeing the sights. When given a relatively small island like Corfu we couldn't help but just pinpoint a place on the map and just go not knowing what it will be like. This is how we ended up in Kassiopi and it was quite a pleasant day we spent there.

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...across the North coast is quite pleasant to be honest and then the sign for Kassiopi kind of takes you by surprise and diverts you from the main road. When we drove into Kassiopi we thought it was very quaint and I did not think there was anything there as we were driving down these small winding streets that were so long. Also as you are driving around Kassiopi there is not much room for pedestrians and cars so we were panicking about where to park.
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On holiday me and my fiancé Dave are not the type of people who like to stay in one place and just explore that area, instead we opt for the more adventurous path of getting out and seeing the sights. When given a relatively small island like Corfu we couldn't help but just pinpoint a place on the map and just go not knowing what it will be like. This is how we ended up in Kassiopi and it was quite a pleasant day we spent there.

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First impressions:
The drive to Kassiopi across the North coast is quite pleasant to be honest and then the sign for Kassiopi kind of takes you by surprise and diverts you from the main road. When we drove into Kassiopi we thought it was very quaint and I did not think there was anything there as we were driving down these small winding streets that were so long. Also as you are driving around Kassiopi there is not much room for pedestrians and cars so we were panicking about where to park.

When we got out of the streets though and saw the sea and all of the boats it all looked very holidayish and beautiful and set against a back drop of gorgeous green hills and on first impressions we thought it looked very impressive but still quite a small place.

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Kassiopi:
The actual resort of Kassiopi is situated on the very North East of the island so shares the same coast line as places such as Rhoda and Sidari. Kassiopi is centralised around a harbour which is where many of the tourists go. It has a small square in the heart of the village which is perhaps the most liveliest part of the resort and everything is easily accessible from everywhere.

Travelling to Kassiopi is very easy indeed as the main road leads right across the North coast and this main road can be joined from almost anywhere on the island. There is plenty of parking dotted around and we found a space pretty easily by the harbour but everyone is so friendly that ask someone and they will direct you to places that are free to park.

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Size:
Kassiopi is quite small and we were there for one day and we found that we had seen most things and had truly got an idea on what the place is like. You can walk around the resort in about an hour and that is at a quick pace but there are plenty of things to do and that is what keeps you busy.

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Cleanliness:
I have to say that Kassiopi was spotless and it seems like everybody who lives there and visits there do strive to keep the place clean. As we were walking around I didn't notice any litter and there were quite a few bins around. Also in the sea you could see no litter so people do really seem to respect this resort and with how beautiful it is I cannot blame them at all.

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Shops:
Kassiopi does have quite a few shops. The majority of them are again your usual holiday souvenir shops which I personally do not like but some of them here were wonderful. I saw a great wood shop which sold some interesting sculptures and then a lace shop at one end of the harbour was great selling all sorts of pretty lace products. There are a couple of jewellery shops for the women and one I can definitely recommend was called pearl jewellery and had some great Greek style jewellery in there which was not too expensive. There were also some funny T-shirt shops selling novelty clothes and some posher souvenir shops which are worth a look.

The majority of the shops are by the harbour but then as you look out and see the many side streets then you can just walk up them and find quite a few more. What I do recommend though is walking from each side of the harbour to another so you can see them all.

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Restaurants:
Although we did not stay for much to eat as we only had a sandwich I cannot give you a great idea of what the restaurants are like but I have to say they all looked very nice. The one I did see on the inside was called Janis restaurant and let me tell you it looked amazing in there. Talking to a local and they said it was the best place to eat of an evening as it offers the best views of the sunset so if you visit try there. I saw four restaurants just as I was walking around though so I don't think there is any shortage of places to eat in Kassiopi.

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Bars:
There are many bars in Kassiopi and we had a drink at one right by the harbour which I cant remember what it was called but it was nice as you walked up some stairs to get to the bar and it offered some great views of the harbour. All around the resort though were bars and they all had plenty of seating and all of them looked nice and had seats where you could see the resort which is great.

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Beaches:
I am a bit fed up that I actually only had the chance to visit one of the beaches in this resort as it was the first one you came to called Bataria beach and although it looked wonderful as the scenery was nice as you looked over to the mountains of Albania which looked amazing the beach was still not great with no sand and pebbles which is not the ideal sunbathing beach.

There are however another three beaches which if you continue the track you took to get to the first beach you come across each of them in turn. It is a shame I didn't visit but I have heard that one of them does have some sand so I would go exploring if I visit again.

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Scenery:
The scenery in Kassiopi is simply stunning with a gorgeous harbour which in the sun you can see the sea sparkle and boats all around as people go on explorations from the harbour around nearby. Over the sea you can see the rocky country of Albania which looks great and is only actually three miles away so you can imagine the coast line looking great I am sure.

As you look away from the sea you can see green hills across the whole of Kassiopi which look lovely and from the main streets you can see the ruins of the castle on the top of one hill. All in all it is a completely pretty place and one for scenery definitely.

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The Castle:
As we were having a drink in a bar we took a look over at the hills and noticed some ruins on the top of one of the hills opposite. We decided to ask a local who said they were castle ruins from the 12th century and we should take a look. Me and Dave always on an adventure went straight ahead and it was pretty easy to get to. The local had told us it was best to be wearing jeans but I had no problem in a skirt but could not follow a trail because of the nettles.

Up at the castle there is not much there but you do get to see the whole of Kassiopi from the top which looks beautiful and there are trails you can follow for a walk which apparently last for about an hour. Worth going up there though.

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Verdict:
I think that Kassiopi is beautiful and I would not hesitate to visit there again as I would like to explore the beaches more and also take some boat trips from the harbour. Everything looks quite classy here but it is small so I think other than go to the beach, go to the castle and go on a boat ride I think that is it.

On the Northern coast of Corfu though I would say this is the nicest resort to visit so I am going to give it five stars as we had a very enjoyable day and as always everybody there was very friendly and helpful.

Thanks for reading.

xxx 

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