Pentati: Hiking and Church History

Pentati can be considered as a place to stay in terms of its specific local features: a steep hiking trail leads from the southern end of Agios Gordios Beach up to the village, while the Church of the Blessed Virgin Odigitria combines architectural history with a sea view from its courtyard. The wider destination of Corfu offers additional cultural attractions, which you can consider as separate elements of your itinerary.

Hiking trail from Agios Gordios to Pentati

The uphill hiking trail runs from the southern end of Agios Gordios Beach, over the rocks, up to Pentati; the walk takes 35 minutes. This gives you a specific time frame when fitting a hike into your day. Check local conditions before setting out.

Church and local history

The Church of the Blessed Virgin Odigitria in Pentati was built in 1845. The church courtyard offers a view of the sea. The year it was built places the church in a specific period, while the view from the courtyard adds a distinct landscape feature. A historic service on August 23 was celebrated by Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu for the Feast of Panagia Odigitria at the feast-day church in Pentati, central Corfu. This named feast adds a religious connection to the architectural history. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider architectural history and local religious history as two distinct interests.

Corfu as a wider cultural setting

The Old Town of Corfu offers a different historical scale within the wider destination than the individual church connections in Pentati. Its historic urban fabric is almost entirely preserved; the buildings date from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Together with its two fortresses, the Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Museum of Asian Art in the Old Town houses more than 11,000 objects from China, Japan, India, the Himalayas and Central Asia. Two different cultural and historical perspectives therefore meet here: the almost entirely preserved urban fabric and the extensive collection from several Asian regions. When looking for a hotel, you can consider whether your focus is on Pentati’s local features or whether you would also like to include the Old Town and its museum in your trip to Corfu.

The Museum of Asian Art can be reached from Corfu Port on bus route 2, which runs between Mantouki and Kanoni. Check the timetable before your trip for details of the journey.

Hiking in the wider destination of Corfu

There are also other regional points of interest for hikers within the wider destination of Corfu. In the Achilleion municipal unit, ancient paths run through the forested mountains of Agii Deka, Stavros and Garouna and are suitable for hiking. In September 2018, the hiking association completed the pilot phase of marking a network of hiking trails approximately 42 km long in central Corfu. The markings consisted of paint and red-and-white signs in accordance with Greek and international guidelines. This marking phase is a historical reference to 2018; check the current trail markings before setting out on a specific hike.

Discover more destinations: Petriti, Erikoussa, Afra, Kato Korakiana, Acharavi, Agios Stefanos, Achilleio, Viros

Go to the main travel overview: Corfu.