Pelekas Beach

Pelekas is two places that share a name, and a couple should know the difference before they go. Up on the hill is the village, an old huddle of stone houses famous for one thing, the view west over the whole island to the open sea. Below it, reached by a short steep drive, is the beach, a broad golden sweep of sand often called Kontogialos. The village is the romance, the beach is the swim, and the loveliest day uses both.

The reason to come is the sunset, and on Corfu this is the classic one. The bay faces due west with nothing to block the horizon, and at the top of the hill sits the Kaiser's Throne, the lookout named for the German emperor who used to climb up to watch the light go. A late afternoon swim on the warm Kontogialos sand, then the short climb to the throne or a taverna table on the village edge, is the evening that people remember from Corfu. The sand itself is generous and soft, good for a long day, with sunbeds and beach bars for shade and a cold drink.

The honest catch is that this is no hidden cove. Kontogialos is popular and backed by hotels, so through the middle of a peak summer day it fills with sunbeds and swimmers and carries a holiday buzz rather than a hush. Being open and west facing it can also catch an afternoon breeze and surf. The fix is the same as everywhere good on this coast. Let the busy hours pass with a swim and shade, spread out at the quieter ends of the wide bay, and stay for the late light when the day trippers leave and the sunset hands the place back to the two of you.