Solo Backpacking Europe: Week 3 in Corfu, Greece

Don’t feel like reading? Here, I’ll read it to you

Now, before I get into talking about Corfu, there are a few things I want my friends here to know. Corfu is absolutely gorgeous and 100% worth visiting. My experience here was not amazing, spectacular, fantastic, jaw dropping and soul-shaking, but under different circumstance it could have been. The reason I don’t light up inside when I think about it is because of the way I did Corfu.

1. I was lonesome. This isn’t a place I’d necessarily recommend visiting alone. There were only two hostels on the island. One had good reviews for social scene, but it had bad reviews for cleanliness and security. The other had better reviews on the cleanliness and security, so I went with that one. Unfortunately, it was super dead and there wasn’t a community space to meet people. The only spot I could think to go was the kitchen which was just as much of a ghost town as every other part of the hostel. I felt pretty lonely there and think I would have enjoyed it much more if I had company. Who knows? Maybe the other hostel option is super awesome.

2. There was a big storm. Just before I arrived there had apparently been a big storm that flooded a region of the island, making it closed off for the duration I was there. I think this also played a big part in why the hostel was so dead.

3. I didn’t have a vehicle. I was warned about the conditions of the roads. There were a lot of potholes and the traffic lights pretty much didn’t apply to anyone. I didn’t want to rent a car and risk getting stranded somewhere by myself, potential damage, or the cost those things might incur. This limited me big time. There’s public transportation but I think renting a car is the way to go on this island.

These are all avoidable things. Just be aware of them before you go 🙂 Now, for my story…

DAY 13

I arrived on the island in the late afternoon and decided to first get settled in my hostel, then find food and water. I opted for the bus, but given that I’m not familiar with public transportation, I completely forgot that you have to press the button if you want the driver to stop. The automated announcements were both in Greek and extremely fast. I was trying desperately to keep up. I heard my stop announced but the bus never stopped. I kept hearing her say the names of more and more stops and realized they were listed after the one I needed. I looked up from my phone in panic and looked around like uhh why is no one else freaking out?? This bus isn’t stopping!! It was then that my eyes met the “stop” button and I realized the mistake I had made. Unsure of what to do, I panicked and got off at the next stop….How far could it be, right?

Extremely far is the answer. A 50-minute walk to be exact. Which wouldn’t be so bad except I was racing the sunset, had 13 kilos on my back, I was lost, walking on the side of a highway (on a path), and pretty mad at myself for how avoidable this predicament was. Nevertheless, I had to just accept the situation I was in. This was one of those learning moments and at least the view was pretty!

When I did get to the hostel it was quiet…too quiet. I was the only person in my 9-bed room which was a hugeeee step down compared to my last week in Santorini.

I walked down to reception to get some guidance on where to grab some food but no one was there. I headed out on my own. I was too tired to go far, so I walked to the nearest gas station. I thought I’d get some water and a few snacks and I was incredibly shocked to find that all they had in their little shop was…car stuff. Which makes sense, but in America you could probably go grocery shopping in a gas station so I wasn’t expecting this. I looked really odd walking in there without, you know, a vehicle.

I cut my losses and went back to the hostel. I savored the mini water bottle I got at reception (limit 1 per customer ad they were very adamant about that) and dug a squished CLIFF bar out of the bottom of my bag. Bon appetit! Defeated from the day, I slept hard.

DAY 14

I woke up and attempted to meet some people in the hostel kitchen. Surprise, surprise, I didn’t meet anyone. There wasn’t anyone there to meet! I accepted it would be a solo day and headed into town. The rain poured down in buckets and I was sloshing in my sneakers before I even reached the bus stop. After waiting for a half hour, I ended up hopping in a taxi with a couple who was also waiting for the bus that never came. Once in town, I bought an umbrella and wandered a bit until I came across an ornate café. I sat there for a while people watching, eating slowly, and sipping my cup of coffee until it ran cold. Once I saw the sun start to peak through the clouds, I ventured out to explore what Corfu town had to offer. I visited some of the main attractions: the Old Fortress, the New Fortress, Spianada Square, the Liston, Anemomylos Windmill, and Kassiopi Tower.

DAY 15

I took a bus to the Paleokatrista Beach. I was soaking up the warm sun on my face when I felt a raindrop. Then two, then three…I saw where this was heading. Two girls sitting near me who I had talked to briefly invited me to come have a drink with them at the beachfront bar until the storm clouds rung out. So, there I sat with two girls who I had just met. It turns out they were sisters and one of them was in school for an advanced Psychology degree. It’s so cool the people you can find yourself connecting with.

Once the rain let up we made the trek up to the Paleokatrista Monastery. I was crunched for time because the last bus of the day was leaving within the hour and my only other option would have been a taxi costing $150. But, I really wanted to see this place.

I walked up to the entrance bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to see the sights! The man at the entrance looked at me under furrowed brows and just said “No.” It was then that I looked down and remembered. I did not plan to visit a religious sanctuary for men who have devoted their lives to prayer. I had planned to go to the beach. My strappy bikini top and cutoff denim shorts weren’t going to cut it in the modesty department. I knew exactly what he was saying. I turned around and walked back down the hill.

Hey, technically I went to the monastery! I just wasn’t allowed through the front doors. Next time, Corfu…next time.

DAY 16

Now, I have a joke for you. A 22-year-old American post-grad backpacker, a 30-year-old Swiss African Math Teacher, and a 50-year-old German-Australian insurance broker rent a car and explore an island together.

The joke is that this is not a joke and this 100% happened.

The night before, I was cooking dinner in the hostel kitchen and met a guy name Saiid. Saiid is a teacher from Switzerland, extremely researched on all things Corfu. He began talking about the sites he wanted to see and asked if I’d like to come along. Now, I’m a smart girl, I didn’t say yes…right away. Another man, likely in his mid 50s, walked into the kitchen to make tea. He had talked about how he had friends on the island and had been staying here for a few weeks. The two of them, complete strangers to one another, decided to adventure together the next day.

As I listened to their conversations, I was able to seek out some key information that made me feel like it would be safe to tag along. Of course I took some safety precautions and kept my guard up, but I trusted my gut.

Before anyone severely doubts my decision-making capabilities, give me a chance to explain myself. And before anyone takes this as advice, I AM NOT ADVISING THAT YOU HOP IN A CAR WITH RANDOM STRANGERS.

Safety precautions I took:

I got their full names and followed them on social media
I took pictures of the license plate of our rental car
I had a list of the places we were going in the order we were going to them in
I had local emergency numbers stored in my phone
I uploaded all this info to the “Alexa Safety” google drive
I had my location shared with multiple people back home

It turned out Saiid was into photography and taught me a lot about my camera and different settings to use. We went to some amazing places. We started at Bella Vista viewpoint and had a coffee at Bakalokafenio. We then hit La Grotta, Canal d’Amour, and Cape Drastis. We watched sunset at 7^th Heaven café and finished the day with the BEST gyro on the island. I emphasize BEST because Saiid, the planner of the group, was insistent that we don’t just get any old gyro. He scoured the internet for reviews of everywhere nearby. I don’t know if it was because my appetite was ravenous or because he had done extensive research, but that gyro was really good.

OVERALL

I would love to go back to Corfu someday. There’s so much I haven’t explored, but I’m stoked about what I got to see and the blessing it was to meet those two strangers in the hostel kitchen. I wouldn’t have seen nearly as much had I not.

After this day I was ready to move on to the next and felt discouraged that every place on my list had a rainy cold forecast for the near future. I saw some of my Santorini friends enjoying an island I had never heard of called Rhodes. The sunshine was enough for me. I closed Instagram, opened Skyscanner, and booked my flight for the next morning.

I’ll wait to talk about Rhodes until next week. Until then, check out the scrapbook for more pictures from Corfu!