Afionas

Perched high on the headland looking down on Agios Georgios Bay to the south and the open Ionian Sea to the north, the lovely old village of AFIONAS is always on the agenda of many regular Corfu visitors.

Situated at the northern end of Agios Georgios bay, Afionas offers a magnificent view of the whole bay and surrounding hills right across to the distant cliffs of Akri Falakra, the headland behind Paleokastritsa.

Looking northwards the views along the north west coast of Corfu are quite breathtaking, taking in the nearby small islands of Kravia, Sikia and Gineka, and further on the Diapontia Islands of Mathraki, Othoni and Erikousa.

View to the north

This superb viewpoint now has 3 convenient benches to use for contemplating the vista. Although blue skies and sea are the norm even Corfu can have a dull day.

Afionas village is known to have been first inhabited during the 6th century BC. It was apparently abandoned a little later and then re-inhabited again during 6th century AD.

In the centre of the village the old church stands in the quiet square (plateia) from which radiate several narrow streets.

From the village a path winds across the sun scorched headland and down to Porto Timoni, a half-hour walk, where there is reputedly the ruins of a fortress, built in 300 BC by Pirros, King of Epirus.

On the north-west side of Akri Arilla (Point Arilla) there are excavations which uncovered a village dating back to the Neolithic times.

A combination of ancient and more recent history is the story of the traditional Greek stone column on a small hill behind 'Zeus Throne' restaurant (formerly known as Dionysos Restaurant) which was destroyed by a bomb from a German plane during World War 2.

Now please enjoy looking at a few small photographs around Afionas.