Pelekas lies on the west coast of Corfu, 15km west of Corfu town and the airport. It can be found in
the historical archives of Corfu as far back as the 16th century and in church records, dating from the
17th century. The origin of the village’s name is not known. One suggestion is that it derives from the
word “pelekis”; which was a type of ancient axe, used by the villagers for cutting wood or stone. In
the lower part of the village is the Theotokos Odigitria church, where the service takes place for the
yearly panigiri or festival on 23rd August. This swells the local population from around 500 to over
1,000, in the main plateia or Square. In the upper part of the village is the Saint Nikolaos church. A
fifteen minute walk uphill will bring you to the Kaisers Throne viewpoint and a third church called
Thetokos Evangelistria. All these churches date from around 1750.
There are many tavernas and cafe bars in Pelekas which is unusual for a inland village. This is a
legacy from the late 70’s and 80’s; when many Scandanavians and Europeans took advantage of
cheap student bus and railway tickets, to visit Corfu. Pelekas beach, known locally as Kontagialos,
became the backpackers’ daytime paradise and the village (a twenty minute walk uphill) became
the centre for their nightlife. The Pelekas Cultural Society promotes cultural awareness, maintains
local traditions and organises festivals, as well as running choirs and dance groups. There is also a
costume museum on the main road up to the village. This houses a private collection of traditional
Greek dress dating from the 19th century.
So, next time you are in Corfu; take a trip to Kaisers Throne, have some lunch in the village square
and then head down to the beach for a well deserved swim. Sunbathe on the sandy beach and
watch the dramatic sunset over the sea. All this information was kindly supplied from the books written by Steve Ford and the money raised from sales of these goes to Corfu Charities. Please use the link below to download your own copy and find more information on all the villages listed and more from Steve
the historical archives of Corfu as far back as the 16th century and in church records, dating from the
17th century. The origin of the village’s name is not known. One suggestion is that it derives from the
word “pelekis”; which was a type of ancient axe, used by the villagers for cutting wood or stone. In
the lower part of the village is the Theotokos Odigitria church, where the service takes place for the
yearly panigiri or festival on 23rd August. This swells the local population from around 500 to over
1,000, in the main plateia or Square. In the upper part of the village is the Saint Nikolaos church. A
fifteen minute walk uphill will bring you to the Kaisers Throne viewpoint and a third church called
Thetokos Evangelistria. All these churches date from around 1750.
There are many tavernas and cafe bars in Pelekas which is unusual for a inland village. This is a
legacy from the late 70’s and 80’s; when many Scandanavians and Europeans took advantage of
cheap student bus and railway tickets, to visit Corfu. Pelekas beach, known locally as Kontagialos,
became the backpackers’ daytime paradise and the village (a twenty minute walk uphill) became
the centre for their nightlife. The Pelekas Cultural Society promotes cultural awareness, maintains
local traditions and organises festivals, as well as running choirs and dance groups. There is also a
costume museum on the main road up to the village. This houses a private collection of traditional
Greek dress dating from the 19th century.
So, next time you are in Corfu; take a trip to Kaisers Throne, have some lunch in the village square
and then head down to the beach for a well deserved swim. Sunbathe on the sandy beach and
watch the dramatic sunset over the sea. All this information was kindly supplied from the books written by Steve Ford and the money raised from sales of these goes to Corfu Charities. Please use the link below to download your own copy and find more information on all the villages listed and more from Steve
Websitehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=steve+ford+corfu+villages&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Location:ΠΛΑΤΕΙΑ ΠΕΛΕΚΑ E, Pelekas 491 00, Greece