Vatos is a small, quiet village in the central west area of the island; about 20km from Corfu town.
There are a couple of tavernas, a church, a cafe and a shop. Next door to Kelia, it has probably one
of the best tavernas in the area. It was famous for camping in the 1980s when, like Pelekas, young
people came from Europe, America and Australasia to visit the new place to be. Located on a hilltop,
Vatos is only a few minutes drive from famous beaches of Corfu; such as Ermones, Pelekas, Glyfada
and Myrtiotissa.
The lush green valley around Vatos was actually once a huge lake. Ropa valley, as it is called, covers
an area of 10km2 and extends all over central west Corfu. This vast meadow where herds of sheep
graze is rich with olive trees and vineyards. River Ermones crosses the valley, forming lovely lakes.
The region constitutes an important life reserve, the hospitable refuge for various species of birds,
fish, amphibians and reptiles. Exploring the area by car, bike or on foot is well worth the effort.
The village was once the residence of the area’s two most prominent lords Kapodistrias and Soufis,
but unfortunately only a small part of the old mansion is preserved today. The village festival
takes place on 24th September, and on this date in nearby Mirtiotissa a celebration is held at the
monastery of Panagia Myrtiotissa. The valley below also hosts the Corfu golf club. An 18-hole golf
course and driving range near Ermones. The tree lined fairways and the sand bunkers are combined
with several lakes and streams, one of which flows to the beach at Ermones where Odysseus was
rescued by princess Nafsika. The course is very picturesque against the backdrop of high hills
viewed on all sides. A magical place full of animals and birds (fish, kingfishers, herons and otters). 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
There are a couple of tavernas, a church, a cafe and a shop. Next door to Kelia, it has probably one
of the best tavernas in the area. It was famous for camping in the 1980s when, like Pelekas, young
people came from Europe, America and Australasia to visit the new place to be. Located on a hilltop,
Vatos is only a few minutes drive from famous beaches of Corfu; such as Ermones, Pelekas, Glyfada
and Myrtiotissa.
The lush green valley around Vatos was actually once a huge lake. Ropa valley, as it is called, covers
an area of 10km2 and extends all over central west Corfu. This vast meadow where herds of sheep
graze is rich with olive trees and vineyards. River Ermones crosses the valley, forming lovely lakes.
The region constitutes an important life reserve, the hospitable refuge for various species of birds,
fish, amphibians and reptiles. Exploring the area by car, bike or on foot is well worth the effort.
The village was once the residence of the area’s two most prominent lords Kapodistrias and Soufis,
but unfortunately only a small part of the old mansion is preserved today. The village festival
takes place on 24th September, and on this date in nearby Mirtiotissa a celebration is held at the
monastery of Panagia Myrtiotissa. The valley below also hosts the Corfu golf club. An 18-hole golf
course and driving range near Ermones. The tree lined fairways and the sand bunkers are combined
with several lakes and streams, one of which flows to the beach at Ermones where Odysseus was
rescued by princess Nafsika. The course is very picturesque against the backdrop of high hills
viewed on all sides. A magical place full of animals and birds (fish, kingfishers, herons and otters). 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:Epar.Od. Kokinis-Livadiou Ropa, Vatos 491 00, Greece