Othonoi

green mountainous island suitable for diving close to Corfu

Aspri Ammos beach

Othonoi

Othonoi (Othoni) is a small island of the Ionian sea, close to the north shore of Corfu island. It is the largest inhabited island of the Diapontia group (a group it forms together with Mathraki and Ereikoussa) and it is also the remotest of them, constituting the westernmost point of Greece. Othonoi is a getaway destination where you can enjoy very calm and hospitable stay among the friendly locals. According to Greek mythology Othonoi was the island where the nymph Calypso kept Odysseus in captivity for 7 years.

Like the rest of the Diapontia island, Othonoi can be reached only from Corfu island. A ferry from Corfu Town runs a few times weekly carrying cars and passengers and travels 3 hours, linking also Ereikoussa, Mathraki and Othoni. Boats from Agios Stefanos - west travel 1 hour and take passengers but you can also visit the islands of Diapontia with a daily cruise which combines some or all of them. Such trips are organized in the summer, usually from Agios Stefanos and Sidari, but there are also speed boats from Nissaki which offer a day tour of the three inhabited islands. Few people choose to spend more than a day on Othonoi, although there are enough basic facilities.

Othonoi is a very green and mountainous island and its shoreline, especially the south one, is rich in rock formations very suitable for diving. The island port where the ferries and boats arrive is called Ammos and it has developed as the most populous settlement of Othonoi, with restaurants, cafes, mini markets, a few small hotels, medical center and police office. There are twelve other settlements but they are really small and are rather clusters of houses. Such are Dafni, Damaskatika and Chorio, the latter being the first village and capital of the island, with old stone houses and two churches in close proximity. The villages are interconnected via network of paved and unpaved roads.

Ammos lies in a wind protected bay and it has a few beaches around the port, as Molos is the favorite of many for its soft sand and shallow water. In the north part there are a few rocky coves which can be reached by car but most beaches of Othonoi are accessible by boat. Such is Aspri Ammos considered the most beautiful and exotic beach of the island. It is on the southwest coast, a small strip of white sand and pebbles under vertical white cliffs contrasting to the blue water. Near Aspri Ammos is located the sea cave Calypso cave and a stone arch above the sea known as Kamara. If you prefer hiking rather than beach experience, Othonoi has high green hills to be conquered. The highest point of the island is called Imerovigli and it reveals splendid views toward the port of Ammos, the sunset and the islands of Mathraki, Ereikoussa and Corfu.

Hotels in Othonoi

highlights: green mountainous island suitable for diving close to Corfu, island in Ionian Islands, Greece

More about Othonoi

Othonoi photo galleryx