Arillas
Arillas is the base of Green Corfu and one of the most beautiful villages of Corfu. It is situated in the north-west corner of Corfu, 37 km from Corfu town. It combines a breathtaking landscape with a great variety of things to do, ranging from walking and swimming to meditating and participating in the local culture. The positive energy of the place is something you will feel right away and attracts many people to come back again and again, and some of them even to permanently move here!
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Landscape
...a fertile, green valley, with a stream running down...
First of all, Arillas is blessed with a beautiful setting in a fertile, green valley, with a stream running down from Kavadades and Magoulades. The surrounding hills are full of green-silver olive groves, sloping down towards the shore. The seaside itself is dominated by cliffs dropping down to a golden sandy beach and crystal clear waters. The main boulevard of Arillas is a couple of hundred meters wide and this is where access to the beach is easy. Along the boulevard you will find nice restaurants serving local homemade food, mediterranean cuisine and of course fresh fish. There are also a couple of nice cafes and beach bars with great sea views.
Both to the north and to the south, the beach extends for hundreds of meters, flanked by high cliffs of clay, offering privacy for nature lovers but also a natural cosmetic! Indeed, many people use this clay to cover their whole bodies with it. When you wash it off afterwards, your skin feels silky smooth.
The beach consists of fine golden sand, ideal for building sandcastles and all kinds of sculptures. The downside is that it’s so fine that it tends to stay with you for a long time after you leave the beach! The waters off Arillas beach are shallow and perfect for children to play in with safety.
Diapontia
... there are many little islands your gaze can rest upon...
One of the things that make Arillas unique is probably the view out to the sea. Instead of open sea, there are many little islands your gaze can rest upon. The sunset of Arillas over these islands is one of the most beautiful in the world.
On the left, just about a mile off the beach, there is the little rocky island of Gravia, inhabited by seagulls and wild goats.To the right you see the flowing curves of Diapolo and Diakopo, also uninhabited by humans but beautiful for a boat trip. There are two little beaches there and a footpath leading to a little (deserted) church. Then there is the island of Mathraki, the smallest of the Diapontia islands which has two villages and a harbour. Othoni, the largest of the Diapontia islands and also the westernmost point of Greece, is becoming more popular with tourists because of its unspoilt beauty. On Othoni you can visit Calypso’s cave. Erikusa is the last of the Diapontia islands and is not directly visible from Arillas beach as it lies further to the north. Also beautiful and developing towards a green island.
Holistic Holidays
... positive energy and good vibrations...
The whole area of Arillas is bustling with positive energy and good vibrations and people are feeling that. People have been coming to Arillas to relax and meditate for more than 30 years! Nowadays there are many meditation centres in Arillas (Corfu Buddha Hall, Alexis Zorbas, Ouranos Club, Mythos Club) offering organised group holidays.
The summer of 2015 saw also the launch of a new venue, the majestic Gayatri Mandir, where the Gayatri Festival with Deva Premal and Miten is being held, as well as the Sound & Silence Gatherings in September, with artists like Estas Tonne, Mirabai Ceiba, Jai-Jagdeesh and many more!
There are also many people giving different sorts of massage and individual sessions and in the high season you can see several groups of people doing their morning Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi or other routines on the beach. Feel free to join them!
Some of the people connected to those meditation centres have moved to Arillas and spend most of their time here, forming a vibrant community. This community is growing and raising the energy field of the place in a very tangible way.
Beer
Another attraction of Arillas is the Corfu Microbrewery. They produce 6 different kinds of beer, plus a gingerbeer with alcohol and they were chosen by the British chain of pubs JD Wetherspoon to produce a special beer called Koroibos, especially for the London Olympics. They have won international acclaim and are also very active locally. All products are fresh and unpasteurised and many claim that the best beer of Greece is made in Arillas!
Every year in October, the Corfu Beer Festival is held in Arillas. This is a 5-day festival combining beers, food, music and dancing from Corfu and a different place every year. The first year we met Bavaria, the second year the UK, the third year Italy, then the Czech Republic and hopefully this year (2021) a new country! Certainly worth considering for a late autumn break, especially with the very low accommodation prices!
Local community
There is also a very active local community in Arillas. There are 5 different festivals a year, the village and beach are cleaned up at the start of each season, the issues of recycling and green energy are being discussed and people are becoming more aware of the need to protect the environment. In the same direction, the Arillas Trail, a footpath of 8 km was cleaned and marked last year and more will follow this winter. There are vegetarian and even gluten-free dishes available in almost all restaurants, a lot of local products are being used, and you can even get dinkel pizza in Arillas!
In general, a wind of change seems to be blowing in Arillas. And the fact that we are in the middle of the biggest crisis ever is only accelerating developments towards a new way of living and relating to ourselves, others and Mother Nature.
Arillas pictures!
We know it is a teaser!
