The Corfu Trail

Day 8 Rekini to Spartilas (and Barbati) 15.5k

The taxi we had taken from Rekini to Roda had promised to collect us from the Hotel Pegasus at 9am but failed to turn up. By the time the hotel had organised another taxi for us it was nearly 10am before we were collected and returned to the crossroads at Rekini to start our walk.

We had been warned that the first part of today's walk would be through dense forest and there were stream crossings that might make us wet. Leaving Rekini we turned onto a track after 150 yards and this soon narrowed to become an overgrown and muddy trail. We made a couple of simple stream crossings and then climbed steeply through thick undergrowth. This difficult trail continued for about 1.5k then opened into olive groves and led on to the village of Valanio.

Leaving Rekini

Carole keeps her feet dry

Climbing through..

... dense undergrowth

Emerging into olive groves

Valanio Village

Leaving the village we climbed steadily with the road turning from asphalt to gravel. The view opened up as we climbed and the island of Othoni appeared on our right. We joined another overgrown path and climbed again, our path turning to cobbles as we got higher.

Olive groves

The Queen's Leap. There is a big drop here

Looking over The Queen's Leap

Our path becomes cobbled as it climbs

We continued uphill to reach a concrete road and eventually Sokrati village. By this time we were very hot and ready to sit in one of two cafes facing each other in the village square. Ginger beer was called for and received, then coffee and cake and ice cream. An hour passed blissfully and we were ready for the trail once more.

Entering Sokrati

Cooling down in Sokrati

'More Tzitzibira please'

Line it up...

The two cafes at Sokrati

Our long break at Sokrati cooled us down and we were very refreshed as we left the village. After a bit of forest walking we joined an asphalt road and headed steadily downhill. We remained on this road as it passed through the cultivated valley of Spartillas eventually reaching the village and the Asteras taverna which we headed straight into. Hot once more and knowing we were on the final stretch of the day we cooled down on the taverna balcony with a large glass of cold white wine.

The mountains of Albania

This chap was about 2" long and positioned at head height.

The fertile valley of Spartillas

That's better!

We now left the Corfu Trail to walk 5k downhill to our accommodation for the night, the Pantokrator Hotel at Barbati.

This is a very steep downhill stretch made entirely on tarmac, very hard on knees and we were very relieved to reach our hotel. The second hardest stretch we would walk and again not part of the Corfu Trail!