CORFU GROTTO CAVES BOAT TOUR
A very
enjoyable excursion from Paleokastritsa beach is via small
boat to explore the coastline. Each boat holds
between 6 to 8 people and the cost for the half
hour trip is 9 euros per
person.
Our
guide was a jovial, friendly man who made sure everyone had
time to take pictures and although his German was better
than his English, I had no trouble understanding his
commentary. The rock formations along the coast are home to
many small caves and grottos and the boat was small enough
that we could go into a few of them. One of the caves was
called Nausica Cave, named after the daughter of the King of
the Phaeacians who supposedly found legendary hero Odysseus
and nursed him back to health. The walls of the cave near
the waterline are a deep wine color - partly due to the lack
of sun and the seaweed. Another cave called Blue Eye has a
patch of incredibly blue water that is meant to resemble an
eye.
We
passed by Monkey Face Hill where an outcropping of rock
closely resembles the side profile of an ape. Crossing water
that was at times 40 feet deep, we could see the Monastery
of Panagia Theotokos perched on the hill above us and in the
distance, Bella Vista hill with its cluster of houses and
the remains of a 12th century fort above them.
Although
the boats use gasoline, the water is incredibly clear and we
could see small schools of tiny silvery fish darting along
as we came back to the dock.
The
boats run continuously every day and it’s a nice way to
relax and see some of the coastline. There is no shade in
the boats so you may want to take a hat because even a half
hour trip on the water can cause quite a sun burn.
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