Villa Elia Near Yaliskari Bay

Sounds like you have made a good choice! We (also 5 of us) are returning at the end of next week to Villa Saranda which is just down the road from Villa Elia - second time in this villa; sixth time to the Kalami area. It really is a perfect, relaxing, peaceful area but with enough around the immediate vicinity to keep you occupied. Re your specific questions:

1. Car hire -  we have taken the easier option of getting a taxi from the airport, and then arranging car hire in Kalami - we've used Blue Bay Travel, who have been fine.  Staying in Yaliskari last time we decided not to have a car for the whole of the holidays, instead we had one for a few days at the beginning and a few days towards the end - this allowed us to stock up with the heavier essentials - mainly beer, wine and water - and then top up each day with a not too arduous walk to one of the three mini-markets in Kalami. That said, these shops are fine for staples - bread, milk, yoghurt, fruit etc - but the stock is not that extensive, and if you want a better choice you may need to take a car into Kassiopi where there are bigger supermarkets.  On the road to Kassiopi we really liked a slightly smaller supermarket (where the road turns for Ag Stephanos) which had a bit more variety.

2. Villa Elia - we've not been but the Yaliskari area is (in my opinion) fabulous because it's really quiet and peaceful but ...

3 - Walking to Kalami / Agni is easy-peasy.  Kalami is at the most 10 minutes away (depending on how hot it is)  by a quiet road -steep in places, but fine if you take your time. Agni is about the same in the opposite direction, via a fairly steep road down to Yaliskari bay, then round a coastal path.  

4. Tavernas - you're really well served in both Kalami and Agni, with 3 waterside tavernas in each bay, and a couple of other options a bit further back from the beach in Kalami. Personal preference for me is Thomas's in Kalami and Nikolas in Agni - but it is entirely personal and probably linked to the fact that they were the first places I visited in each of the bays. Nikolas particularly feels more authentic and a bit more rustic than the others in Agni - and the owner Pericles is a real character. The tavernas in Agni offer a boat taxi service from Kalami - if you don't fancy the coast path at night, ring them they will stop off at the little jetty in Yaliskari.  You can also walk to the taverna at the lovely harbour in Kouloura, and a bit further on to Kerasia, where there is a great fish taverna (or go by boat of you hire one)

Further afield, if you have access to a car, I couldn't give a high enough recommendation to Taverna Foros in Old Perithia. This is a very rustic and authentic little taverna at the bottom of an old village of abandoned houses up in the hills.  Take the road through Kassiopi, along the north coast, turning left to go through Ano Perithia and Loutses, on to Old Perithia.  You park at the top of the village and walk down as far as you can go to Foros.  There are a few other tavernas which look a little more touristy - they tend to serve the parties of 4WD's that come up in the day. Foros is definitely the business!  

5. Boat Hire - we have used the one by the White House in Kalami but there are other options - check the prices / deals.  

6.  Supermarkets - see car hire above, but if you want to do a really big shop to stock up then you may want to drive back towards Corfu town to visit one of the 'hypermarkets' on the outskirts.

7. Local Bars - we love the Cocktails and Dreams bar which is part of the Adonis and Astonitis Hotel  in Kalami - it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the staff are genuinely the most friendly and welcoming bunch you will ever meet, and OK, it is the standard package-fare of Karaoke, quiz nights, maybe a bit of Sky Sports - but come on, you're on holiday, let your hair down a bit!!

8.  Places of interest - the obvious trip to Corfu town for sightseeing, shopping, choice of eateries.  Closer to home Kassiopi has a the remains of a castle and some crystal clear bays and beaches for snorkelling.  You could travel over to the west coast to see some amazing views (particularly around sunset) around the NW coast. My other half wants to drag me to Albania where he did some voluntary work restoring old ruins - but it sounds like way too much traveling. We always mean to get out and about when we are there, but somehow never quite get round to doing as much as we planned - a combination of heat and extreme relaxation sets in! 

9.  Any other tips - can't really think of anything except the standard - take plenty of mossie repellent, the wasps will probably be awful at this time of the year so keep a swatter on hand - but other than that, I hope the only bug you get bitten by is the Kalami bug, which seems to attract people back again and again.

I'm sure other people will give you their own recommendations, but hope these are helpful.  Have a great time!

Liz

 

Not too much to add to the above but if you do hire a car you must go to Kassiopi and visit 'The Best Gyros' taverna just up from the harbour, for a tasty lunch.  You will get a Gyros and wine for under 5 euros and you can sit and people watch.

 

There are so many fab eateries so I suggest you try as many as you can.

 

If you enjoy walking there is an abundance of paths to find and usually a taverna or two at the end.  Kouloura Harbour is easy enough to get to and I believe the restaurant serves lovely ice cream.

 

I hope you all have a superb time and will update us on your return.

 

Annie

The first time we stumbled across this place was with two hungry, hot and bothered children in tow, we realised we had failed to top up our wallets with cash and had only 10 euros in loose change! Thomas the owner urged us not to worry, we should order what we wanted because he knew we would be back again. This was way back in 2006, and we managed to scrape together enough money to more or less pay for a couple of beers, a couple of mezze dishes, followed up by the most delicious free walnut cake. However, Thomas' prediction was right - the combination of delicious food and exceptional hospitality has drawn us back up the winding mountain road again and again. Rick Stein did the same when he was filming his Mediterranean Escapes series - he went once to do the filming, but returned again to eat there without the cameras running.

Just don't tell too many people ...