Diapontia Islands

Othonoi, Ereikoussa and Mathraki lie between Corfu and the Italian coast, and Othonoi is the westernmost inhabited point in Greece. All three are small, hilly and green, with permanent populations of a few dozen to a few hundred that swell in summer with returning emigrant families, many from the United States. Othonoi has the most to see: the cave of Calypso, a sea cavern that local tradition links to Odysseus's stay with the nymph, the lighthouse on the western cape, and beaches at Fyki and Aspri Ammos reachable by boat or a long walk. Ereikoussa is the flattest and has the best sandy beach at Porto; Mathraki is the smallest and quietest, with a long sandy shore where loggerhead turtles nest. Facilities on all three are basic.

History

In the early second millennium the islands were taken in turn by the Franks and the Venetians and often raided by Barbary pirates, and on April 19, 1383 Charles III of Naples granted the use of Othoni, Ereikoussa, Mathraki and other islets during his rule over Corfu. The last settlers of Othoni came from Paxos, Ioannina, Parga and Epirus after the battle of Nafpaktos in 1571 made the seas safer, and from Othoni they settled Ereikoussa and Mathraki; the English took Othoni in 1815, and from 1880 almost every family sent men to sea as sailors, boatswains, masters and engineers (Wikipedia, Diapontian Islands).

What you'll find

• The cave of Calypso - a sea cave on Othonoi tied to the Homeric story.
• Aspri Ammos and Fyki - remote beaches reached by boat or long walk.
• Ereikoussa's Porto beach - the easiest sandy beach in the group.
• Mathraki's turtle shore - a quiet nesting beach on the smallest island.

When to go

May, June and September; August brings the diaspora home and fills the limited rooms. Ferries are weather-dependent and reduce sharply outside summer, sometimes leaving visitors stuck for a day.

Practical notes

These are genuinely small islands with a handful of tavernas, few rooms, no banks and irregular boats. Day trips from Sidari give only a couple of hours ashore. Anyone staying should bring cash and flexibility.

Nearby

Northwest Corfu and Sidari are the mainland-side gateways; the Italian coast lies beyond to the west.

Key facts