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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.