Mount Pantokrator

Pantokrator rises just over 900 metres above the north of Corfu, which is enough on an island this size to see almost all of it at once. A monastery sits on the summit next to a cluster of communication masts, an unglamorous pairing that most photographs crop out. The road up is narrow and switchbacked, climbing through Spartylas and Strinylas, and one branch passes Old Perithia, a stone village on the northern slope that was largely abandoned and is now partly restored around its square. From the top the island reads as a long green ridge with bays cut into both sides, and on a clear day the mainland coast is visible across the strait. Walkers can climb instead from Nissaki or Strinylas.

What you actually see

• The summit terrace - the whole island laid out, with bays on both coasts visible at once.
• Pantokrator monastery - a small working monastery at the top, open at irregular hours.
• Old Perithia - a stone village on the north slope, part ruin and part restored, with a few tavernas.
• The approach road - switchbacks through Spartylas and Strinylas with pull-ins over the east coast.

When to go

Spring gives the clearest air and green slopes; autumn is nearly as good with fewer cars. Summer haze regularly flattens the long views, so go early if you are there in July or August. Late afternoon light is best for photographs but the road is worse to drive when tour minibuses come down. Winter brings cloud and occasional snow at the top.

Honest expectations

The summit is cluttered with antenna masts and fenced compounds, which surprises people expecting a clean viewpoint. The road is single lane in places with blind bends and no barrier, and meeting a bus means reversing. Cafe hours at the top are unreliable. On a hazy summer day the distant views simply are not there.

Nearby

Old Perithia, the north-east coast bays around Nissaki and Corfu Old Town.