Angelokastro, the Angel's Castle of the Corfù Island

One of the most interesting attractions on Corfu island is undoubtedly the Angelokastro fortress. We are located in the northwestern part of the island, not far from Paleokastritsa bay. You must think that we are facing one of the most important Byzantine castles in all of Greece. A real jewel both from a historical-cultural and landscape point of view. A must stop if you are visiting beautiful Kerkyra.

To get to this fortress, buses leave directly from Corfu town. Or you can take the car and get to the small parking lot near the fortress. From here, a climb begins that winds over large steps, not as tiring as it seems, which will take you up to the castle entrance.

If you want to take it easy and have the possibility to discover this part of Corfu better, you can find accommodation in nearby Paleokastritsa. The fame of this seaside destination has allowed it to develop a good range of accommodation and holiday homes. Ideal if you are planning your visit to the fortress.

Otherwise, you can head towards the little Krini village, more intimate and isolated, but where you can still find a comfortable solution for the night.

Taking full advantage of the geography of the place, this outpost was built perched on a rock spur 300 meters above sea level. Dominating the nearby bays and offering a wonderful view of the blue waters of the Ionian Sea.

It is unclear when its construction actually began. It seems that in this place there was already an outpost that Justinian wanted to build in the sixth century. While the first wall fortification dates back to 1200, by the despots of Epirus, the Komnenoi Angeloi. It is therefore easy to think that the name Angel's Castle is determined by those who continued and completed its construction. Although there are no certainties about it. However, we know that the first official document that determines its presence dates back to 1272, where the fortress is called Castrum Sancti Angeli.

Events of its genesis aside, a visit to the castle is a magical moment, which attracts visitors from all over the world every year.

Its position, overlooking the sea on three sides, allows access only from the northern one. Guarded by a circular tower that guards the entrance.

The heart and unmissable attraction of Angelokastro is undoubtedly its acropolis, located on the top of the fortress, of which a series of finds still remain today. On the other hand, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, which was built here in 1784, is very well preserved. The presence of this place of worship has given rise to the hypothesis that the name of the castle could be linked to it.

In the western part of the citadel you can instead visit perhaps the most mysterious area of the entire complex. It is a cemetery in which a series of seven tombs with human figures is kept. No documentation has come down to us of this peculiarity of the fortress, and their origin and meaning still remain unknown.

But we find another fascinating discovery on the eastern side. Here, carved out of the rock, is a chapel dedicated to Aghia Kyriaki, inside which you can admire some 18th century paintings. A place that emanates a particular aura, and which was used over the centuries as a spiritual hermitage.

Walking through the fortress and admiring the panoramas that sweep over the horizon, it is not difficult to imagine the historical events that have accompanied the journey.

Its position has in fact attracted enemies and conquerors from all over, eager to appropriate its treasures and a strategic control point on the sea routes.

The Angelokastro fortress underwent numerous attacks, by pirates as well as by the Genoese and the Turks. But none of them ever managed to overcome its defenses. And the walls of the castle remained upright to defend the citizens who found shelter there. Large cisterns, placed inside the fortress, had precisely the function of storing large quantities of water that were needed by the people during sieges.

Today it truly remains an enchanted place. One of those where it is still possible to breathe history, which mixes with the scents of salt and Mediterranean scrub. A real jewel not to be denied on a visit to the Corfù island.