The pretty but underrated village on popular Greek island with ‘more churches than people’

Corfu is one of the , attracting 1.8million tourists in 2023.

The island is known for its stunning beaches, beautiful scenery, and relaxing atmosphere.

But many who have visited the island might not know about the ghost village of Old Perithia on the northern side of Corfu.

Lying near Mount Pantokrator at an altitude of 650m, people slowly abandoned the village to move to the coast, leaving just four to five people to live there all year round to take care of livestock and maintain the buildings.

Old Perithia is known for its Venetian architecture, but many houses in the village today are broken down with smashed windows, rusted doors and crumbling walls.

Elsewhere, churches are now closed, and broken flowerpots can be seen throughout the village.

In fact, the village being surrounded by eight churches means places of worship outnumber the residents.

However, the main square offers a semblance of normality thanks to the five taverns that remain open.

Despite the village’s beautiful surroundings and Corfu’s popularity, only a handful of people make the trip to see Old Perithia each day.

The village can be visited as part of the Corfu Trail.

Hilary Whitton, the founder of the Corfu Trail, said: “The coastline is beautiful, but the diversity of the island’s landscape away from the sea is quite astonishing.

“On our trail, you will encounter vast groves of ancient olive trees, wild beaches, juniper-forested dunes, dense oak woodland, a karst plateau where nomad cattle roam, deep gorges, wetlands, mountain summits, bucolic plains, old monasteries, ruined olive presses, picturesque villages and ancient fortresses, many of them even on the same day.”

You can also get there by taking a bus tour or driving to Kassiopi before following the road to Loutses and Old Perithia.