Mount Pantokrator
906 m
Greece
Also known as Pantokrator, Παντοκράτωρ, +2Also known as
Pantokrator · Παντοκράτωρ · mont Pantokrátor · Óros Pantokrátoros
- Elevation
- 906 m
- Prominence
- 906 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The classic walk up Corfu's highest mountain: about 450 m from the restored stone village of Old Perithia (about 440 m) on a gravel track, steep path shortcuts and finally the summit road to the Pantokrator monastery, café and masts. About 1¼–1½ hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +457 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 906 m
- Time Up
- 2h 07m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 38m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at Old Perithia, a 14th-century hill village on the north side of the mountain, largely abandoned in the 20th century, that now has tavernas and a guesthouse again. Walk south on the gravel road past the ruined houses, then climb steeply on a path through flowery limestone scrub to a kiosk shelter at about 650 m, where the Corfu Trail passes below the summit massif. From the kiosk follow the gravel road again, leaving it on red waymarks for a steep shortcut uphill, until the path joins the paved road that serves the summit. The last stretch follows the tarmac to the top, where the Transfiguration monastery (present church about 1689), a café and a cluster of telecommunications masts share the summit. Views take in the whole of Corfu, the Albanian coast a few kilometres across the strait and, on very clear days, Italy. Descend the same way in about an hour. The ascent takes about 1¼ hours for fit walkers; allow 1½ hours. There is no water or shade on most of the route, and the summit can be windy and cloud-capped in the afternoon. Cars reach the summit by road, so do not expect solitude at the top.
Start
Old Perithia445 m
- No bus to Old Perithia; take a taxi from Kassiopi or Acharavi on the north coast, which have bus links to Corfu Town
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Perithia → Pantokrator | 4.7 | 457 | 0 | 2h 07m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Old Perithia445 m
- Hut: Kiosk shelter647 m
Open shelter on the Corfu Trail; rest stop only, not an overnight hut
- Summit: Pantokrator906 m
Key Passages
- Steep path to the kiosk shelter
- Red-marked shortcut between the gravel and paved roads
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
Corfu's highest point (906 m), a bare limestone massif in the north-east of the island topped by a 17th-century monastery, a café and a forest of telecom masts. A short, stony walk from the old stone village of Old Perithia reaches the top in little more than an hour.
Pantokrator ('the Almighty') rises directly above the north-east coast of Corfu, a few kilometres across the strait from Albania. Its upper slopes are a windswept karst plateau of grey limestone, scrub and spring flowers, with abandoned settlements such as Old Sinies in the hollows below the summit. Because the summit is reached by a paved road, the top is shared with cars, a café, the Transfiguration monastery and a large telecommunications station whose tallest tower stands over a well.
It is still worth walking. The approach from Old Perithia, a restored 14th-century village of stone houses and churches at the foot of the mountain, gains about 450 m on tracks and paths, and the island-wide Corfu Trail crosses the massif below the summit. On a clear day the view covers all of Corfu, the Albanian and Epirus coast and, rarely, Italy about 130 km away.
The walking is easy by mountain standards, but there is little shade or water, and the summit is often windy or wrapped in cloud while the coast is in sunshine.
Climbing Notes
Any reasonably fit walker can do the Old Perithia route in 2–2½ hours return; there is no technical ground, but the limestone is loose and sharp on the steeper shortcuts, so wear proper shoes. Carry water and sun protection, and start early in summer: from June to September the heat on the open slopes is the main difficulty. Spring (April–May) brings flowers and good temperatures; autumn is also pleasant.
Longer options include the Corfu Trail sections across the massif (Spartilas to Kaminaki, 16.6 km, 6–7 hours; Kaminaki to Old Perithia, 12.5 km) and loops from Strinilas, the village on the paved summit road. The summit café keeps irregular hours, so do not rely on it for water. Expect crowds at the summit around the 6 August monastery feast.
History
An Angevin monastery was built on the summit in 1347, reportedly with timber and limestone carried up by the people of Perithia; it was destroyed around 1537. The present church, dedicated to the Transfiguration, dates from about 1689, with a 19th-century facade, so the monastery's feast falls on 6 August. Old Perithia, dating from the 14th century, was gradually abandoned in the 20th century and has since been partly restored.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Cold, wet and windy; occasional snow on the summit
- Feb
- Unsettled weather
- Apr
- Spring flowers on the limestone slopes
- Jun
- Hot; start early
- Jul
- Very hot and shadeless; dawn starts only
- Aug
- Very hot; crowds for the monastery feast on 6 August
- Sep
- Still warm; start early
- Oct
- Pleasant temperatures
- Nov
- Rain more frequent
- Dec
- Wet and windy
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts; Old Perithia has tavernas and guesthouse accommodation, and the nearby north-coast resorts have plenty of rooms.
- Rules
- The summit telecommunications station is fenced; do not enter it
- The Pantokrator monastery is a place of worship: modest dress is expected inside
- Getting There
Kassiopi and Acharavi (north coast); Old Perithia (village at the trailhead)
Corfu Ioannis Kapodistrias (CFU)
- By car to Old Perithia from the north-coast road (turn off between Kassiopi and Acharavi via New Perithia); parking at the edge of the village
- A paved road also climbs to the summit via Strinilas
- No bus serves Old Perithia; KTEL buses link Corfu Town with the north-coast resorts, then take a taxi
Hazards
- Weather