Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The story explains the place. The village was built up here, away from the coast, because the coast was where raiders came from. When that stopped being true, and when farming a mountain stopped paying, people moved down to the sea and the village emptied. What they left behind is a Venetian-era settlement that nobody modernised, because nobody was there to modernise it.
What is there
- Stone houses in Venetian style, some ruined, some restored, most somewhere between. Roofless walls with fireplaces still in them stand next to buildings that are lived in again.
- Eight churches for a village this size, which says something about how many people once lived here.
- A handful of tavernas, which are the reason the village functions at all as a visit. They sit in the restored buildings around the open ground at the centre.
- The slopes of Pantokrator above and behind, with walking routes running off in several directions.
The whole place is protected, which is why restoration has been slow and why the ruins have not been cleared.
What a visit is actually like
Short and quiet. The village is small enough to walk in half an hour and there is no ticketed site, no route and very little signage. What you do is wander, look into roofless houses, and then eat.
That last part is not incidental. The tavernas here are the reason many people make the drive, and they are what has kept the restoration going.
Getting there
The road climbs from the north coast, and it is narrow, winding and steep in places. It is a proper mountain road rather than a difficult one, but it is not a road to hurry on. See driving in Greece.
It pairs naturally with the rest of the north: Kassiopi on the coast below, and the summit road up Pantokrator itself, which gives the widest view on the island.
Last checked August 2026. Taverna opening and restoration work change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
What is Old Perithia?
The oldest village on Corfu, high on the northern slopes of Mount Pantokrator, largely abandoned during the twentieth century and now partly restored under heritage protection.
Why was Old Perithia abandoned?
It was built inland and uphill for safety from coastal raiders. Once that threat ended and mountain farming stopped paying, people moved down to the coast.
Is there anything to do in Old Perithia?
It is a place to walk and look rather than a site with a route. The village takes about half an hour to cover, and its tavernas are a large part of why people come.
How do you get to Old Perithia?
By car, on a narrow winding road climbing from the north coast of Corfu. It pairs with Kassiopi and the Pantokrator summit road.
How many churches are in Old Perithia?
Eight, which for a village of this size is a measure of how many people once lived on the mountain.
Next
Read things to do in Corfu, Kassiopi, or Corfu Old Town.