Paraskevi Apartments
-The Right Choice for an Independent Traveller
Location
Paraskevi Apartments are located in a quiet part of a busy resort of Ipsos. A ten minute walk takes you down to the pebble beach and the shops and restaurants of Ipsos. You will find a good choice of attractive tavernas along the seaside. A close-by minimarket makes for easy self-catering. The Paraskevi Apartments makes an economical and pleasantly relaxing base for exploring the exquisite island of Corfu. Local buses are a cheap way to explore the island. An excellent sunshine record and very pleasant spring and autumn temperatures mean an exceptionally long beach holiday season from May through to October.
Ipsos
The resort of Ipsos (heights) lies at the foothill of Mount Pantokratoras, on the northeastern coast of the island and 14 km from Corfu Town (20 minutes by car). Long before the first tourists arrived, it used to be a small fishing village, connected to neighboring Pirgi, whose name (tower) reveals that there used to be a watching tower on the slopes of the hill above the today’s resort.
Ipsos is definitely a resort with something for everyone. Boasting a long sand and shingle beach and thrill seeking water activities, there is no place better to go for a day packed full of plenty to see and do.
The main road runs the length of the main strip of Ipsos that is about 1.5km long. The resort is quite flat and has a lovely promenade lined with small palm trees along its entire length, making it an ideal place for walking, cycling, running, gentle strolling or just sitting and watching the day go by. The road and pavements have been recently renovated and make a welcome change to the rest of the island giving the area a sense of tidiness.
There are many tavernas, restaurants, cafes, shops and bars in Ipsos set along one side of the road, which offer a wide and varied choice for dining and shopping. The traditional Greek tavernas offer some wonderful local cuisine and the British-style bars advertise all day breakfasts and good old pub grub. There is also a Chinese and plenty of Italian restaurants, along with cheerful fast foods or grillrooms.
Bars are something that Ipsos is not short of, ranging from quieter cocktail bars and traditional Greek bars to the more lively music bars with wide screen TV playing the latest films and sports all day. Many of the bars have pool tables and games machines. There are many pool bars in the resort, free to use as long as you purchase a drink or two.
Ipsos is an ideal place to party for the young or young at heart, with countless bars and discos of every description providing clubbing and energetic nightlife during the summer months. Young people from all over Europe fill the summer evenings with their crazy rhythm. It is definitely a place to come if you want to dance the night away!
Ipsos boasts calm water and a curved bay with views of the Greek mainland, Albania, Mount Pantokrator and olive and pine clad inland hills. The beach at Ipsos is shingle/sand mix, it also has a good range of water sports from pedalos, ringos, bananas, to jet skiing, sail boarding and parascending bookable from one of the two waters sports centres along the beach. There is also boat hire and paddle boats. The beach is clean and tidy (no sea urchins) with showers and changing facilities. There are plenty sun beds for hire along with umbrellas. The water shelves off gradually and is clean and clear, suitable for children. The Ipsos beach has been rewarded with a Blue Flag for its cleanliness.
The resort is flagged at one end by a traditional harbor where you can watch the local fishermen bring in their daily catch. A small selection of fresh fish is always available to buy at points along the resort. Behind the fishing harbor, there is a quaint church of St. Paraskevi. At the other end of the resort the road climbs steeply upwards and offers fantastic views of the mountains, from here you can reach the road that takes you to the top of the highest peak in Corfu, Mount Pantokrator.
Water taxis, boat tours and a good cheap bus service mean that Ipsos is a great base from where to explore Corfu Island.
Ipsos beach offers the opportunity to take water taxis to nearby beaches or boat trips to further a field and it is a popular way to admire the dramatic coastline.
The blue city buses run from here and offer a good, frequent service to and from town. Ipsos is the last stop for the blue buses, if you want to travel further North you will need to change here and catch a green bus.
Apart from plentiful shops and restaurants, there is also a laundry, hairdressers', minimarkets, a well stocked supermarket, two pharmacies and a 24/7 health clinic.