Palaiokastritsa

Palaiokastriton Δημοτικό Διαμέρισμα Παλαιοκαστριτών
The bay of Palaiokastritsa. The rock in the sea visible near the horizon at the top centre-left of the picture is considered by the locals to be the mythical petrified ship of Odysseus. The side of the rock toward the mainland is curved in such a way as to resemble the extended sail of a trireme. The historic monastery of Palaiokastritsa can be seen at the top of the hill of the peninsula to the right of the picture.
Palaiokastriton
Location within the regional unit
Coordinates: 39°41′N 19°43′E / 39.683°N 19.717°ECoordinates: 39°41′N 19°43′E / 39.683°N 19.717°E
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Ionian Islands
Regional unit	Corfu
Municipality	Corfu
• Municipal unit	48.4 km^2 (18.7 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Municipal unit	4,068
• Municipal unit density	84/km^2 (220/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Vehicle registration	ΚΥ

Palaiokastritsa (Greek: Παλαιοκαστρίτσα meaning Old Castle place, referring to nearby Angelokastro) is a village in the North West of Corfu. Palaiokastrites was a former municipality on the island of Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece. Its including area was defined around the original village of Palaiokastritsa. Since the 2011 local government reform Palaiokastrites is part of the municipality of Corfu as a smaller municipal unit.^[2] It has a land area of 48.379 km²^[3] and a population of 4,068 (2011 census) and is located on the west coast of Corfu just south of Angelokastro. The seat of the formerly independent Palaiokastriton municipality was the town of Lakones (pop. 384). The largest villages are Liapades (pop. 879), Doukades (627), Skriperó (500), and Lákones.

Corfu has been suggested to be the mythical island of the Phaeacians, and the bay of Palaiokastritsa to be the place where Odysseus disembarked and met Nausicaa for the first time, see Geography of the Odyssey. The monastery in Palaiokastritsa dates from 1225. There is a museum inside.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit Palaiokastriton is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):

• Lakones (Lakones, Palaiokastritsa)
• Aleimmatades (Aleimmatades, Agia Anna)
• Gardelades
• Doukades (Doukades, Papathanatika)
• Krini
• Liapades (Liapades, Gefyra)
• Makrades (Makrades, Vistonas)
• Skripero (Skripero, Felekas)

Gallery

• 
  Main beach
• 
  Agios Spiridonos church near the main beach
• 
  Monastery: entrance
• 
  Monastery: inside the church
• 
  Monastery: graveyard

External links

• Video on Palaiokastritsa from ERT's travelling program Traveling in Greece (Menoume Ellada) (Greek)
• Palaiokastritsa Travel Guide (Corfu)
• The weather in Corfu and Paleokastritsa

References

1. "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
2. Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
3. "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.