Doukades Village
Doukades is a village 5 km from the center of Paleokastritsa. It was and still is the perfect place to settle. It is far enough away from the sea to avoid being attacked by the pirates and to be able to see them coming if they did attack. Now it’s far enough away from the chaotic touristic summer days in Paleokastritsa. The Prime Minister of Greece from 1899-1909 Georigios Theotokis has an enormous mansion in this village, that is still there today.
Drinking a coffee in the square with the locals will bring you back to a time without the technology and stress’s of today. There are 3 tavernas in the square including Elisabeth Taverna, Doukas Taverna and To Steki. The square where everyone hangs out is marked on the map as a square. Another place on the map that is a little out of the village but is worth a visit is Cafeina.
Doukades gets its name from the first family that settled here. They had the last name Doukas. A name still in Doukades today.
Enough about that let’s get on with the hiking in Doukades! However, if you want to learn more visit Mykerkyra.com for more information.
The Hike on the road
The hike can start from 2 different points. The first is labeled 1 on the map. Here you can get to by car then park and start walking. It is a road that is on and off rocky. Locals with land in this mountain will drive on it with 4×4 trucks/jeeps.
As you walk on this road, towards your left you will come across some amazing views. If you are crazy enough to be hiking at around sunrise, it is the perfect place to see it.
There are some steep hills along the way but luckily they have put asphalt down. On the side of the road, you will continuously see something that looks like sage. Of course, it may actually be sage, but most of the time it is a plant known as Jerusalem Sage. If you rub the leaves a hint of the sage smell comes out.
After about 30-45 minutes of walking, you will reach the monastery with an amazing view. You have a view of Liapades, Paleokastritsa, the valley, and much more. You can even see the sea past Corfu town on a clear day.
This is marked on the map as 2. The hiking in Corfu is not very well maintained and neither is this path, unfortunately. If you want, bring some clippers with you and clip them as you go. The path starts by going up through the village passing by old houses and their owners. If you are lucky you may see one outside, cleaning oregano, hanging up clothes, or just sitting. Be the person to say hi because they won’t. They expect the person that comes to be the first to say hi. It is definitely worth it. I said Yia sas (hi) to the lady below and had a good 20-minute conversation with her. She told me a lot about the village.
She even told me the story behind the Agios Symeon Monastery. Once there was a woman that would go up to this spot every day. One day she went up and she found an icon of Saint Simon. She brought it home and when she went back up the next day she found it again!
Marker number 3
Finally, we reach the amazing view. There is a great big greek flag, big rocks all over, a small monastery, and some peace and quiet.
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