Last updated on August 10th, 2022 at 09:57 pm
The Village of Benitses in Corfu
Benitses Corfu is an old traditional village and an original resort in Greece. A charming combination of mountains and sea, 8 miles from Corfu town.
When speaking of tourism in Corfu, this is where it started.
Perhaps it is one of the most famous seaside villages in the country due to the strange and strong attraction exerted on almost every visitor to Corfu that is difficult to describe in words.
May be is because of the lush vegetation on the surrounding mountains. Or the notorious nightlife of the recent past. Perhaps the beautiful history of the place or the shine of the famous first guests and residents in the 50s and 60s. No one can say.
Useful numbers
Pharmacy
Maria Kontostanou
Tel: 26610 71161
Emergency – Ambulance
Tel: 166
General Surgery
Dr. Dimitris Tsevas
Tel: +30 2661 071204
TAXI Station
Tel: 26610 33811
Police station
Tel: 26610 72222
What is Benitses Corfu Like?
Forget anything you knew about the past because the resort with the notorious nightlife is nothing but a distant memory.
Benitses today is an idyllic lively place, with a great past and future that every visitor to Corfu will want to discover and share with their friends.
The village has expanded in recent years into a large tourist resort in Corfu. After all, it was the top destination in Corfu during the 60s to 80s
Today boasts the wonderful yacht harbor (Marina). A project that, among other things includes a large parking area. Has berths for hundreds of private boats, as well as the local pleasure craft and other facilities.
Hotels, apartments, villas, and rooms are ideal for cheap holidays in a wonderful place which is a perfect marriage of mountain and sea.
Restaurants and tavernas cater to every taste. From traditional Greek cuisine to pizzas, pasta, and even Chinese food.
Benitses offers a low-key but pleasant nightlife with many bars. Most of them around the new yacht harbor (Marina)
Check out this video of Nektarios Spinoulas, here is his youtube channel
Where does the Name Benitses come from?
Since the 13th century, the area was referred to as Penitisai, a word derived from the Ancient Greek word “Penio” which means a place that has rivers and is generally rich in waters.
Indeed Benitses is rich in water and used to have two small rivers which reached the sea where the harbor is now.
Later the name Penitisai changed over the years into Penitsai and finally into the current Benitses.
The official name of the village is Benitses in the plural because it refers to a set of settlements or regions.
NOTE: Benitses or Mpenitses is the same place written in a slightly different way.
But the village is more familiar to locals in the singular as Benitsa (Mpenitsa) or Binitsa (Mpinitsa). It’s obvious that there are several variations of the name that might confuse visitors.
However, any way you name it is the same.
Where in Corfu island are Benitses?
Benitses(Mpenitses) is found on the east coast in the center of the island. Certainly just 12 kilometers south of Corfu Town and 9 kilometers from the international airport Ioannis Kapodistrias.
The traditional part is located in a beautiful location that sweeps down to the sea in the middle of a green valley.
The 5 settlements
The village consists of five settlements.
1) The traditional part is located between the mountains and is called Panochori (that means “the upper village”).
2) Another settlement around the aqueduct, at an altitude of 50-60 meters on the slopes of Agioi Deka mountain, is named Vaska (reservoir).
3) The settlement around the old port is called Skaloma and it is the current commercial center of the village as it holds the most shops and restaurants.
4) The village expanded south through the 4rth settlement called Chontrakia or Kontrakia along the main road to Lefkimi.
5) Finally, the Tsaki area, is the southern and last settlement, and where Benitses ends.
Shops and Facilities
The intense building activity and large touristic development started with mass tourism in the 1960s. But despite this, the village managed to keep its natural beauty intact.
Benitses main street offers the visitor every kind of facility, like stores, Supermarkets, travel agencies, tourist shops, car rentals, restaurants, cafes, bars, etc.
The village has also Doctors, Pharmacy, Surgery, Travel Agencies, laundry, Water Sports, etc…
Despite the enormous tourism development, the village has retained almost intact all its natural beauty. Similarly, the old buildings are preserved, and the village still combines the attractions of both sea and mountains.
Population and The Friendly Residents
The village’s population is 1,000 residents, friendly and hospitable, most of which deal with tourism.
But in the past, their traditional occupations were fishing, cultivating olives, and citrus fruits.
In addition, another activity of the past was the operation of watermills that produced flour, in the mountainside of the village.
Some old occupations like fishing are reviving now, especially during winter.
Residents of Benitses are familiar with most foreign cultures, hospitable, and friendly. Because they like helping you to enjoy your holiday to the full!
Large and complete Benitses Map
More maps of Benitses wide area can be found here.
Best reasons to Visit Benitses
For the prospective visitor is useful to emphasize that Benitses of today have nothing in common whatsoever with the lively tourist center of the 80s and 90s.
There are vast improvements in infrastructure, in accommodation such as hotels, apartments, and rooms as well as in the shops, the roads, and beaches.
Every hotel or group of rooms small or large provides free broadband internet access to all customers.
Also here are some of the best for their food quality and flavors restaurants on the island. We could say that Benitses is now a culinary paradise, and these are at surprisingly low prices!
Benitses is also one of the safest destinations, don’t worry if you lost something, even money, someone will find them for you.
Remember, the young tourists of the 80s and 90s have moved South and are nothing but a memory.
Also, the location of the village in the middle of the island makes it an ideal base to explore the rest of it.
The best sandy beaches which are located on the west and southern coast of Corfu are just a few miles away.
And the old city of Corfu is just 8 miles away.
The Beaches in Benitses
Benitses beaches have improved significantly and have grown in width and length compared to the past decades. They are comfortable and with supportive infrastructures such as lifeguards and are well maintained for the visitor’s enjoyment.
With water sports and above all with the most crystal clear waters of the Eastern coast of Corfu.
These beaches are a mix of shingle and sand, well organized. In other words, sunbeds can be rented, and water sports are enjoyed here.
They have been awarded the European Union Blue Flag because of the purity of water, so Benitses is an ideal place for swimming, sailing, and water sports.
The first Benitses beach is at the north entrance of the village and is called Laopetra beach, with shallow and warm waters.
Another beach is next to the new port at the center of the Skaloma settlement, close to most shops and restaurants.
The busier beach with water sports is the Chontrakia or Loutrouvia beach. It extends from Potamaki hotel up to the bay of Koutsomaroula, which is a natural fishing port.
More small beaches can be found along the road to the south until the Tsaki settlement.
Benitses is a Destination for Families and Couples
The village today has strengthened its traditional color. So there are many traditional customs and cultural events that happen throughout the summer.
Focusing on safety and infrastructure, Benitses offers sea and sun on blue flag beaches and clean air on green mountains. Therefore the village of Benitses is the perfect destination for families, young and older couples.
Also, is appealing to anyone who is looking for a relaxing time in the sun whilst enjoying good hospitality from the friendly and hospitable locals.
Benitses is the perfect tourist destination for a relaxing and unforgettable vacation.
The clean Benitses sea
The sea in Benitses is remarkably clean, owing to a marine plant named Posidonia which you may see on the sea-bed.
This may not appeal to swimmers because of the dark color. But it cleans the water by filtering toxic substances, heavy minerals, and carbon dioxide. It provides oxygen and also valuable shelter and food for the small fish.
Generally, it is responsible for the delicious seafood available, as well as for the purity of the water.
The Posidonia meadows are green, but when the leaves get old they take a dark brown color. Separate from the plant and with the help of the tides they end up on the beaches which are cleaned after the winter storms so that they are beautifully clean and visitors can enjoy them.
Posidonia is not seaweed as some people mistakenly think but a valuable marine plant that grows blooms and multiplies like terrestrial plants. Its biggest enemies are the trawlers, intensive fishing, and human ignorance.
A wealthy Posidonia is a sign of a clean sea and a well-balanced environment because it thrives only in the cleanest waters of the Mediterranean sea.
Things to Do and Sights to See
Nature has been very Generous and the village is literally resting on the green mountains where there are several isolated small churches hidden inside the lush vegetation. For instance Agia Paraskevi, Agia Triada on an amazing knoll, and others.
Therefore conditions are ideal for biking and hiking on numerous trails leading to the mountainous village of Stavros. As a result, when arriving there you will get rewarded with breathtaking views of the middle and south parts of the island.
The existence of water sources created a river that many years ago passed through the current path of the old village. But the river had to become a road, so the diversion of the river was done earlier last century.
These sources are until today the cause of the aqueduct’s existence. In addition is the reason that Benitses is inhabited since ancient times, plus for the origin of its name.
Some more details can be found on the page dedicated to the history of Benitses.
There are many sights you can see and admire in the wide area of Benitses.
1. Achilleion Palace
Don’t forget to visit Achilleion palace as it is in close proximity, just three km north of the village center.
2. The Shell museum
Also, don’t miss the famous Shell museum, or else the Sea museum, housed in the lobby of Potamaki hotel.
3. Laopetra rock
Admire and get some photos of the large rock with a thin base called Laopetra (people’s rock) in the sea at the north entrance of the village.
4. Roman baths
Don’t forget to take a look at the ruins of the hot Roman baths in the Kapsokavadis family land in the center of the village.
5. The famous old buildings
You won’t miss some beautiful neoclassical old buildings right on your path on the inner main road, some still in place for centuries.
6. Mountain paths and Outdoor Activities
Or you can use the plethora of small mountain paths through the lush vegetation, in order to walk between old abandoned churches and other buildings that may lead you to the mountainous villages of Stavros and Agioi Deka.
There are some walking events on those trails organized by some hotels, ask for them at your hotel reception.
In Benitses you can do many outdoor activities. For instance, you can go fishing, do windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling, and almost all watersports. So, if you’re a real outdoor enthusiast, Globo Surf has some great tips and guides for almost every outdoor activity.
Finally, take the small path to the old traditional part of the village with friendly residents and enjoy the exceptional beauty of the area.
7. Daily excursions or boat trips
You can freely walk inside the vast yacht marina to observe the hundreds of sailing boats and yachts mooring at this picturesque harbor.
From here sail daily large and small boats for small excursions-cruises to every beautiful part of the island or to the island of Paxos.
Book in one of those excursions, so heavenly places as Sivota on the mainland is only one to two hours away.
You can book your ticket for a daily cruise with some small travel agents across the road.
For more details about all the above check the page: Everything, you can do in Benitses.
The Only Guide You Need to Benitses
Discover everything you can do in Benitses! All sightseeing, activities, and mountain-hidden treasures, as well as the great restaurants and the high-quality accommodation scattered around the area.
Read our complete cultural guide about the celebrations, events, and festivals in the village.
See a great number of photographs, and aerial photos, and above all a unique collection of historical very old black and white photos, showing what the village used to be like, and how our ancestors lived in the past.
Below you will find all useful recommendations for your ultimate holiday experience in Benitses!
Everything about Benitses
6 Reasons To Visit The Village of Benitses Corfu
Benitses was the first tourist destination on Corfu since the 1960s. But why you should visit Benitses now? We give you at least 6 good reasons to do it!… Read More
Corfu Sea Shell Museum in Benitses
In Benitses there was the Corfu shell museum with one of Europe’s largest collections of shells and other marine species.… Read More
This is How Benitses Port Looked Back in 1981
This Benitses picture of 1981 shows the entire area of Benitses almost from Koutsomaroula bay up to Laopetra, seems to been pulled from the base of the then old pier in the harbor… Read More
The Old Historic Buildings of Benitses
Benitses has some very old and beautiful buildings, some of them more than 5 centuries old. We tried to collect as many information we could about the most important of them… Read More
Benitses Village
Benitses is an idyllic place, with a great past and future, that every visitor to Corfu will want to discover, and share with their friends… Read More
Property Sales and Rentals in Benitses
Here are adverts for property sales and rentals in Benitses, mainly apartments, rooms, and stores… Read More
Corfu – Aqueduct of Commissioner Frederick Adam in Benitses
On an island like Corfu, with huge rainfall and rich and inexhaustible water table, one would expect that the water supply of the city of Corfu with plenty of good quality water would be an easy task, but this is not the case.… Read More
See How Benitses Square Should Look After a Reshaping
We see below some pictures – maquettes from the square in Benitses.
It is about the complete rehabilitation of the existing internal road with a pedestrian square… Read More
Benitses Nightlife: Clubs and Bars
Benitses Nightlife, Corfu nightlife, what are the nightclubs, pubs, bars and how lively is the night out in Benitses today, is it intense or low profile?… Read More
Benitses: The Festival of Sardines
Within the first ten days of August, the festival of sardines was organized. It was a relatively new festival that was organized… Read More
Benitses: The Celebration of Agia Marina
July 17 is the celebration of Agia Marina, the patron Saint of Benitses, and the festival to honor her… Read More
Activities of Benitses Cultural Association
The cultural association was founded in 1982 by some young people, aimed to promote and preserve the traditional customs, but also the cultural enhancement especially of young people… Read More
Benitses Festivals Celebrations and Events
The local community events have always been based on tradition, and decades ago were as spontaneous and natural as the other everyday events of life… Read More
Ruins of Roman Villa with Baths in Benitses
Roman remains are not something many visitors associate with Corfu, but traveling around you can get glimpses which show you that their occupation was definitely not a quick holiday stop! Many conquerors have left their marks on the island.… Read More
Benitses of The 60s to 80s and The Legendary ‘Spiros on the Beach’
Many were wealthy and famous and were looking for beautiful traditional places such as Benitses… Read More
Benitses Today, a Place for Quite Family Holidays
Today Benitses is still developing, trying to attract more discerning visitors by upgrading the infrastructure whilst being careful to preserve the traditional look… Read More
Benitses Marina: Lease of the Port of Benitses
The old fishing harbor of Benitses has become now a Shelter for tourist boats Benitses yacht Marina… Read More
11 Amazing Things to Do in Benitses
Benitses is surrounded by mountains on one side and by the aquamarine waters of the Ionian Sea on the other… Read More
Foundation of Benitses Football Club
This is a page dedicated to the foundation of F.C Benitses, the Athletics football club of Benitses… Read More
Benitses History from Roman Times to Today
History of Benitses begins when it was first inhabited,
This was in ancient times and was because of the abundant freshwater springs with which the area was favored… Read More
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