Bella Vista Apartments

The restaurant alone was memorable: Claudia’s husband cooked delicious Greek dishes, including dorade, giant shrimps, bifteki, sautzoukakia and beef steak. Prices felt fair, with local wine at 3 Euros and a pint of beer at 4.5 Euros. It’s a small place with about 12 tables, so booking ahead is a good idea, and dinner never felt rushed. We stayed 10 nights in room 9, a family apartment even though there were only two of us. It was clean and well equipped, with a big balcony, two sunbeds and a rattan corner sofa. We were very comfortable, and the air conditioning and city tax were included. The balcony was a lovely spot to watch sunsets and storms. The sandy beach, with clear shallow water, is about a 10-minute walk downhill. There are bars and restaurants there, and sunbeds cost 15 Euros. The walk back uphill was tough for us in our mid to late 60s, though manageable. Claudia can arrange car hire and share ideas for places to visit. Her suggestion of the Mavroudis Olive oil museum and tour was fascinating and informative. This is a little family run hotel, around 12 rooms, and Claudia and Sophia made us feel more welcome than anywhere we’ve stayed. The service and warmth felt five star, whatever the hotel’s three star rating. When Sophia thanked us and said goodbye, I got a bit emotional, like I was leaving a friend. What a lovely soul.

We were only here for two nights with our two kids, but it was an easy, friendly stay. The balcony is huge and the view is amazing. Rooms feel a little old fashioned, though they were very clean. The beach is close by down the road, and there’s free parking there too. All in all, very convenient.

The place is surrounded by things to see, including the Kaiser Wilhelm II observatory, where you get a fantastic panoramic view of the island. Pelekas has a bus stop at the top of the hill, and bus no 11 goes to the city and back. The beach nearby is excellent for swimming, eating, drinking, sunbathing or just unwinding. Walking around does mean dealing with some hills, but we got used to them. The hosts can also arrange a very good taxi service for trips to other parts of Corfu. Claudia and Sophia were friendly, polite, professional and easy to talk to, and they were genuinely helpful. They even made me a sandwich for an early morning excursion. Our room was spacious and excellent, with a lovely balcony to relax on. The views from the room and diner were breathtaking, and both breakfast and dinner were delicious. I had nothing I disliked.

Claudia was always ready to help and went the extra mile to make our trip a good one. She and the people running the place put their hearts into it, and you can tell they care about their work. The balcony views were breathtaking, the food was delicious, and the service was excellent. We spent a week here and had a wonderful time. Lovely people all around, and I’d recommend it to anyone. ❤️