Mathraki

Mathraki

Mathraki is the smallest of the Diapontia Islands northwest of Corfu, just 3 square kilometres, with about 300 permanent residents and a single village strung along the hillside above the old port. It is low, sandy and green, with olive groves, small farms and three long beaches — Portello, Arvanitiko and Kontrakas — that face Corfu and see some of the most beautiful sunsets in the Ionian.

Completely quiet, with no cars really needed and only a handful of rooms and tavernas, Mathraki is an island for getting away: snorkeling in clear shallow water, walking the olive paths to the tiny harbour at Plakes, and day trips to the other Diapontia islands of Othonoi and Ereikoussa. Like all the Diapontias, it lives off fishing and the slow summer visitors who come for the emptiness.

The smallest Diapontia island with a two-kilometre sandy ribbon

Mathraki is the smallest and southernmost of the Diapontia Islands, a tiny archipelago just off the northwest coast of Corfu. It’s 3.1 square kilometres in size and about 3.1km long, lying only 4 nautical miles from Cape Arillas on Corfu. Its name is said to come from athrakia, meaning charcoal, after a fire that once burned the whole island.

It is verdant, long and narrow, with minimal tourism development and a few inhabitants occupied mainly with olive oil production and fishing. The island is famous for its 2-kilometre-long ribbon of sandy beach with intermittent rock shade stretching the length of its east side, while the west side offers rocky coves like Apidies and Fyki and Cape Arvanitiko in the southeast. Opposite lies the satellite islet of Trachea. Inland there are two villages, Ano Mathraki and Kato Mathraki, connected by a single asphalt road, plus shallow beaches, marine caves and reefs that attract fishing boats from all over the region and excellent spearfishing.

This is for you if you want a very quiet Ionian escape with long, empty sand and nothing to do but swim and read. It is not for nightlife, resorts or ticking off sights.

How to get there & around

Mathraki is reached only by ferry from Corfu. The main ferry departs from the New Port in Corfu Town, just 5 kilometres from the airport, three times per week in low season with Kerkyra Lines, and takes about 3 hours and 10 minutes for the 34-kilometre route. In summer there is also a connection from Agios Stefanos in the north of Corfu. The ferry arrives at Plakes, the main port, which along with a second small harbour serves the caiques that connect the island. On Mathraki itself you walk or use the single road; there are no large vehicles, and the nearest airport is Corfu CFU with buses to Corfu Town port. Schedules vary every year and are announced in March, so check ahead.

Sources

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Last Updated on August 30, 2026 by admin