A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise lets travellers watch the sea floor off the west coast of Corfu from a boat, without getting wet. Other Greek boat trips and island days are listed on the main page of tours in Greece.
The sections below cover what the cruise is, its length, the departure point, the view, the departure times, who it suits and the questions travellers ask.
What is a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
On the west coast of Corfu, a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise takes passengers on a brief sea trip. One operator describes it as a way to view the underwater marine wildlife of Paleokastritsa without getting wet.
One operator lists the trip as a one-hour underwater cruise in Paleokastritsa. Its boat is 15 metres long, and its underwater cabin features 22 large windows. The operator says this is no ordinary glass-bottom boat. A second listing adds that every seat is a window seat.
In this Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise, the operator says the underwater cabin is air-conditioned. The cabin sits about 2 metres below the surface. A second listing calls the boat a semi-submarine.
Wikipedia explains a glass-bottom boat as a boat that has glass or another clear material set below the waterline. People inside see the underwater environment. Looking through the glass is clearer than looking down from above, because it removes the surface disturbances. Wikipedia compares the view to a diving mask, and passengers are kept dry.
Wikipedia lists reefs, shipwrecks, and underwater plants and animals among the sights of such tours. It also says two men built the first glass-bottom boat in Florida in the nineteenth century. Their boat was a dugout canoe with a viewing box of glass at the bottom. A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise follows the same idea in Greek waters.
Corfu belongs to the Ionian Islands, which lie in the west of Greece, Wikipedia says. Corfu is the northernmost island of Greece’s west coast, leaving out its Diapontian satellite islands. Wikipedia puts the length of the island at about 64 kilometres. The coast measures 217 kilometres once the capes are counted.
Paleokastritsa is a village in northwestern Corfu. Its Greek name means Old Little Castle and points to the nearby Angelokastro. Wikipedia says the village stands out for its great cliffs and the beaches close by. A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise looks at the sea off this coast.
How long is a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
One operator lists a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise as a one-hour trip. It says the cruise lasts 50 minutes and has two halves: first the top deck, then the underwater cabin.
The figures differ between pages. One listing gives one hour in its headline and 50 minutes in its text. A second listing of the same cruise gives the same two figures. Its list of what is included says 45 minutes.
Read together, the listings give 45 minutes, 50 minutes and one hour for the same trip. The text on both pages says the cruise lasts 50 minutes. A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise of this kind is therefore a short outing, not a half-day tour.
The order of the cruise is the same on both pages. The boat departs every hour. In the beginning, passengers sit on the top deck and look at the cliffs and bays of Paleokastritsa.
In the second half, passengers sit in the air-conditioned underwater cabin. They look at the sea creatures and fish through the large windows. A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise ends after this second half.
A second listing tells guests to be there 15 minutes ahead of the selected departure time. Together with the 50 minutes of the cruise, that makes 65 minutes. The same listing says the reservation holds only for the chosen time slot.
Other boat trips in Paleokastritsa run longer. One page lists a boat tour of about four hours with time to swim. Another page lists a sunset cruise of ninety minutes on a regular day. Neither is an underwater cruise, so a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise is the shortest of the three.
Where does a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise leave from?
A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise is listed in Paleokastritsa, on the western shore of Corfu. One listing names no quay and asks passengers to check in before the cruise.
Wikipedia calls Paleokastritsa a village in northwestern Corfu. The castle of Angelokastro sits just north of it. Wikipedia says that castle stands on a steep cliff, 305 metres above the sea. So a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise starts in the west of Corfu.
Wikivoyage lists a bus from a bus station near the New Port in Corfu Town, with regular departures to Paleokastritsa. Drivers cross the island from Corfu Town to reach the village. Sources give the distance differently: one site says around 25 kilometres, another about twenty.
For a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise, one listing sets a simple check-in rule. Passengers swap the ticket for a boarding pass at an aquarium ticket office before the cruise begins. They arrive 15 minutes before the chosen departure, and the reservation holds only for that time slot.
The same listing leaves out pick-up and drop-off. Other boat trips in Paleokastritsa start at the water. One site says small boats leave all day from the harbour area and from Agios Spiridon beach. Another site names Alipa port as the main harbour for cave trips.
Each trip names its own meeting point. A sunset cruise on a wooden boat meets at the main beach, Agios Spiridon, 10 to 15 minutes early. One site says parking at that beach is limited in high season. The listing of a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise is the place to read its own meeting point.
What do travellers see on a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
Travellers on a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise see the cliffs and bays of Paleokastritsa from the top deck. Through the large windows of an underwater cabin, they see sea creatures and fish, one operator says.
Wikipedia says the cliffs and the nearby beaches set the village apart. A cruise-line page adds that pine and cypress trees cover the rocky headlands. One travel site says the water turns from emerald to ink blue near the rocks. A Wikipedia caption says locals take one sea rock for the petrified ship of Odysseus.
Sea caves lie along the same coast. A cave information site says the caves at Paleokastritsa formed through both karst processes and erosion by the sea. A cruise-line page names three caves: the Blue Eye, Saint Nicolas and Nafiska. The listing of a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise names cliffs and bays, not caves.
Through the large windows, one listing says, passengers watch different sea creatures and fish. The windows sit 2.2 metres below the surface, in an air-conditioned cabin. The listing names no species. One site calls the water at Paleokastritsa among the clearest in Corfu.
A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise sails the Ionian Sea, which Wikipedia counts as part of the Mediterranean. Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass with the common name Neptune grass. It covers parts of the Mediterranean sea floor. Wikipedia says it grows nowhere else, at depths between 1 and 35 metres. It grows in clean water.
Wikipedia lists four kinds of dolphin, fin whales and sperm whales as regularly present in the sea around Corfu. Monk seals appear there from time to time, it adds. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the island’s sandy beaches. The cruise listing itself speaks only of sea creatures and fish.
When do departures run for a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
One operator lists a departure every hour for the Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise. The same listing says the season starts on 1 April. It names routes at 11 in the morning, then at 1 and 3 in the afternoon.
Three listings agree on the daily rhythm of the Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise: the boat departs every hour. One of them adds that the time slots are fixed. A change needs a message to the provider at least 12 hours before the reservation time.
The first routes of the season are only a start. The operator listing adds a note that the routes change in late spring. So the times of April are not the times of every week of the season.
Wikipedia calls the island a popular tourist destination. It describes dry, hot summers on Corfu and winters that are much wetter than on the other Greek islands. Wikivoyage names November until March as the months when rain mainly falls. A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise that opens in April starts once they end.
An average year on the island holds 3,000 hours of sun, says Wikivoyage. Its table headed hours of sunshine lists 7 for April, 12 for June and July, and 6 for October. It describes summer as warm and relatively dry, with seasonal breezes. Wikipedia names 42.8 degrees Celsius as the record high for Corfu.
On a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise the glass sits below the waterline. Wikipedia says a view through the glass beats a view of the water from above. The passenger does not look through the disturbances of the surface. A cave and beach trip from the bay says it can be rescheduled in bad conditions.
Who is a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise for?
A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise suits travellers who want to watch the sea without swimming. One listing says the cruise accommodates all ages, and the operator pages describe an air-conditioned cabin with large windows.
Wikipedia says the passengers of a glass-bottom boat watch the sea and keep dry, out of the water. That is why a non-swimmer, or anyone who wants dry clothes, can join a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise. One listing says the cruise is for anyone who likes sea creatures.
Children have one clear rule. One listing says children 12 years and under cannot board without an adult aged 18 or older. Another listing words the same rule two ways, as “under 12” in one line and “12 and under” in another. Both pages tie the rule to an adult who travels with the child.
Corfu has hot, dry summers, Wikipedia says, so an air-conditioned cabin is a plain advantage on a summer day. One listing calls the seating comfortable. A family on a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise sits together at the glass.
Mobility is the clearest limit. One listing calls the activity unsuitable for people with mobility impairments. A sea safari from Paleokastritsa sets other rules. Its listing asks for a confident sea swimmer. It names wheelchair users, non-swimmers and families with small children as not suited.
A traveller who wants to swim picks a different outing. A Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise keeps everyone dry. One cave and beach trip lists swim stops. It adds that snorkelling gear is not provided. Its page says the trip suits couples, families and people travelling alone. Snorkeling, says Wikipedia, takes little effort.
What else do travellers ask about a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
How do travellers get around Corfu before a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise, by airport bus or by hire car?
Wikivoyage names the airport bus as No 19 and calls it a ten-minute ride. It says the frequency varies during the day, with big gaps, so the timetable is worth checking. Wikivoyage also says travellers can rent a car at the airport or through local companies.
Narrow roads make a small car the easier choice, the same page adds. It warns of poor road surfacing and of large holes in the road, so drivers watch the surface.
What gear and footwear do travellers pack for a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
A travel page lists sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and water for a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise. It adds the trip confirmation and a phone or camera for photos. Part of the trip is spent outside on the boat, so the same page calls sun protection important.
The page also suggests comfortable sandals or shoes for getting on and off the boat. Another operator asks speedboat guests to bring only essentials in small, soft bags because space is limited.
What helps a traveller who feels seasick on a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise, and does the trip need boating experience?
One travel page advises anyone prone to seasickness to take precautions. It gives that advice even though the cruise is short. Another operator tells guests on its Paleokastritsa trips to arrive early to avoid the afternoon winds.
A third operator says no earlier boating experience is needed on its own trips. It adds that guests receive a safety briefing before departure.
Which other boat trips leave Paleokastritsa besides a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
Paleokastritsa has other sea trips beyond a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise. One operator lists a speedboat tour of two hours to the Blue Caves, Paradise Beach and Yali Beach. It also lists a three-hour trip to the Blue Caves and beaches, and a five-hour speedboat trip along the coast.
A blog on the caves of Paleokastritsa gives a typical blue caves boat trip as about 45 minutes. It adds that shared boats follow a fixed route, while private boats allow a custom route and more swimming.
Which sights near Paleokastritsa go with a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise?
The land sights next to a Corfu Paleokastritsa glass bottom boat cruise begin with the monastery. Wikipedia says the monastery dates from the thirteenth century and also houses a museum. Wikipedia describes Angelokastro as a Byzantine castle that never fell, despite frequent sieges through the centuries.
A church dedicated to Archangel Michael was built at the place of an Early Christian church with three aisles. Wikipedia says the castle’s view reaches the city of Corfu and, to the southeast, the mountains of mainland Greece.