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The majority come from Holland and they consider Corfu to be a paradise for this activity. Serious mountainbikers come from all over the world to try out the island's paths. Why a bicycle? because it's quicker than walking. With a bike you can get to places only accessible on foot; you can get close to the countryside and its people, you can feel the peace and quiet, and you can bathe alone on a deserted beach, even in the height of the season. And as you cycle, there's always a breeze, even on the hottest day! Because it's safer than car driving, and doesn't make as much noise as a motorbike. Slow pedalling on shady roads and leisurely trips along riverbanks cannot be compared with any petrol-driven tour. Why Cycling in Corfu? It's got an ideal road network. The British Protectorate bequeathed an extensive road network, with tracks going everywhere to give access to cultivated land. Today the metalled roads, the dirt tracks and the footpaths validate the rule that in Corfu you can go wherever you want with any road.
Cycling leads you into a different Corfu. A bike tour around the island is like opening a Russian doll: you continu-ously discover a new side of Corfu. Little lakes, streams, deserted mona-steries, untouched villages, rare flowers, picturesque cafenions, constant surprises. It keeps you alert: Biking on Corfu is nice and easy, but care is also required. Country roads are usually narrow and windy, due to the way they were traced out around the bordering olive trees. The olives fall on the road surface, leaving a sheen more slippery than motor oil. Great care must be taken of the potholes which waylay you on blind corners, of the coaches which take up nearly all the road, and of the heavy tourist traffic which during summer snarls up the circulation even more. |
