Benitses

Benitses, the old fishing village 11 km south of the city of Corfu, is probably one of the most famous seaside villages in the whole of Greece. It is an old traditional village that exerted and still exerts a strange attraction for visitors, perhaps because of its location between the green mountains and the sea, perhaps because of the strong preference shown by famous visitors of the past, the intense night life of the past decades, of its history for hundreds of years but also of the unchanging physiognomy of the landscape.
It is an amazing combination of mountain and sea with excellent tourist infrastructure such as hotels of all categories, rooms for rent, restaurants with food for every taste from traditional Greek to Chinese cuisine, nightlife with dozens of bars and nightclubs and above all the modern Marina with great potential pleasure boat mooring.
The village consists of five settlements. The old part of the village is built in an amazingly beautiful location almost in the center of the island in a valley that starts from the mountain of Agioi Deka where the sources of the aqueduct, and passing between the mountains of Stavros and Gastouri, ends at the sea . The village maintains its natural beauty intact despite the intense tourist development for many decades.
It has clean, blue flag awarded pebble and sand beaches with crystal clear waters, offering sunbeds, amenities and lots of water sports and is much bigger and improved than the rudimentary beaches of the 90s.
The settlement of Vaska (reservoir) located further west and in the valley and around the aqueduct from which it got its name.
The settlement around the port that used to be called Skaloma and is the current commercial center of the village with most shops.
The so-called New village which has expanded and is expanding towards the south and along the national road of Lefkimmi, is the area with the toponym Chodrakia that reaches as far as the settlement of Tsaki, which is also the last settlement of Benitsa to the south.

1.How many inhabitants does the village have?

The village has about 835 inhabitants.

2.What jobs do the inhabitants do?

The inhabitants are mainly involved in providing services in the tourism sector in general (accommodation, catering, tourist refuge, car - motorcycle rentals). Also, some are engaged in professional fishing.

3.What products are produced in the area?

The products that are mainly produced for the household economy are: olive oil, oranges, lemons, vineyards. Also, there is a small family soap production industry.

4.Is there someone who sells products?

Fresh fish are sold daily and soap sales during the tourist season.

5.If yes, is the point of sale visitable and how many people can it accommodate?

Fish are sold from outdoor stationary trade, while soap sales are made from the owner’s shop, which can accommodate from 10 to 12 people.

6.Are there vineyards in the area?

There are small household vineyards in several houses.

7.If yes, what varieties are grown?

The varieties grown are the Skopelitiko and Kakotrygis.

8.Is there a lake, river or waterfall?

There is a small river that crosses the back of the village.

9.Is there a point with acoustic peculiarity [e.g. reed bed, ravine, stream with nightingales]

This is observed along the river.

10.Around the village what animals are there, what season and at what points?

birds,

reptiles,

otters, rabbits, foxes

frogs etc

Various birds such as hawks, also reptiles, rabbits, frogs.

11.The vegetation of the area includes what season and at what points?

Flowers

Edible [cabbage, mushrooms, tea, chamomile, oregano, caper, figs etc]

Trees and shrubs

The vegetation includes wildflowers, myrtles, chamomile, oregano, laurel, figs etc

12.How many churches are there and which ones?

In the village there are a total of 10 churches. Of these, 3 belong to the parish of Benitses, Saint Nicholas, Saint Marina and Saint Andrew (cemetery), with Saint Nicholas as the patron saint. The rest are private. Saint Stephanos, Saint Demetrius, Saint Paraskevi, Saint Nicholas of Vrysiliotis, Saint Nicholas of Petra, Taxiarchis and Evangelistria.

13.Is there a festival, procession or other event and when?

The following events are traditionally held: Second day of Easter procession from the church of Saint Nicholas Petra region Tsaki Benitses. Thomas Sunday procession from the church of Saint Paraskevi. On June 23 the lamps in the central square of the village. On July 16 and 17 the festival of Saint Marina also in the central square of the village. From August 10 to 13 the sardine festival is held. In the other churches, liturgy and buffet with traditional dishes on their name days.

14.Where does the water in the area come from?

The water in the area comes from local sources and is of excellent quality.

15.Are there public springs or taps with drinking water?

There are the springs of the Agioi Deka and the springs of the Benitses Aqueduct. Also, there is a public tap with drinking water in the central square of the village.

16.Is there a point of historical interest?

There are significant findings of Roman vaulted baths with mosaics of the 3rd century AD and the British aqueduct of 1830.

17.Is there any bridge, threshing floor, bathhouse or other point of interest?

There is a bridge about 15 meters high in the area of the aqueduct, as well as some smaller ones.

18.Did someone famous live or pass through here?

In the 70’s the member of the Beatles band Paul McCartney, Sophia Loren, Rena Vlachopoulou and a host of others passed by.

19.Is there anyone from the village who became famous elsewhere?

No.

20.Do you remember a story from the old days that your grandmothers used to tell you?

Stories from the occupation and World War II, their way of life and their daily life, older customs and traditions.

21.Is there a special custom?

There is an open auction of icons and church banners for the Easter processions, with the aim of financially supporting the parish.

22.What food do you usually eat?

Our diet is mainly based on the Mediterranean but also local cuisine which includes fish, legumes and meat usually on Sunday.

23.Is there a local peculiarity in your cooking [e.g. neratzosalata]

Mainly on Sundays we eat the traditional pastitsada.

24.Is there a cultural, musical, dance, theater or other association?

In the area operate the Cultural Association of Benitses and the Women’s Association Athena.

25.If yes, what actions does it have and when do they take place?

On June 23 the custom with the lamps and on July 17 the traditional festival of Saint Marina.

26.What would you like the foreigner to know about you?

What they should know is our culture, our customs and traditions, our local special foods, the fact that we were a traditional fishing village and our rich history.