The Yoga Days of Summer

After two day of poolside lizarding in Gouvia, I made my way northward across the great island of Corfu to Almyros Beach and Just Relax Yoga Holidays, my home away from home for the week. The beach is just behind where I'm standing to take this photo:

Only in driving across the island did I realise the vast size of Corfu itself. As it turns out, it's the second biggest of the Ionian islands and the seventh biggest island in Greece. Mountains dot the interior of the island and beaches, both large and brash and secluded and inviting, line the coast. Corfu's also littered with history, of the ancient variety; both Poseidon and Odysseus's backstories have roots in the area and legendary Ithaca is just an island over. 

I didn't expect to learn so much about the island or see as much as I did over the weeklong yoga retreat. The holiday itself sold me on twice-daily yoga classes, daily breakfasts and dinners and a charming beachside location. All of these things it delivered; but beyond this, I also met some warm fellow yogis, several who had cars to whisk the group away on cross-island adventures.

So days started with 8am yoga class, followed by fresh breakfast on the terrace, followed by island wanders, followed by sunset yoga, followed by veggie filled fresh dinners. Our teacher, Melina, a Greek native, also ensured we saw some of the more local spots in the evenings.

The rhythm of days was an easy one to adjust to when the views were essentially spectacular in all directions.

Mid-week we also had one full day off in which our little group of 12 organised a mini-bus to carry us across the island to some of Corfu's natural beauty spots including this stunning monastery up on the hillside:

Our next stop took us to the west coast of the island, to the Grotto Caves and Paradise Beach, a cliff-backed beach only accessible via boat.

 

 The canteen boat!

Our disembarkation point took us La Grotta Bar, a bar-cum-restaurant carved into the cliffside. It was kind of too beautiful to believe:

 Other mid-week trips took us to olive-and-mezze food stops:

 The hike down to the double bays of Agios Georgios to the South and Twin Bay to the North:

 

 

 And finally, on our last night, Just Relax organised yoga on these distant rock formations, something isolated and utterly stunning:

 

 Where you catch the boat:

 The way there:

 Blissed out yoga vibes look good on everyone:

 

 To finish, the retreat, we were whisked away to 7th Heaven Cafe, a mountaintop restaurant definitely worth the view:

 

 After a week of yoga, wandering and vibing, the retreat ended as abruptly as it started. The return to London and a new job was rather intense but I was ready. To anyone questioning whether Corfu is a good Greek Island destination, it is. To anyone considering a yoga retreat, Just Relax is the way to go. Great yoga, great food, great care and attention to the finer points of the island. It totally lives up to the name.