Arillas

Between the areas of Agios Stefanos Avlioton and Agios Georgios Pagon the coastal settlement of Arillas, with its renowned and stunning beach, is to be found. It is located 33 km from the city and is an ideal destination for those who love peace, quiet and seclusion
The village is strip developed along the characteristic, Blue Flag awarded, golden beach. It is an extensive beach comprising sand and pebble spots. Despite the tourism it has remained unchanged.

For 30 years Arillas has been offering its hospitality to tourists from many European and non-European countries, as well as visitors from Greece, who continue to return year after year.

Arillas, the beach

The beach is famous for its natural beauty, crystal clear shallow waters, amazing sunsets, and fine golden sand that are perfect especially for families with young children. Strong winds often blow in the area and it is suitable for windsurfing. There are also boat or taxi boat rental options to explore the surrounding areas.

The village is extremely proud of the Corfu Beer Brewery, which organizes an annual beer festival that is especially popular with foreign visitors.

Along the coast there are many tavernas that offer various types of cuisine. After a tasty meal one can enjoy a pleasant walk to the cape that lies between Arillas and Agios Stefanos Avlioton.

Arillas has everything that the tourist would basically require. There are supermarkets and tourist shops. With regard to accommodation it offers apartments, small studios or hotels.

Arillas is connected to the city of Corfu and other villages by the local bus service which has many buses throughout the day during summer. It is also possible to rent cars, jeeps, motorbikes or bicycles for more independent travel.

It is possible that the name “Arillas” dates back to Roman pre-Christian times. Names of places or sites were derived from taking the name of one of the multitude of objects that existed or flourished there and putting the Latin suffix “ille” onto it. In the area at that time there was a species of oak called “Aria” (Aria is still called that today by the elders). The wood was extremely good for the construction of ships, and so Arillas emerged.

According to another version, the area was named after a Roman general, Arilla, who had his camp in this location during the Roman occupation.

In the natural ports of Porto-Timoni and Limni, the ships found protection against the elements while waiting for better weather to ensue. This was by comparison to the island of Gravia, across from Arillas, a haven as there big waves were perilous.

The fertile small plain of Arillas with its mild microclimate has always nurtured its inhabitants and kept the human presence. But these advantages once became disadvantages when conquerors, corsairs and pirates also tried to take advantage of the area. The place names Merovigli and Vardia testify to the problems of the pre-1800 era and the difficulty of permanent residence there.

Life returned to normal shortly after 1800. However, there were large landowners who owned almost all of the fertile land. The elderly remember the soliatika (payment in kind) given to their lords by their fathers.

The inhabitants initially lived in houses with stone foundations but dirt walls. Later they gradually gathered stones and made better houses. Lack of adequate clothing, long hours of manual labour and high infant mortality are typical of this period. The heroine women, almost permanently in a state of pregnancy, participated in the construction of housing, in agriculture, animal husbandry, exclusively tended to the housework i.e. made bread, food, clothing, etc., and cared for the sick and the elderly.
After 1950, with assistance from the residents of Arilio, roads, a church, a cemetery and a primary school were built, organizing their social life on a new basis.