Plataria

A convenient port of call, this represents Plataria for boaters who find themselves sailing from the parts of Corfu. Situated at the bottom of a deep bay open to the northwest, it is quickly accessible from Corfu and other popular resorts in the vicinity; offering berths at no charge (or almost no charge: depending on the season, you may sometimes find someone collecting a symbolic tourist tax), Plataria is taken in by many vessels.

Its limitation is that it offers neither a marina nor a real public port, considering the fact that services are almost absent; the main limitation, however, is perhaps that of reception capacity, since Plataria is the base of some charter companies and therefore in high season and on weekends the already few free places become a mirage.

In the face of so much interest in this port of call, there is also a lack of viable options for alternative anchorages: the only real possibility of a sufficiently sheltered anchorage is that offered by the beach in front of the village, which can only be considered if wind and sea conditions permit.

Speaking of ridges: the bay of Plataria, despite its opening to the northwest, offers good shelter from all winds including those coming from this direction, as long as they are not too strong, when the current becomes uncomfortable.
It must be said, however, that in the summer period in this area the winds do not blow particularly strong.

Getting to Plataria is not problematic, there is only to be careful, if you are coming from the north, to when you double Cape Kalamas as the shallows extend almost two miles off the coast and there is a need to pass well clear of them.
Once inside the bay, head straight for the village to reach the port.

This is located at the north end of the bay and consists essentially of docked waterfront, a long, curving breakwater, and a small pier that extends southward and marks the entrance to the port.
As mentioned, most of the port is occupied by the charter companies that are based here. On weekends the bustle is really intense (and annoying). One part of the breakwater, moreover, the outer part, is reserved for fishing boats.

Be careful not to moor in the wrong place: the berths at the south end of the village quay, those close to the cporto pier that marks the entrance to the port, are occupied by the boat that does tourist service; if you moor here you will soon be kicked out!

Within the small ports, the best option is the breakwater, to which one can moor fore or aft, dropping anchor in the sea space ahead. The seabed is 3, 5-4 meters deep and covered with soft mud: not a very good keeper, be careful to make sure the anchor has caught; deltas and CQRs often struggle here.

Most of the inner part of the breakwater is usually occupied by local boats, and only toward the end is there room for visitors; beware, however, that the dock here is rather shallow and with a bit of sea immediately tends to be submerged.
Another option is to moor directly on the town’s waterfront, on the docked shore, where the depth is 4 meters and the bottom is similar to that near the breakwater (and thus poses the same problems).

The services offered by the marina are limited to columns with water and electricity on the breakwater; there is nothing along the village shore. There are no toilets or showers. For refueling one can arrange in the village and have a mini-tanker arrive at the port.

If you cannot find room in ports (which is far from remote) you can, in good weather and seas, head to the beach south of the village and drop anchor there ahead. Depths of 5-6 meters and a bottom of sand and seaweed ensure a good hold for a quiet night.

To complete the profile of services you can find here, the small village of Plataria offers the bare minimum: greengrocer, butcher, baker, small supermarkets, garbage bins. For those in search of gastronomic digressions … you are spoiled for choice: there are many restaurants and taverns in the village, numerous opportunities to eat excellent fresh fish, some restaurants near the long beach that stretches south of the settlement are particularly noted.

On the tourism front, Plataria does not offer much. It is a small town of about a thousand souls that triples its population during the summer, when it is populated by tourists from all over Europe who own or rent houses here. Its main attraction lies in the almost wild nature that dominates the area and stretches down to the crystal clear sea, with the exception of the very village of Plataria. The beach, long and white, is well worth a visit.