Bella Vista Hotel in Corfu Accommodation

Easter in Corfu

Welcome to Corfu Easter

The Bella Vista Hotel is an ideal base from which to enjoy the Corfu Easter celebrations. The hotel is located in Benitses village and is only 12 kilometres only away from the cosmopolitan Corfu town centre. The package room rate during Corfu Easter is 68 euros per room per night inclusive of Full Greek Breakfast

We strongly advise early confirmation of bookings due to the high seasonal demand for hotels at Easter on Corfu. Should you specifically require accommodation in Corfu town we provide relevant information about hotels in Corfu town at the bottom of this page. Again, we strongly recommend early confirmation of bookings.

The 23 bedrooms at the Bella Vista hotel are decorated in bright, cheerful colours and are simply yet comfortably furnished. For further information on how to reach Corfu island during Easter please refer to our useful information page where relevant information on reaching the island by air or sea is presented. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you over to Corfu and the Bella Vista hotel during Easter 2009.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Easter Holiday. Anthea, Corfu

A Greek Orthodox Easter holiday at Bella Vista hotel...

Easter in Corfu is considered to be the most magnificent celebration in Greece. Thousands of tourists (foreign and Greek) gather every year to experience this unique occasion, a combination of rich Corfu history with traditional religious customs

Sunday before Easter - The first ceremony of the Easter period starts at 11 o'clock on Sunday morning when the body of Saint Spyridon, the Patron Saint of the Island, is carried through the streets of Corfu Old Town. This maintains a tradition started in the year 1630 to commemorate the relief of the Island from famine which in the year 1629 killed great numbers of Corfiot people. This litany is the biggest, and all fourteen of Corfu's philharmonic bands are present.

Good Monday - During the day everyone is shopping and in the evening all Corfu churches on the Island celebrate Mass.

Good Tuesday & Wednesday - The churches are full of people and the priests recite passages from the Bible.

Good Friday - The Mourning procession starts early in the morning carrying an effigy of the body of Jesus (Epitaph). At 4 o'clock in the afternoon a bigger Epitaph (procession) starts from the Church of St. George (in the Old Fortress). This continues until the night when each church in the town, with the exception of the Church of St. Spyridon, starts its own Epitaph accompanied by one of the bands. At 9 o'clock at night the last and most magnificent Epitaph begins. This starts from the Metropolitan Church. Philharmonic bands are playing mourning melodies such as Adagio from Albinoni. The choir of the Metropolitan Church, accompanied by representatives of the secondary schools and Boy Scouts march together in this procession.

Good Saturday - The day starts in the Church of St. Mary where the real earthquake is simulated at 6 o'clock in the morning. This represents the earthquake described in the Bible after Jesus' resurrection. At 9 o'clock the Epitaph starts from the Church of St. Spyridon in the Old Corfu Town centre. In the year 1574 the Venetians forbade the Corfiot people from making this procession on Good Friday. Therefore, it still takes place on Good Saturday. The pomp is moving rhythmically together with the music of the three best philharmonic bands. The first philharmonic band, Old Philharmonic (1840), starts from the old City Hall and plays Hamlet by Italian composer Faccio. The second philharmonic band, Mantzaros Philharmonic (1890), plays Galde la Crime (Hot Tears) by Michelli and the final philharmonic band, Capodistrias Philharmonic (1980), plays Beethoven's Heroika.

By 11 o'clock in the morning the crowd is waiting for the so-called First Resurrection. When Mass is over at the 'Metropolis' (The main Cathedral), bells from all the Corfu churches in town and Corfu Island start ringing. While the bells are ringing thousands of ceramic doses filled with water are thrown down from balconies overlooking the streets of the Old Town. This tradition comes from a passage in the Bible. Late in the evening, at 11 o'clock, everybody gathers in the big square where the Holy Mass takes place. Everyone holds a candle which has been lit from the holy flame. By the end of the Mass everybody on the square has a burning candle. Moreover, every house in the Old Town has dozens of burning candles on their balconies. This creates a unique and unforgettable atmosphere in the town. At midnight exactly the Second Resurrection happens and as soon as the priest says 'Christos Anesti' a huge and magnificent bonfire starts. Everyone shakes hands and wishes a Happy Easter to everyone around them.

Tradition says that every family must boil some eggs and paint them red (also from the Bible). Every member of the family has their own egg and tries to break the eggs of the other members of the family. Whoever's egg breaks all the other eggs without itself breaking will have a good luck all year round.

Holy Sunday - At 7 o'clock in the morning the congregation from all Corfu Town churches comes out on to the streets with a symbol of resurrection, together with school students, philharmonic bands and choirs. In the afternoon the Navy Base in the New Fortress, following tradition, gives meze (a mixture of meat) to the people while dancing groups are performing. This day is also the last day of 40 days fasting and therefore on Sunday afternoon every Greek family grills a whole lamb and has a big feast to celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

Corfu Easter 2010 - Corfu town hotels
(Information and prices on Corfu town hotels during the Easter 2010)

Corfu Palace 5*             € 282 room/day, incl breakfast, 4 days min stay, tel +30 26610 39485
Cavalieri 4*                    € 230 room/day, incl breakfast, 5 days min stay, tel +30 26610 39041
Bella Venezia 3*            € 170 room/day, incl breakfast, 4 days min stay, tel +30 26610 46500
Arcadion 3*                    € 138 room/day, excl beakfast, 7 days min stay, tel +30 26610 30104
Konstantinoupolis 2*     € 115 room/day, excl breakfast, 3 days min stay, tel +30 26610 48716
Atlantis 2*                      € 110 room/day, incl breakfast, 3 days min stay, tel +30 26610 35560

We wish to advise potential visitors of the particularly high demand for accommodation on Corfu island during the Greek Orthodox Easter. As a result, Corfu hotel prices in town are at peak levels for extra high tourist season. Many visitors prefer the alternative of finding hotels on Corfu town outskirts where prices and availability are at more reasonable levels. What seems to play an important role in deciding and choosing accommodation seems to be how close the hotels are to Corfu town centre. How approachable is Corfu town centre from the resort and the hotel.

Benitses village is located by the sea and is only 12 km south of Corfu town. Benitses is a popular destination for tourists from Greece (particularly over Greek Easter) and all over Europe. Benitses offers a good variety of restaurants which offer the traditional Corfu Easter menu and local specialties as well as cafes overlooking the Corfu sea. Benitses churches keep the Corfu Easter traditions making Easter in the village a very special occasion. Benitses church choir is amongst the most well known on the island and the procession celebrates Easter on the village square with fireworks and locals singing Easter songs.

In general, the local children's' playground and the Sea Shell Museum are popular attractions for kids and families (along with the private swimming pool near the hotel!) Achillion Palace is an added attraction and is located just 3 km away. Benitses also offers excellent shopping bargains with souvenirs at very reasonable prices. Buses to Corfu town run every hour or so and the bus stop is located just 30 meters away from the hotel.

For information on how to reach Corfu during Easter 2010 please visit the rest of our web pages

Check availabilty for our hotel in Corfu now...

Share | |