Paleokastritsa
Location: Greece (Corfu Island (Southwest of the island))
Village type: small hotel, then village of huts from 1955 onwards.
Year of opening: 1953.
Year of closing: 1961.
A little anecdote: In 1953 and 1954, Paleokatritsa was mentioned tentatively in the Trident guide, in a corner of the page for the village of Corfu. It stated that a simple little hotel was used as a base, and that GMs (Gentils Organisateurs) could only stay there for 24 hours. (See the first image on the right of the page.)
Given the success of this destination during its first two years, Paleokatritsa, or Paleo in club parlance, was to truly transform in 1955. The small hotel was no longer there; the Club found and rented a magnificent plot of land in Alipa Bay, planted with olive trees that sloped down in terraces towards the sea.
Quickly considered the little brother of Ipsos, it became its annex village and a prime spot for exploration and spearfishing. Bivouacs and excursions are also offered.
The journey
As with the village of Corfu, the journey to Brindisi is by special train. The GMs arrive in Paleokatritsa on Monday morning (nearly 48 hours after leaving the Gare de Lyon in Paris). The return journey takes the same route and duration.
Village Chiefs
Throughout its six summers of operation, Paleokastritsa was managed by Marcel Contal.
In 1960/61, a young man began his career as a GO there. His name: Jean Pierre Batard.
Videos
1955 Paleokatritsa – filmed by Marcel CONTAL – Collierbar Document
Hello, what a thrill to discover these photos of Paleo! I spent 15 days there with my parents in July 1957. Back then, the journey was by train to Marseille and then by seaplane to Ipsos! An old British military plane, I think. Arriving around 6 a.m. in Ipsos Bay was something else! I was 7 years old. The concept of a village of huts was really great, the necklace bars, and everything else. A long time ago… Thank you for creating this website. Best regards, Ca Van Ryn