Mouse Island Corfu, known as Pontikonisi, is the island’s most photographed sight, a tiny green islet crowned by a Byzantine chapel, seen from the Kanoni viewpoint beside the causeway to Vlacherna Monastery. This guide covers what it is, the view from Kanoni, how to reach the islet by boat and how to get there.
This iconic trio is a must-see, a highlight in the wider Corfu tours and travel guide. Kanoni is a district of Corfu Town, a couple of kilometres south of the centre. The sections below cover the visit.
What is Mouse Island?
Mouse Island, or Pontikonisi, is a tiny wooded islet just off Corfu’s east coast, crowned by the 11th or 12th-century Byzantine chapel of Pantokrator amid dark cypress trees. Its name comes from the white chapel steps, which from afar resemble a mouse’s tail.
Pontikonisi is small but unforgettable. The diminutive green islet rises from the sea south of Corfu Town, almost entirely covered by tall cypress trees, with the little white chapel of Pantokrator, dating from around the 11th or 12th century, hidden among them. Its curious name, “Mouse Island”, is said to come from the narrow, winding white staircase leading up to the chapel, which from the shore looks like the tail of a mouse. Steeped in legend, it is even linked to Odysseus’s ship turned to stone by Poseidon. Its perfect, miniature form makes it Corfu’s signature image, set within the wider things to do in Corfu. The classic view is from Kanoni.
What is the view from Kanoni?
The classic view is from Kanoni, a hilltop district of Corfu Town, looking down over the causeway to Vlacherna Monastery in the foreground and Pontikonisi beyond. This is the most photographed panorama in Corfu, with cafés at the top making the most of the scene.
Kanoni offers the postcard view that defines the island. From the terrace at the top of this leafy peninsula, the eye runs down over the slender white causeway leading to the little island monastery of Vlacherna, then on to Pontikonisi rising green from the blue water beyond. The composition of monastery, sea and cypress-clad islet is the single most photographed scene in Corfu. Cafés and a viewing terrace at Kanoni let visitors linger over the panorama, which is especially lovely in the soft light of early morning or late afternoon, set out alongside the guide to Corfu Town. Vlacherna sits within reach below.
What is Vlacherna Monastery?
Vlacherna is a small, dazzling-white 17th-century monastery on a tiny islet just off Kanoni, reached on foot along a short causeway. With its bell tower and chapel almost filling the rock, it is iconic in its own right, and access along the causeway is free.
Vlacherna is the jewel in the foreground of the view. The little monastery, founded in the 17th century and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, occupies almost the entire surface of its minuscule islet, its white walls, red-tiled roofs and slender bell tower mirrored in the calm water. A short pedestrian causeway links it to the shore at Kanoni, and visitors can walk out to it free of charge to see the tiny chapel and courtyard up close. Set against Pontikonisi behind, it completes the famous trio of viewpoint, monastery and island, set out alongside the guide to Paleokastritsa and its own clifftop monastery. Reaching Mouse Island itself takes a boat.
How do you visit Mouse Island?
You visit Mouse Island itself on one of the small boats that shuttle constantly from the jetty by the Vlacherna causeway, a short crossing for a few euros return. On the islet, white steps climb to the little Pantokrator chapel among the cypresses; a visit takes 15 to 30 minutes.
Setting foot on Pontikonisi is a simple pleasure. Small boats run all day, especially in summer, from the jetty next to the Vlacherna causeway, charging a few euros for the short return crossing of a few minutes each way. On the islet, a winding white staircase climbs through the cypresses to the tiny Byzantine chapel of Pantokrator, where a resident peacock is often seen, and a visit usually takes only 15 to 30 minutes. Boat services run more frequently in the busy months and may pause out of season. The brief trip rounds off the Kanoni experience, set out alongside the guide to Corfu boat tours. Getting to Kanoni is easy.
How do you get to Kanoni?
You reach Kanoni in about 10 minutes from Corfu Town, by the frequent number 2a Blue Bus from San Rocco Square, by car with limited parking, or on a scenic 30 to 40 minute coastal walk from Garitsa Bay. Kanoni is a district of Corfu Town itself.
Kanoni is very close to the centre of the capital. The easiest option is the number 2a Blue Bus, which runs often from the San Rocco Square stop in the capital and ends right at the viewpoint, making the trip without a car simple. Driving takes only about 10 minutes from the town centre, though parking at Kanoni is limited, especially in summer. For a pleasant alternative, a 30 to 40 minute coastal walk leads from Corfu Town’s Garitsa Bay around to Kanoni. Many visitors combine it with a stroll in the Old Town and the nearby Mon Repos estate, set out alongside the guides to how to get to Corfu and a Corfu itinerary. The questions below cover the points travellers ask most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Mouse Island?
Mouse Island, or Pontikonisi, takes its name from the narrow, winding white staircase that climbs to its chapel, which from a distance is said to resemble a mouse’s tail. The tiny green islet is crowned by an 11th or 12th-century Byzantine chapel among cypress trees.
Can you go onto Mouse Island in Corfu?
You can visit Mouse Island on small boats that run from the jetty by the Vlacherna causeway at Kanoni, a short crossing for a few euros return. On the islet, white steps lead up to the little Pantokrator chapel, and a visit takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
Where do you see Mouse Island from?
The classic view is from the Kanoni viewpoint, a hilltop district of Corfu Town, looking over the causeway to Vlacherna Monastery and Pontikonisi beyond. It is the most photographed panorama in Corfu, with cafés and a terrace at the top.