Undoubtedly, Pontikonisi is among the absolute trademarks of Corfu. Basically, it is a small rock at the entrance of the lagoon of Chalikiopoulos while the small Byzantine monastery of Pantokratoras is the only building standing on the island.
The island of Pontikonisi can be visited freely only during specific periods of the year. Those visits are made without guards, but generally, the islet is protected and guarded. The island is considered a natural museum and for this reason, each guest can normally stay and walk around only for a few minutes in order to preserve its small ecosystem.
The only time of the year when someone can pass more time on the island is on the 6th of August when the monastery celebrates. Pontikonisi, which in Greek means "the mouse’s island", is named like that because of its size. It is the most photographed place of Corfu. In Odyssey of Homer, we read that god Poseidon created this island in order for Odysseas to find refuge. After his departure, Poseidon transformed the rock into a green small island.