Corfu
Corfu (Greek: Κέρκυρα, Kerkyra) is the northernmost of the Ionian Islands in Greece. Located off of the far northwest coast of the country, Corfu lies in the Adriatic sea, east of Italy and southwest of Albania. Historically Corfu has been controlled by many foreign powers, notably the Venetians, and British.
Regions
[edit]
Corfu is 62 km long and at its widest point, nearly 30 km wide. The island is formed by two mountain ranges. The northern runs from the west to east and consists of limestones, reached in the Mount Pantokrator (914 m) the maximum height of the island, while the southern mountain range is less high and stretches from north to south. North Corfu is wider and more mountainous. The coastal areas are well developed with good pebbly beaches. However, the northeast coast has always remained a favourite, aka Kensington on sea. It is also where the island's oldest village 'Old Perithia' is just beneath Mt. Pantokrator, a Heritage Protected Site in a designated Area of Natural Beauty. South Corfu is less wide (only a few miles across from west to east) and tends to have sandier beaches.
- 1 Arillas — A beach resort that still feels like a village, Arillas attracts naturists and is also developing fast as a spiritual spot.
- 2 Kalami — The village is where the British novelist Lawrence Durrell and his wife Nancy Isobel Myers lived from 1935 until 1941
- 3 Kassiopi — One of the more relaxed and atmospheric resorts with a pretty bay and beach that is mostly stony. The waters are crystal clear and calm.
- 4 Lakones — A typical Corfiot village on the slope of a green hill. Among the houses of the 18th and 19th centuries you will find churches and traditional coffee shops.
- 5 Nymphes — A big village with a lot of water, green and legends built on a height of 200 m. According to a legend, in old times, the Nymphs used to bathe in the village’s waterfalls. A walk to the wells and the waterfalls is enough to make you understand why this legend exists.
- 6 Old Perithia — This is the last remaining Heritage Protected Village on the island. The village nestles in a Designated Area of Natural Beauty and records date back to c. 1350. It is one of the most unique and unspoiled places to stay. It's perfect for walkers and those interested in flora, fauna, insects and wildlife.
- 7 Roda — A village resort on Corfu's northern coast. Traditionally a fishing village, the area has retained its character while developing in to a popular destination for holidays.
- 8 Corfu Town — The largest and most important town on the island. This is where the airport is located and where most cruise ships and long distance ferries dock. It is a small, pleasant city catering well to tourists. Its old town is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- 9 Benitses — A very old, traditional fishing village. The mild climate and the natural beauty of Benitses village have attracted a lot of tourists from the beginning of the century. Benitses is surrounded by the mountains in one side and the aquamarine waters of the Ionian Sea in the other.
- 10 Kynopiastes — A traditional village which is a must-visit to see its mansions of the 17th to 19th centuries, a marble church, a 17th-century monastery and a museum devoted to the olive tree.
- 11 Diapontia Islands
— A group of 11 islands, 9-20 km north-northwest of Corfu, consisting of three larger islands and some other islets.
- 12 Kavos — A seaside village that is a lively resort popular with young holidaymakers from Britain and Northern Europe.
- 13 Lefkimmi — village with a wide long sandy beach that is quiet due to being in the less busy South. There's a practical taverna with a children's playground. The waters are extremely calm and very shallow, even out for quite some distance.
Understand
[edit]The satisfactory infrastructure and the multiple possibilities for various activities are conducive for group holidays on Corfu and the nearby islands. Motivation trips, congress tourism, school trips, Ferrari or antique cars clubs and Harley Davidson groups meet here every year.
Corfu's nature, sea and history are draws for the visitor. In a place with a tradition in tourism of at least 130 years, with Greek education and the influence of “nobility” from England, France and Venice, in a place which is used to welcoming the international jet-set for several decades now, the possibilities for sports and amusement are certainly impressive.
That said, this also means that Corfu is not the place to go if you look for an authentic Greek experience. Because of the massive influence of tourism, there is nothing of Greece left here. Even the smallest beaches are spoilt by huge resorts, overpriced "traditional tavernas" that serve burgers and English breakfast, have dessert on the menu, and have touts to try to pull you in. Only a few mountain villages are left where you can hide away from tourists and be mainly amongst the Greeks.
Corfu can be a good destination for family holidays. Corfu may not have a Disneyland, children's museums, zoos or other things closely connected with children, but the whole island is welcoming and safe for children. In Corfu there are no tropical diseases and very little danger from criminality, violence, dangerous seas, etc. Children play safely in the streets, in the parks, at the playgrounds and on the beach.
Climate
[edit]The climate of the archipelago of Corfu is warm Mediterranean. The summer here is warm and relatively dry with a blue sky, often cooled by seasonal breezes, offering the ideal conditions for surfing, while rarely is it interrupted by rains. The mountainous areas are cooler. The winter here is mild. Rainfall occurs mainly from November till March. On average, there are 3000 hours of sun per year with an average daily sunshine duration of 8½ hours.
| Corfu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corfu | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 6 |
Spring here is impressive and offers visitors the privilege to enjoy the wealth of vegetation and colours, combined with high-taste tourism.
Easter celebration here becomes the experience of a lifetime.
Summer is the most popular season for Corfu, with beautiful beaches and crystal water for unconcerned hours on the beach.
Autumn is the season of vintage, the period during which the whole island smells of grapes; it may be the best time to get to know the routine of the island.
Christmas and New Year's Day in Corfu is music, hymns, carols, in a quiet, decorated place with a mild climate and a noble finesse.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]Corfu International Airport (CFU IATA) During the summer season, similar to the rest of the Greek islands, the airport receives flights from all over Europe. Since the terminal is from the 1970s, be prepared for very long queues in the departures area during the summer season.
By boat
[edit]There are direct ferry links exist from Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi in Italy, Himara and Saranda in Albania and Igoumenitsa and Patras on the mainland (Greece). In 2008, a bunk in a four-person cabin from Venice to Corfu was €107. From Saranda in Albania, a one-way ticket costs €19 in the off-season, and €24 mid-June to mid-Sept.
In addition throughout the summer season, many cruise ships arrive to Corfu.
By road transport
[edit]- By the buses of Corfu KTEL (or Green buses), which connect to Corfu on a daily basis from Athens, Patras, Thessaloniki and other places in Greece.
In your own yacht
[edit]If you come in your own yacht the Marina, Gouvia offers you a comfortable stay, very close to Corfu Town, while in the town you can moor off at the NAOK harbour, as well as at the Old Port.
You can also moor off at Benitses Marina, which is not far from Corfu town.
Get around
[edit]By bus
[edit]There are two types of bus in Corfu - Blue buses serve Corfu town and the environs, Green buses serve the rest of the island.
The Blue bus terminal in Corfu Town is in San Rocco Square. The bus information kiosk displays timetables and provides maps showing exactly where the buses terminate (some terminate a few blocks south of the square). Bus stops have electronic displays, and self-service ticket machines. Tickets are single-journey only and must be validated on the bus. They can be bought from the machines, or from the driver (for €0.50 more).
Useful lines include the number 7 which goes to and from Dasia every 20 minutes (30 minutes on Sundays), the 10 which goes to and from Achilion every two hours, the 6 to and from Benitses (not quite hourly) and the 11 to and from Pelekas every 2–3 hours.
The airport bus is No 19 - check the timetable as frequency varies during the day with some big gaps. It is only a ten-minute ride, and costs €1.10. Number 6 Benitses bus also goes past the end of the airport access road from where it is a 500-m walk to the terminal.
More information about the timetables and routes of Blue buses can be obtained through their website,[dead link]which is available in multiple languages.
The Green Bus Station is near the New Port, from where buses depart for all villages of Corfu Island. Regular departures to Paleokastritsa, Sidari, Kavos, Roda, Acharavi, Kassiopi.
By car
[edit]You can rent a car at the airport or through one of many local companies. In general, it is cheaper to book a hire car via the Internet before arriving. Many of the roads are very narrow so it can be better to choose a small car. While there is a good road running north-south along the east coast from Sidari to Lefkimmi and from Corfu town across the island to Paleokastritsa, many roads have poor surfacing. Often the insurance provided for hire cars does not cover damage to the underside of the car so watch out for large holes in the road. Hire car companies often provide a free map but you may find it worth buying one in advance as the maps are not especially good, especially for the north-west interior.
By boat
[edit]A great way to explore the island and access beaches that can't be easily accessed otherwise is to rent a boat. Most towns have at least one boat rental company and boats up to 30HP do not require a licence to hire.
By bicycle
[edit]In the city traffic is pretty wild and noisy.
An automatic bike sharing scheme, called EasyBike Brainbox was available to rent bicycles. As of April 2014 the system looked pretty dysfunctional.
By quad bike
[edit]There is nothing better than renting a quad bike and driving round the villages, it's a lot of fun and a lot quicker than walking!
See
[edit]
The Achilleion is a palace in Corfu Town.
Do
[edit]- Aqualand in Central Corfu is one of the biggest water parks in the world, equipped with 51 slides, pools and a wide variety of other games.
- Walk the Corfu Trail: Corfu is an ideal location for a keen walker. The north is fairly rugged with Mt. Pantokrator, the highest mountain, and beneath it Corfu's oldest village, Ano (Upper) Perithia. At the other extreme is Korission Lake in the South; an inland lake, separated by a thin sand bar from the sea. The Corfu Trail is a 222-km long distance footpath covering the full length of the islands. The route is well signed and a book accompanies the trail, there is also an introduction, history and walking guide for Old Perithia, Corfu's oldest village which you pass through on the Corfu Trail.
- Meditation: There are several meditation centres on Corfu, and many people practicing massage and giving all kinds of sessions, from deep tissue massage to craniosacral and psychic massage.
- Massage: There are many people practising massage and giving all types of sessions, from deep tissue massage, relaxation, Reiki therapy. One centre is Arillas in the north west of the island but there are also places in and close to Corfu town offering courses and sessions as well as mobile massage therapists who come to your villa, apartment or boat/yacht.
- Yachting: There is a lot of yachting going on in Corfu and the Ionian, it's an ideal spot due to calm weather conditions, Magic Islands, and fun people. Corfu and Ionian in general is an ideal place for sailing and yachting with steady fair winds all summer long. Motoryacht Pyewacket is the newest addition in Gouvia Marina, it's a 20-m motor charter yacht made by sunseeker with two professional UK/Dutch Crew members on their third season in the Ionian. Another operator is the Discovery Yachting offering yachts for sailing in the Ionian Sea.
Beaches
[edit]There is a good variety of beaches on Corfu. On the west side of the island, the beaches are sandier while the east tends to have calmer waters. The north-east coast is also home to most of Corfu's upmarket holiday villas.
Eat
[edit]Buy
[edit]See Greece#Buy for general information on money, ATMs, credit cards and shopping.
As elsewhere in Greece, olive wood, ceramic and leather goods are common. In addition to many tourist shops in places such as Corfu town, you will find small shops along some of the more major roads, often combined with the factory/workshop. In some remoter areas, you may find locals selling locally produced wine, honey and olive oil from small street-side stalls.
Drink
[edit]Gingerbeer. Corfu was a British protectorate and gingerbeer is one of the British style drinks that the locals adopted with enthusiasm. The Greek version is simply excellent. Ask for it at Liston or better restaurants and coffee houses. Locally it is called "Tsitsibeera"
Corfu Beer. In Arillas, in the north of Corfu there is the Corfu Microbrewery. They produce four different kinds of beer, all of them unpasteurised (so they have to be drunk within a couple of months of their production) and all of them delicious! They are so good that they were selected by J.D. Wetherspoon to produce Koroibos Beer, exclusively for the London Olympics. You can visit the brewery and have a taste of their beers. Better give them a call in advance at ☏ +30 26630 52072.
Sleep
[edit]Corfu has countless options for accommodation from 5-star hotels in Corfu town to spare rooms you will only find by asking around as well as many private villa, a nudist hotel and vacation rentals that are typically booked in advance or online. With so many people staying in Croatia and other hot spots, accommodation in Corfu is plentiful, but most of the accommodation is in the coastal area. Budget hotels are not so easy to find in Corfu Town.
Go next
[edit]Corfu makes a good start for a tour of the Western Greek Islands. It's also a good jumping-off place to get to Italy or Albania.
Day trips to Paxi are widely available.
Day trips to Sarandë in Albania are also very popular. This is usually combined with an excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Butrint which is to be highly recommended! A tour of the Albanian Riviera is a must!