Corfu Holiday
Homer described Corfu as a 'beautiful and rich land' and few would argue. The island's many faces will never cease to surprise and delight. Colorful villages melt into musky olive groves and church bells echo through the verdant, pine-clad mountains of the inland while on the coast golden beaches lead to sparkling, warm seas.
"Corfu is an isle of contrasts. Shady olive groves cloak rocky hillsides above colourful fishing villages and sun-kissed beaches."
Corfu Holiday - Beaches
Some of Corfu's best beaches can be found on the west of the island. The 3km golden-sand stretch of Agios Georgios is a haven for water sports enthusiasts with windsurfers benefiting from strong winds. Nearby the sweeping coastal views and Neolithic ruins of Afionas offer a more tranquil beach experience. To the north and east the coast is more sheltered with a string of pretty inlets and coves. The pebble and sand beaches of Gouvia and Dassia are popular in this area.
Shopping
Corfu Town is the best place to shop on the island. Here you will find local craft shops selling fabrics, leather and hand crafted jewelry and sophisticated boutiques existing side-be-side. The back streets are full of small shops selling souvenirs and trinkets to take home.
Nightlife
Every beach in Corfu has its own bar or taverna keeping you refreshed as the sun sinks below the horizon. If you are looking for bright lights and clubs Kavos will not disappoint. However if you prefer the quieter life the sea fronts and alleyways of most Corfu towns are awash with restaurants and bars serving up an evening of Greek style entertainment.
Corfu is known as the Ionian 'emerald isle', a name inspired by green fields and the explosion of springtime color. Meadows, decorated with wild flowers, tumble inland towards Mount Pantokrator, the island's highest peak and a popular destination for walkers. In amongst nature's bounty you will come across old villages and towns that bear the hallmark of the island's Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian past. Corfu Town, the capital, is crammed with hints to the past. The town is home to a variety of museums dedicated to everything from Asiatic art to Byzantine icons. Perhaps the best way to get a feel for the place is simply to get lost in the narrow alleyways of the Venetian old town. Here you will discover Georgian mansions, Byzantine churches and shuttered buildings shaded ochre and pink.
Holiday Tips
In most hotels and aparthotels gentlemen are required to wear long trousers to dinner. Most hotels or apartments ask customers to vacate their rooms between 10am and 12 midday. For late afternoon or evening flights, late check out rooms may be available. Please see Your Holiday, Your Choice options on accommodation pages.
Local Specialities
Lobster is the island's specialty and worth searching out, although it's more likely you'll be offered astakos or salt water crayfish. The food owes much to the island's various conquerors. Pastitsada is adapted from an Italian dish and consists of layered pasta with a meat and tomato sauce topped off with cheese and herbs. Sofrito sees veal or beef cooked in a white sauce with oil, wine vinegar, garlic and white pepper. Vegetarians do pretty well in Corfu, the best option is to stick with the Mezedes or Mezes, a variety of starters similar to tapas washed down with ouzo. Try the vine leaves stuffed with rice (dolmadakia) or the fried cheese (saganáki). Corfu produces some good wines including Santa Domenica, a light red, and the more elusive and expensive Theotoki Roppa. It also has its own liqueur - koum kouat.