Corfu

Cosmopolitan, lush, for which thousands of songs were written and with a history that goes back centuries, Corfu is a destination that enchants even the most demanding visitor!

The jewel of the Ionian Sea, and one of the northernmost islands of Greece was the target of the big empires of history, which have conquered Corfu because of its strategic location. The strongest influence was that of the Venetians and it is predominant in the great architecture of the island.

The Old Town of Kerkyra, recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, steals the impressions right away. A stroll in its “kantounia”, the narrow alleys with the imposing houses, is enough to travel you in the past; Liston, the pedestrian street featured in many photos, with the old mansions the arcades of which house the city’s most popular restaurants and coffee shops, demands also your visit.

The Old and the New Fortress of the town are two other imposing sites, while the island of Pontikonissi, known to all Greeks as it was featured in many movies of the golden age of Greek cinema (1950s and 1960s), is the ideal background for a photo; it is not open to visitors though, being considered a natural monument.

Two former palaces are now poles of attraction for those who want to get to know better the island’s history. The first one is Achilleion, a palace that belonged to Sissi, Empress of Austria-Hungary. There you can admire unique works of art in an impressive surrounding. The second one is the palace of Mon Repos, and it was used as a summer residence of the Greek royal family until 1967; it now hosts the Museum of Paleopolis, the ancient capital of Corfu.

The sites of Corfu are numerous, but so are its beaches, which are so different from each other that you’ll want to discover all of them! From the famous Canal d’Amour (Channel of Love) to Issos, the sandy beach which is also known as «the Sahara of Corfu», you will treat yourself to diving in pristine waters and you will feel the calm offered by the combination of the sea blue with the green of the surrounding vegetation.

“Gradually the magic of the island settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen” wrote the English writer Gerald Durrell, who had lived his childhood years in Corfu. You too, experience this magic atmosphere by taking a trip to the mythical island of the Phaeacians!