The approach to Corfu is a wide circle over the inner Ionian Sea.
Below is a sparkling iridescence, dotted with sails and the large
Adriatic ferries. It appears almost lake like, enclosed by green
hills and bare mountains, the shoreline broken by hundreds of
bays and inlets, with the sun glinting on pantiled roofs.
As the plane descends the details of the land
and the sea become more sharply focused, until
suddenly one is swooping over a tree-covered
islet, then a white church on a narrow isthmus, a
causeway and finally a strip of asphalt, water on
both sides.
Kerasia Beach, near Agios Stephanos
Corfu is an island whose natural beauty is the
common thread that links ancient legends and a
colourful history, to a modern western society.
Is myth born of fact or is it the other way round?
One thing is for sure, the answer will not be found
on Kerkyra or Corfu as the English know it. One
legend has it that Kerkyra was the daughter of
a river god, Asopus. Poseidon first abducted
and then seduced her on the island where she
gave birth to a son, Phaeax, the ancestor of the
Phaecians who lived on Corfu in antiquity.
Yet another calls the island Makrisdrepane or Long
Sickle, named after the weapon used by Zeus to
castrate his father Cronus, whose blood gave
birth to the Furies, Nymphs and the Phaecians, an
unusual way of founding a dynasty and one which
luckily has never become popular!
The sickle itself was stolen by Demeter, who
buried it on the island which subsequently took
on the shape of this miraculous sword. Jason
(of the Argonauts) was one of the first visitors.
Having stolen the Golden Fleece as well as the
beautiful Medea he sought refuge on the island.
Not only did he manage to hang onto his treasure
but he married her in a cave near the palace at
Alcinous. The soldiers sent in pursuit were so
overwhelmed by the hospitality of the islanders
that they instantly decided not to sail back to a
wrathful King Aeetes.
Odysseus himself, was another early tourist, albeit
a reluctant one, when he was shipwrecked by a
vengeful Poseidon and with the help of Athena,
was washed ashore on the island. Naked and
half drowned he awoke to see the lovely princess
Nausica washing clothes in a nearby stream.
Despite his intention of returning to his long
suffering wife Penelope and his island kingdom
of Ithaka, the hero of Troy was so overcome with
admiration, that he greatly feared to touch her
knees! Corfu has been known to have a similar
effect on lesser mortals!
The island has continued to inspire writers and poets,
including Shakespeare who probably used the island
as the model for the magical kingdom in The Tempest.
Much later, prior to World War Two the eccentric but
talented Durrell family, came to live on the island.
Gerald memorably described the island, inhabitants
and animals in his evocative book, My Family and
Other Animals, whilst his elder brother Lawrence wrote
a successful account of the island, Prosperos Cell.
Fertile and blessed with a perfect climate, Corfu has
been coveted and fought over by many warring nations,
including the Venetians, Saracens, French and British,
finally achieving union with an independent Greece in
1864. The heritage left by all these uninvited guests,
together with the fascinating archeological remains of
earlier civilisations means that the island today is a
unique blend of ancient myth, classical architecture and
a vibrant culture as well as being the emerald isle of
the Ionian.
By the end of the century the Corfiots, naturally resilient,
innately hospitable, and imaginative, realised that they
needed to reclaim and re-establish its native culture
and heritage. Supported by the island administration
they have transformed Corfu.
Corfu Town, with its warren of narrow streets, its graceful
Venetian facades and its wonderful main square, has
been renovated without losing any of its character. Many
of the narrow alleyways have been pedestrianised and
venerable buildings sensitively restored.
Of course there are still busy resorts, but nowadays
their streets and waterfronts are far more likely to be
thronged with families enjoying themselves than late
night revellers.
A network of roads lead out from the capital across the
island, whilst the quiet byways and lanes of the rural
interior have been re-surfaced but are still relatively
traffic free, the hamlets and villages they connect
remain unspoilt.
Our selection of properties have been chosen to
represent the real Corfu, an island of clean beaches,
verdant hills and valleys, excellent museums, fine
tavernas and restaurants. Try and get a table with a
view, which is quintessentially Corfiot. You should be
able to make out the graceful lattice of traditional fish
traps and a fisherman tending to his nets as he and his
ancestors have done for a thousand years or more.
This is the magic of Corfu, ancient and modern.
Highlights
Tour the north east coast in a motor boat
Relax and swim at any of Corfus 30 Blue Flag beaches
Horse riding from Avlaki Beach
3 Island day cruise of its northern islands Erikousa, Mathraki & Othoni
Family trip to Aqualand water park
Dinghy sailing & windsurfing from Avlaki Beach
Enjoy a drink on the Liston in cosmopolitan Corfu Town and shop in its narrow streets
Visit Corfu Towns various museums (Archaeological & Byzantine) and its palaces Mon Repos and Achilleon
Diving & snorkeling tours from Kassiopi
Take a tour to neighbouring Albania
Wine tasting at the Triklino Vineyard
Play golf at Corfus own championship golf course in the Ropa Valley
Visit the deserted village of Old Perithia high up in the mountains
MONDAY FLIGHT - Corfu airport
If you have hire car with your holiday, it will be waiting for you at the airport with driving instructions, otherwise you will be transferred to your accommodation by taxi.
Approx transfer time: 30 mins - 1 hour
