Corfu

The island of Corfu is located just off the West coast of Greece. It was one of the first Greek islands to suffer the blight of mass tourism that surged in the 1960s and 1970s and many parts quickly surrendered to the demands of cut-price holiday firms. Once beautiful bays were scarred by cheap hotels, happy hour bars and noisy discos. Yet some of the loveliest beaches and most romantic villages can still be found.

Things to see

The focus of the town of Corfu is the Spianada, a public square and park - one of the biggest in Europe - where evening crowds stroll as children play. It is rather spoiled since parts were turned into a car park and there is a bizarre cricket field where matches are still played North of the square is the French designed and arcaded Liston, built to resemble the rue de Rivoli in Paris and packed with elegant cafes and restaurants. It's a pleasant place for a stroll but it will cost you a packet to eat in this tourist spot and the food is generally bland and unmemorable and the service brusque.

If you want a taste of the cosmopolitan side of Corfu, you can visit the most popular square Spianada in the town for a coffee or a drink. The palace Achilleon where the empress Sissy lived is quite splendid. The old and new Castro are worth visiting, as well as St. Spyridon, with the tallest bell tower of the island. The palace of Ag Michael and Georgiou and the church of Vlahernas are other places of interest.

There is an archaeological museum you definitely should go to if you are interested in ancient history. Just outside town is an area called Pontikonisi, which not only is beautiful, but also has a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary from the 13th century. This is probably the most photographed spot in Corfu. On a cliff just by the most popular beach, Paleocastritsa, there is a 13th century monastery, which holds the huge bones of a whale. At Kalami you can see the house of Lawrence Durell.

There are many beaches on the island, but they are all situated outside the town. The most famous one was the one Odysseus was allegedly washed ashore on, Paleocastritsa, but there are many more choices: Sidari, Ermones and Kavos are only a few of the nice beaches. Agios Georgios is very long (3km) and great for watersports and families with children.

Corfu is famous for its rich and lively night life. The capital offers a wide variety of bars and cafes proposing various kind of music, suitable for every taste. Big night – clubs are situated outside Corfu Town, mostly concentrated in the beach resorts Kavos, Roda, Ypsos, Gouvia and Dassia which also offers an incredible amount of lively bars.

When to come

Corfu enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate along with excellent beaches making it a popular destination for holiday makers. The island is very green compared to other Greek islands: hot and dry summers along with winter rain creates lush vegetation dominated by over 2 million olive trees. These olive trees on Corfu are the main cultivation, although Corfu's tourism now provides the most income.