“My childhood in Corfu shaped my life. If I had the craft of Merlin, I would give every child the gift of my childhood […] Gradually the magic of the island settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen.”
Gerald Durrell, My Family and Other Animals
Corfu
The Old Town of Corfu with its Old and New Fortress is designated as a UNESCO World heritage site adorned with buildings of rare architectural beauty and traditional maze-like narrow streets called kantounia. There one can taste handmade delicacies in traditional shops. Nearby, the church of Saint Spiridon, patron of the island, dating back to the 16th century and highly recommended.
Corfu is best known not for the valleys carpeted with olive trees, but for its stunning beaches. Some are bustling with liveliness, like cosmopolitan Glifada beach and the well developed Agios Gordios, famous for its golden sand. Others such as Mirtidiotissa are less easily accessible yet equal in beauty.
Undoubtedly, the most famous beach in Corfu is the ethereal “Canal d’ Amour”. Here, the endless fight between sea and rock has resulted in a series of other-worldly stone formations, winding sea canals and tiny caves. According to a local legend, if lovers swim in these waters they will never part.
Whether you choose to believe it or not, the Canal d’ Amour is definitely a place you simply cannot miss when you visit Corfu.
There you’ll find all these sights, plus hospitable people, amazing food, wine and atmosphere. Corfu has an enchanting mixture of simplicity and sophistication and is waiting and ready to be explored.
From the humble to the grand, Corfu was -and still remains- a popular holiday destination for the rich and famous.
In the previous centuries, aristocrats and nobles belonging to the ruling classes adorned Corfu with luxurious palaces and mansions many of which survive and are open to the public today. Mon Repos Palace, which was built by the British Commissioner Adams as a gift to his Corfiot wife, has been turned into a museum. The gardens around the palace are ideal for long, peaceful strolls.
Another palace recently turned into a museum is Achilleion, the personal haven of Elizabeth of Bavaria. Built on a forested hill among ancient trees and dedicated to the hero Achilles, the palace symbolized the Spirit of Greece. The views from the palace of the green island justify the Empress’ growing attachment to it and enchant visitors from around the world.
If you are tired of the hubbub of the capital, head for the resort of Paleokastritsa in the west.
The quiet rocky bay with the bright azure waters is believed to be the place Odysseus disembarked and met Nausicaa, the daughter of the King of Phaeacia, at the last stop on his journey to Ithaca. The locals still believe that the rock in the bay is the petrified ship of the weathered traveller.
Climb the winding road to admire the view and grab the opportunity to visit the Monastery on the top of the hill dating back to the 13th century. Inside you will find hidden relics while outside, breathtaking vistas of the bay below make the humble Monastery a favourite among visitors.
Would you like more reasons why you should visit Corfu?
It has more than 57 beaches, which might make it hard to narrow down your favourite locations.
It was also the first place to establish a Greek University, as well as the first School of Fine Arts.
Corfu is the second largest island in the Ionian Sea, after Cephalonia. Its beauty is famous among locals and tourists alike.
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January 8, 2020
