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Basic information on Corfu Island
The most common Corfu’s nickname is the ‘emerald island’; and it has to be said this name is more than accurate. Among the more than 1 500 Greek islands, Corfu is considered to be the greenest, and according to many also the most beautiful island. It owes its excellent natural conditions mainly to its geographical position, ensuring enough sunshine (for more information on weather and climatic conditions, see the section Corfu - Weather). That is why many plants, bushes and trees flourish on the island, forming a magnificent green veil together in contrast with the turquoise sea and goldish sand of the sunny beaches.
The typical plant of Corfu is the olive tree, used to produce the famous and popular olive oil. Besides that, you will also find there citrus trees and eucalyptuses with their charactesristic strong scent, cypresses, myrtle, or palm trees. Especially during the spring months, Corfu is literally glaring with its many colours of various flowers and flower buds. Many of the plants can be observed nowhere else in the world but on this very island.
Corfu has about 100 thousand inhabitants who are very nice and hospitable. In some parts not affected by tourism, you can see the traditional lifestyle of the Greeks - calm, with no stress or rush. Most of the island population, especially in the tourist resorts, also speak English in addition to their native language.
The island is surrounded by legends, e.g. the one about Odysseus, and it is a beloved island by many famous personages from all over the world. Despite its modern development, the island still keeps its traditions, taking care of its nature so that more and more visitors could discover the island beauties.
Corfu beaches
With its area of 592 km2, Corfu is the northernmost Greek island (at least from the larger of the islands; from the little islands, the most northern island is Erikoussa). it is the second largest Greek island, washed by the Ionian Sea (this area also includes other of the Ionian Islands - Cephalonia, Lefkada, Ithaka or Zakynthos). The whole coast is scattered by sandy and pebbly beaches that are considered to be the cleanest of all Europe. You can also find there quite secluded places for those who prefer to enjoy peace and rest. On the other hand, those who longing for comfort and more active relaxation can choose from a broad range of varied tourist resorts. In most resorts, you can practice aquatic sports. The whole island has perfect conditions for divers who can discover the undersea world and its beauties. You can find an overview of the resorts including their location in the section Corfu Map.
On dry land, you can play voleyball, drive a scooter, a motorbike, go for horse ride, or enjoy your afternoon on a golf yourse. Since everything is quite easily accessible on the island given its area, you can go for many trips to see the local historical sites or the beauties of nature. Corfu can simply offer something for all - rest and relaxation, but also adrenaline and entertainment.
Have you visited the island? Help us with the content of the website!
There is never enough information about Corfu Island. And who would be more familiar with the island than those who have spent there their holiday? We would like to ask you to dedicate a few minutes of your time evaluating your holiday on the island, telling us what you liked there and what Corfu means to you, or possibly also to give us tips and advice that could be useful for other visitors who are interested in the island and are thinking of going there for holiday.
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Corfu and its places of interest
Although Corfu is relatively small, it has a rich history, and therefore also many historical sites. Besides that it also abounds in natural riches. Both things are forming a network of trip attractions on the island.
One of the most visited sites on Corfu is the Mouse Island. It can be found near the small Kanoni peninsula in the eastern part of the island, only a few kiometres from the capital (Corfu/Kerkyra). With its shape, the Mouse Island resembles a boat, and it is related to Homer’s legend on Odyssesus. The island was allegedly his ship that the angered Poseidon, the God of the Seas, made turn into stone. There is a splendid view on this famous little island from the resort of Kanoni and the island often appears on postcards and souvenirs. The Mouse Island itself can be accessed only by boat - there are regular boat lines transporting plenty of tourists. At their arrival on the island, they are surprised by a small chapel that appears all of a sudden amidst the island and cannot be seen from Kanoni flooded with cypresses. There are two more islands that could also possibly correspond to eh legend - Afionas and Paleokastritsou. From Kanoni, youo can also observe another rarity - the Vlacherna Monastery - which is know to lie on a small island occupying most of its area. You get get there on dry land as the island is connected with the mainland with a wharf.
The Achillion Castle is another of the frequently visited historical sites. It is located only a few kilometres south of the island capital, and it commemorates the famous and beautiful Empress Elisabeth of Austria, called Sissi. She was a great lover of Corfu and so she decided to build there this jewel in the 19th century where she travelled often. Later it was acquired by the emperor William II who used the castle to organizes his soirees.
Many of the sights are located in the island capital, Corfu or Kerkyra. As many different nations were laying claims on the island during the past centuries, this fact is reflected in the local architecture and cultural heritage. You can see there for example the unique bell tower of St. Spyridon, regarded as the island patron saint by Corfu inhabitants. This bell tower is the tallest in the island. There are also many different museums - Archaeological Museum, Byzantine Museum, Shell Museum, Numismatics Museum or Museum of Asian Art. You can also visit the city’s old fortification, churches, palaces and monuments. Last but not least, you can visit the local cricket ground, a leftover from the era of the rule of the British Empire; it is a very popular place in the city.
From the natural rarities, we must mention the Korrision Lake with salt water and almost virgin surrounding nature. Many of the beauties of the local fauna and flora can be observed there. Another interesting place is the Mount Pantokrator, the highest peak located in the north of the island. You can get to a certain height by car, then you need to walk, which can be quite challenging especially on a hot day; but you will be rewarded by an unforgettable view on the sea and the surrounding island. There is also a monastery at the mountain peak.
Corfu has really a lot to offer. Little by little, we will try to sum up the most interesting targets in the section Corfu - Tips for trips. Or you can take a look in the section List of sites on the left, including all the resorts, historical sites, natural places of interest or monasteries.
Transport on Corfu - Car rental services
Corfu Island has fully developed tourist services, and so it is quite easy to find a car rental company. The same is true also for scooter or boat and motorboats rental services - unlike on Crete for example, Corfu has lots of them. Based in our experience and the reviews which can be found in the internet, we can recommend George Rent a Car (formerly TopCars Korfu), that will drive your car to the place where you are staying so you don’t need to go anywhere and search for anything. For boats, you can see for example the following sites: Kalami boat rental service, Asterios Boats or Dimitris boat rental service.
Which travel agencies offer tours to Corfu?
There are many travel agencies going to Corfu (you can find an overview of tours including last minute offers in the section Corfu - Tours). Their offer varies according to the price and quality of their services and accomodation. We negotiate on the sale of tours to Corfu on a daily basis and we also have information about the satisfaction or problems of our clients, selling thus only the tours from the agencies that are reliable and easy-going. In addition to our tours centre (Corfu - Tours overview), we also recommend you to take a look at the travel agencies in the chart Recommended travel agencies as sometimes the travel agencies offer various discounts that the sellers cannot include into their offer.
Hotels, suites and studios on Corfu
There are plenty of resorts and hotels on Corfu. You can find a clearly arranged catalogues in the section Hotels, suites and studios on Corfu.
Video from Corfu
To give you the most precise idea of the island, we have chosen a small video showing many beautiful places on Corfu:
Video
Where to go to Corfu?
Travel agencies mostly offer tours to the resorts of Agios Georgios /south/, Agios Georgios /north/, Agios Gordis, Agios Ioannis Melitieon, Agios Ioannis Peristeron, Agios Petros, Agios Stefanos, Acharavi, Almiros, Arillas, Barbati, Benitses, Dassia, Ermones, Gialiskari, Glyfada, Gouvia, Ipsos, Kanoni, Kassiopi, Kavos, Kerkyra, Kommeno, Liapades, Messonghi, Moraitika, Nissaki, Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, Roda and Sidari.
More information on Corfu on the internet
If you are searching for more information on the island, you can visit for example the site Corfu Today or a comprehensive overview of hotels on Corfu Online.