Corfu Guide

Corfu Travel Guide

Corfu was not given the name of the "Emerald Island" for no reason. Corfu, the wooded isle of the Phaeacians, Odysseeus' last stop on his long journey home to to Ithica, is the greenest of all the Greek islands and the best known of the Ionian islands. Truly, how many civilizations, how many races have gone into producing what we see today. From the time when Odysseus was shipwrecked on Corfu, the island of Nausica, after his long journey from Troy to Ithaca, up today, Corinthians, Sicilians, Illyrians, and Romans all coveted this marvellous island. And later, in the Byzantine era, Goths, Normans, Franks, and Venetians, noblemen and pirates, kings and fortune hunters, all passed through Corfu and all left something to mark their passage.

Corfu is the bridge uniting Greece and the rest of Europe. The island of Corfu encapsulate the beauty of the Greek countryside and the nobility of Venetian architecture, the azure of the sea, the dark green of the cyprus trees, and the silver of the olives, the zest for life and the lyricism that all of the islanders possess. The traveller who, like Odysseeus, arrives in Corfu, will discover at every turn the sheer age of Europe. Ancient Greek monuments and Venetian fortresses, Byzantine churches and Neoclassical mansions, all in harmony with a unique landscape whose beauty has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Corfu, itself, owes its sophistication and charm to the meshing of the different civilisations that have occupied the island and to the natural beauty with which it is so abundantly endowed.

The history of Corfu is checkered under a long succession of foreign rulers from Antiquity to 1884, when all the Ionian Islands were united with Greece. Romans, Venetians, French and British were all rulers of Corfu over the centuries. The marks of all those different people,their cultures, and their architectures can still be found today on the island. The town of Corfu (also called Kerkyra) is made up of completely dissimilar elements, left over from different civilisations. It presents an enchanting picture with its broad streets and spacious squares, the popular Spianada the town green contrasting with its narrow back alleys paved with blocks of stone (known as Kantounia), houses with a strong Italian influence, the famous Liston, a French arcade, traditional Georgian mansions, a Byzantine church, Venetian monuments, balconies with wrought-iron railings and window grilles.

Corfu's colorful history has been molded by its position in the Mediterranean Sea and the fertility of its fields. That is why visiting Corfu is like taking a trip back to the history and culture of Europe. Corfus natural beauty is hidden beneath a cloak of emerald green and a mountainous skyline that plunges into the bluest of blue waters. On this cosmopolitan island, youll be able to combine relaxation with good times and a full nightlife, for Corfu is an international tourist center, which can satisfy the demands of the most difficult visitor.