Corfu is the second largest of the
Greek Ionian Islands (after
Kefalonia)
located off the west coast of
mainland Greece and Albania. It's one of the
greenest and loveliest of all the
Greek islands and was among the first to
attract package holidaymakers in the 1960s. For centuries illustrious writers
have been waxing lyrical about the island's considerable charms. The blind
poet Homer, one of the greatest writers of the ancient world, described it as
a "beautiful and rich land". Gerald and Lawrence Durrell encouraged the masses
to fall in love with the place with their best-selling books about life on the
island. And Shakespeare allegedly used
Corfu island as his inspiration for
The
Tempest.
Corfu island is without doubt one of the top holiday spots in the whole of
Greece and it's easy to see why.
Corfu offers brash, noisy seaside resorts where
you can party all night (and all day too if you're strong enough). There are
leisure and entertainment facilities galore but you don't have to travel far
to find unspoilt countryside, traditional villages, wonderful mountain walks
and secluded coves. The capital is one of the most beautiful of all the Greek
island towns and if you fancy playing Robinson Crusoe for a day or two you can
take a boat trip over to one of the Diapondia Islands off the north west coast
of
Corfu island.
