Cruises from Corfu

Located off the West coast of Greece, the island of Corfu is one of the many islands enjoying the warm Mediterranean climate. It is one of the Ionian Islands, and is hot and dry during the summer with rainy winters that feed the 2 million plus olive trees that are to be found all over the island. Olives are the island’s major cultivated crop. Tourism to the island, however, has overtaken the export of olives.

Greeks, Romans, Venetians and French people have inhabited Corfu and all of them have left their mark on this small island. There are two forts available for exploration and the island is surrounded by myths and legends that include names such as Hercules, Homer, Odysseus, and Jason and the Argonauts. The main town of the island, also named Corfu, has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site, which protects and preserves the many beautiful buildings and monuments on the island. It is interesting to note that the coast seen from the island is that of Albania and not Greece as most would think, and the channel that separates the two is less than 2 kilometres deep in places.

Corfu offers visitors plenty of places to stay in its hotels, self-catering options and hostels. Hostels are plentiful as the island is a favourite destination of backpackers.

The beaches are the most popular destination for visitors to the island and there are numerous water sports on offer such as diving, fishing, swimming and windsurfing. The less energetic could of course simply take in the warm sunshine. Corfu town – also known as Kerkyra – is considered a combination of Venice and Naples with touches of France and England thrown in. It is the perfect base of operations for hiking up Mount Pantokrator, the highest peak on the island at over 1,000 metres tall. Even though it is located on an island in the Mediterranean, it is still snow-capped in the winter.

Achillion Palace overlooks the sea and Corfu town and it is perfect for taking panoramic pictures of the island and the water around it. It is considered one of the most beautiful spots on the island. Visitors can watch as the luxury yachts move in and out of the many coves and bays around the islands as well as enjoying the lush green vegetation and colourful flowers that seem to be in bloom all year round.

There is a large water park in Taverna on Corfu and the children love this one the most. There are smaller water parks around the island, which are usually a little less crowded. The island has a little known golf course, which is considered one of the best of the 19 championship courses in Europe. Imagine teeing off while gazing at the blue waters all around you. You are going to want to keep an eye on your game as tempting as the beautiful surroundings are.

There are also plenty of churches and monasteries available to tour throughout Corfu, and if you are staying there overnight then you will definitely want to enjoy the nightlife before heading back to base!