Corfu – a cosmopolitan island of breathtaking beauty.
Known as the "Emerald Island" because of its lush greenery and amazing beauty, Corfu is the cosmopolitan Island of the Pheacians and one of the hidden treasures of the Mediterranean. It is one of nature’s work of art, a museum in itself, a magical Island combining old with new, the classic with the eccentric, art with everyday life. Possessing an intense culture and the finest coastal scenery in the Mediterranean, the island has provided endless inspiration for many artists and literary figures.
The island has a long and colorful history. First colonized by the city-state of Corinth, Corfu has been ruled by the Romans, the Venetians, the French and the English. With the passage of time the island may have changed, but the spirit of a distant glorious past is still omnipresent. Corfu Town with the majesty of the famous 15th century fortress as its backdrop, its pastel-hued Venetian-era mansions, its broad marble-paved streets, splendid monuments, esoteric museums, fashionable shops and pavement cafés often seems as grand and cosmopolitan as Paris or Rome. As Corfu, unlike the rest of Greece, never fell under the Ottoman oppression, the island became early part of the Western world: it was here that the first Greek University (the Ionian Academy), the first Philharmonic Orchestra and the First School of Fine Arts were founded.
In the beautifully preserved Old Town of Corfu, a UNESCO world heritage site, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical “repertoire” came to be successfully applied to local artistic traditions. Grand neoclassical palaces, fortresses, austere public buildings of the Venetian rule uniquely blend with lines of drying washing in tiny alleyways and small secluded squares, making you feel as if you’ve traveled to southern Italy. Spend your day in the charming old town strolling through a complex of narrow cobbled streets with stairways and vaulted passages, the so-called “kantoúnia” and have a tasteful break in some of the region’s finest restaurants. Walk the grand seaside esplanade, known as the Spianada, lined with handsome buildings and an arcaded promenade, the Liston, with its swath of packed cafes and enjoy your coffee in the town’s social hub.
Don't miss this opportunity to tour the Achilleion Palace which houses the Terrace of the Muses, a tribute to the nine muses of Greek mythology, built by the Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1891. View its breathtaking gardens as well as a spectacular panoramic view of the Ionian Sea.
As intriguing the city of Corfu is, as exciting is the inner land and the coastline of this mythical island. Take a scenic drive through the wonderful Corfiot countryside, full of olive groves, pine, cypress, lemon and orange trees. Stop by a koum kouat distillery and taste one of the island's most famous products, the "Koum Kouat" liqueur, made from a koum kouat citrus fruit, a variety of which only grows in Greece's Corfu. Select one of the countless magical places where the emerald mountains interweave harmoniously with the Adriatic Sea and enjoy the turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea.
Its rich multi-cultural heritage, its historic monuments, its stunning natural landscape and its crystal clear seas explain why evergreen Corfu is one of the most cosmopolitan Mediterranean destinations weaving a powerful spell on its visitors.