CORFU

DESCRIPTION

Corfu Greece is one of the most popular islands and attracts every year thousands of visitors. It is the northerly island of the Ionian Group and lies at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea. It is the second largest island of the Ionians.

It is a mountainous island with impressive landscapes, dense vegetation due to many rainfalls in winter, long golden sandy beaches, one of Greece’s most beautiful towns, many traditional villages, Byzantine churches, several museums, impressive Venetian fortresses and lively resorts all around the island.

The island of Corfu, Greece was one of the first islands to open itself to tourism and has everything to offer to the visitor.

SHORT HISTORY

The exceptional geographical position of Corfu determined, from the beginning, the role that the island was destined to play. Crossing point and meeting place of ideas and of human coexistence, melting pot of civilizations, managed to fuse together harmoniously the often-contradictory trends and to exhibit a cultural identity quit unique and different from the rest parts of Greece.
Festival at Jason & Sosipatros church, J. Cartwright, 1821

The coexistance of Romans and Byzantines with locals, enriched with immigrants from southern Italy and Sicily, Venice and later France, England, Malta and other Mediterranean countries, fused together with Jews and waves of refugees from the Turk-occupied Greece and Crete (especially after the fall of Candia), makes the city a place of exemplary complexness, the multicultural character of which, is reflected on the arts and the lettered, on the social life of the city and suburbs.

The inclination of corfiots to the spectacles, the music and the opera is the result of the living history and coexists with the deepest respect for the national and religious symbols.
The western style of the buildings and of the artistic expression, of the customs and the musical tradition constitutes the expression of the cultural osmosis of Corfu with the West. A procedure that, despite the predictions to the opposite, left the Eastern Greek Orthodox Dogma untouched, in times that the Eastern Christianity, in her historical borders, was either savagely oppressed or ceased to exit.

NATURE

One of the principal components of the Corfiot landscape is, without doubt, its lush vegetation in all its never-ending hues. Unlike other parts of Greece where any greenery withers and dries up in the summer months, in Corfu it remains fresh all year round; indeed, depending on the season, the island’s amazing verdure is diffused with the colours of trees in blossom or heavy with fruit and the flowers, wild or cultivated, that grow in such profusion. The shimmering blue sea forms a perfect backdrop to the assorted shades of green of the Corfiot countryside.

CLIMATE

The almost heavenly look of the Corfiot nature is due to the mild climate and the high percentage of humidity for the Greek standards (frequent rains from November until March).The Summer heat is moderated by the humidity (highest temperature in July 33oC). The summer afternoons a north-western wind, "maistros" blows, which rarely exceeds the 4 beafort power scale.The Winters are unexpectedly mild and remind the southern places (mean lower temperature in Junary 10oC). During the winter-time southern winds prevail and their intensity is higher than 8 beafort power scale.

HOW TO GET THERE

BY ROAD

Private Transport
Athens - Igoumenitsa 500 km (9hrs).
Patras - Igoumenitsa 349 km ( 5hrs).
Thessalonica - Igoumenitsa 500 km ( 9hrs).
Public Transport
Athens (Bus Station Tel. +30 2105129443), bus stops, Korinth, Patras, Agrinio and Arta.
Thessalonica ( Bus station el. +30 210510110), bus stops, Larisa and Ioannina.
www.ktel.org

BY BOAT

Ferry Boats ( Domestic Lines)
From Igoumenitsa departures are 6 am upto 10pm. In the summer season departures are on average every quarter of an hour and the duration is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

International Lines to and from ITALY (Patra, Bari, Brindezi, Ancona, Venice)
Ferry lines
ANEK LINES
BLUES FERRIES
MINOAN LINES
FRAGLINES FERRIES

Departures from Patra to Italy visit the ports of Corfu or Igoumenitsa accordingly, as well as in the opposite journey Italy to Patra.

Information is given by the port authorities of Greece, Corfu (+30 266103265) Igoumenitsa (+30 2665022235) and Patras (+30 2610341002).

BY AIR

CHARTER FLIGHTS
Corfu Airport is connected by chater flights to most european cities.
Internal Flights are available by OLIMPIC and AEGEAN Airlines from Athenes
Flight Information:
Athens OLYMPIC AIRWAYS Τel. +30 2109616161 or from Olympic Airways Site
Corfu OLYMPIC AIRWAYS Tel. +30 2661038694
Corfu Airport " Ioannis Kapodistrias" Tel.+30 2661030180
and the Aegean Airlines

Notice: Airoport Codes.
For Destination Code Airport set the above.
CFU AIROPORT CODE FOR CORFU
ATH AIROPORT CODE FOR ATHENS
SKG AIROPORT CODE FOR THEASSALONIKI

TRANSPORTATION ON THE ISLAND

BUSES(green buses), terminal from Avramiou str., Corfu, 26610/39985, 26610/30627. Daily service to Afiona, Arilla, St. George Pagon, St. Gordio, St. Matheu, St. Stephan, Avliotes, Barmbati, Hermones, Glyfada, Kassiopi, Kavo, Korakiana, Liapades, Loutses, Messogi, Palaiokastritsa, Pyrgi-Ypso, Roda – Acharavi, Sidari, Kassiopi, Spartera.
Urban Lines (blue buses), terminal from Saroko Squer Corfu, 26610/39859. Daily Service to Kanoni, Analipsis, Potamo, Temploni, Kastellanous, Kouramades, Perama - Benitses, Kontokali - Givia – Dasia, Afra, St John, Achilio – Gastouri.

TAXI
Public Square
Corfu City St Sarokou square 26610/30383, Theotoki 26610/39911, Spianada 26610/39926, New Port 26610/379993.
Benitses 26610/72333
Pyrgi 26610/93965
Moraitika 26610/75210
Roda 26630/63330
Acharavi 26630/63900.

ACCOMODATION

The registered touristic beds amount to 91.190, from which the 6 1,5% are beds of rental rooms. Most of the beds are concentrated in the Municipalities of Corfu and Phaeacs. Among the hotel beds the 36,2% are of LUX to A’ category and the 35,~1% of B’ to E category.

You can find many hotels, rooms, appartments, camping sites that will serve any need.

OTHER SERVICES

RENT CAR OR BIKE

BEACHES

The beautiful beaches form many bays. The best known of them are: Ipsos, Garitsa, Limnothalassa Chaliopoulou (in Pontikonisi), Mantoukiou and others. Also, there are some capes like in Kavo Sidero in the City of Corfu, Agia Barbara, Kassiopi and Agia Aikaterini in the north of the island, Kefali, Asprokavo and Leukimmi in the south, Agios Stefanos in the west, Arilla, Falakro and Ag. Isidoros.

ALTERNATIVE TOURISM

Religious Tourism: mainly refers to Christian Orthodox Easter Season

Environmental Tourism: countryside excursions, visits to nearby islands etc

Conference Tourism: Corfu is a place of organising conferences. It has hosted international and pan Hellenic conferences of organizations, scientific and professional associations. The conferences take place in rooms of the Municipality of Corfiots and the big Hotel Units which have the most modern facilities.

Athletic Tourism: National Athletic Centre, Corfu tennis club facilities, Nautical Athletic Club, cricket fields, riding, fencing, karate, gymnastics, handball are also sports with a significant activity in the prefecture

WORTH VISITING

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF PALEOPOLIS (MON REPOS)

BYZANTINE MUSEUM (ANTIVOUNIOTISSAS)

MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART

KAPODISTRIAS MUSEUM

SOLOMOS MUSEUM

MUSEUM OF CERAMIC ART

MUSEEUM OF BANKNOTES

THE SERBIAN MUSEUM

THE MUNICIPAL GALLERY

CORFU COUNTY ARCHIVES

PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CORFU

Diapontia Islands
The Djapontja islands, is a cluster of islands and islets in north-westernly Corfu, in northern utmost Ionian, that includes the EREIKOYSSA, MACRAKI and the OTHONOUS, together with smaller uninhabitable islands.They are the northest islands of Greek territory, Ionian seas and the islander bridge with Italy, the gulf of Taranta, that terminates the Ionian sea. Islands with toponymies and traditions that are connected with the Mythology, without however corresponding archaeological excavations, in order to confirm this.

CORFIOT CUISINE

The cuisine of Corfu could be named as tradition a cuisine. In contrary to the rest of Greek areas, Corfu was never under Turkish possession. but still remained under the Venetian administration and influence for 411 years, 11 months and 11 days. Thus the cuisine of the Hora (the city of Corfu) is purely a Venetian one, and it is really admirable that after so many years not only the way of cooking but also the names of foods remain the same.

Near the old tavern ‘restaurants appeared, ‘spaghetterias but also the well known ‘fast-food. In the place of the old fritolini (small shops that sold fried fishes and sea food), small elegant restaurants can be found today, offering all kinds of cuisine inside as well as outside the city, (Mexican, Chinese, French) with a particular emphasis in the Italian one, which the people of Corfu, as it is obvious, seem to prefer.

Almost hidden in the narrow roads r known as kantounia small picturesque taverns still offer to those that would like to taste traditional flavours and pititelia’ (titbits) that they are accompanied by good local wine.Moreover in the coastal villages at the fish taverns where usually the householder is also the fisherman. fresh fish and seafood fried on the coals or bourdeto or simply fried on spot, they wait the visitors in a familiar and friendly atmosphere.

The sweet desserts from grape, figs, but mainly from quince and bergamot (aromatic citrus fruits) and fruits glaces with the chestnut are the stars of the feasts, and it is quite traditional for the ladies of Corfu who really compete f or their brilliant aspect. as the sweet pie made from pumpkins, the orange-color- pumpkin that is called spourda. Sykomada is also popular, which in the old days was the main sweet at the villages of Corfu made from dry figs, aniseed and ouzo.