Corfu - an island of contrasts (Corfu)

Member Name: grantdmc

Product:	Corfu
Date:	13/04/02 (160 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful scenery, Inexpensive, Excellent for an "easy" holiday

Disadvantages: None - it's what you make of it., Not necessarily for people who prefer plush luxury hotels!

I think I first fell in love with Greece when I was 15 and studying for my 'O' Levels. I read "My Family and other Animals" by Gerald Durrell, a story which is set in the island of Corfu. I liked the idea of the strawberry pink villa where they lived and the description of water melons like "pink ice" has stayed with me till this day. Yes there are strawberry pink houses and yellow ones too! When I first announced that I was going to Corfu I received a couple of derisory and snobbish comments from friends who see themselves as seasoned back-packers and travellers, but who of course had never been there themselves. I am pleased to announce that they were wrong. Yes, Corfu has a strong touristy element and more clubby resorts such as Kavos, but if you do not want that just avoid it!

The first time we came to Corfu we stayed in a tiny resort called Perama which is directly opposite the famously photographed Mouse island. Some of the most adventurous hotel guests used to swim there everyday! From here, one can easily walk to a causeway which takes you across the water to a suburb of Corfu town - Kanoni. It takes twenty minutes to walk through this quiet, residential area and we did this nearly every day. We admired the prettily coloured houses in a variety of hues, the heavily flowered gardens and had our first small glimpse of everyday Greek life. At the end of the walk there is of course Corfu town.

I loved Corfu town and would like to go back there one day. In parts it is very Greek - winding whitewashed alleyways and backstreet tavernas and in others it has the appearance of an archetypal western European city - boulevards, coffee shops where the cafe society meet and socialise and even cricket on the green (a leftover from the British days on the island).

Our second visit to Corfu on a last minute deal took us to Aghios Stefanos (San Stefano) which is on the west of the island, just to the nor
th of Paliokastritsa. (NB There is another Aghios Stefanos on the East of the island!) This was a lovely, quiet little resort and our accommodation backed onto an olive grove! It was late October, so we would sit out on our patio watching the farmers put down nets under the trees for the olive harvest. The people in Aghios Stefanos were amongst the friendliest people I have ever met and there were quite a few pleasant little tavernas where the food was lovely and very low priced!

On a final note: do not listen to the travel snobs and when watching certain TV programmes about holidays in Corfu, please understand that these are only showing you one dimension of the island. Just be selective about where you are going. Research and read up on it - use the internet to look at specific resorts and enjoy an excellent (and inexpensive) holiday that is only just over 3 hours away.

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