Κέρκυρα

Corfu is truly a whole continent on one island. Its small size 64kms long and 29kms wide make it ideal for sightseeing without having to travel great distances and each area of Corfu has its own distinctive charm and character. It is the westernmost Greek Island and the northernmost in the Ionian Sea. For centuries is has been known as the Emerald Isle due to its lush green landscape owed mainly to the thousands of Olive Trees and Cypress trees that are found everywhere. It is truly an enchanting place and whilst one or two resorts on Corfu are considered to be lively and commercialized the majority of the Island remains unspoilt.
It is a great injustice to the Island to claim that it has been spoilt by tourism. The majority of the more commercial areas lie within a short drive from the airport, while most parts of the West, North and South of the island remain relatively untouched by mass tourism. Indeed, the inland areas of the island still view tourism as a relatively remote part of daily life, which carries on as in a bygone era. Farmers can still be seen on the country roads, riding along on their donkeys.

Useful information at a glance

• Population: 110,000
• Visa requirements: None for EU, US, Canada & Australian passport holders. Minimum passport validity is 3 months from the date of entry. Other passport holders please check with your nearest Greek Embassy.
• Health Requirements: None
• Currency: Euro = 100 cents. Major credit cards widely accepted
• Tipping: generally 10%
• Time: GMT +2, EST +7
• Electricity: 220 volts
• Driving: Traffic drives on the right. A valid driving license from your home country is required and the minimum age for renting cars is 18. For your safety we do not recommend moped hire.
• Language: Greek
• Opening Hours: Banks are open 0830-1400 Monday to Friday, shops in tourist resorts are generally open from 0800-2300 every day.

Celebrations and Special Days

In Corfu, as in most of Greece, the vast majority of National days have their roots within the Christian faith. And in Corfu, more so than others the need for the ceremonial is overwhelming (see Music).
The greatest event in Corfu is Easter, for which it attracts thousands of Greeks from the mainland, and for a few days literally doubling the population of the island. It is a beautiful time to be in Corfu both for the interesting religious ceremonies as well as the feasting and celebrations that follow. In the smaller villages away from the tourist areas visitors will cordially be invited to join in the celebrations.
Greek Easter does not normally coincide with the Protestant or Catholic Easter. Celebrations begin during the month of February with the Carnival during which children dress up in fancy dress and run riot in the streets playing. On Shrove Tuesday there is big parade in Corfu Town.
The actual Easter festival begins on Good Friday when sombre processions throughout every village in Corfu, parade through the streets transporting the “body” of Christ from the Cross to its burial site. This is accentuated by the lavishly decorated funeral bier of Christ. In Greece this ceremony is known as the “epitafios”.
On Holy Saturday, the biggest procession of all is found in Corfu Town where starting at St. Spiridon Church the preserved bones of St. Spiridon (the patron saint of Corfu) are paraded round the streets of the Town during a fascinating religious ceremony. St. Spiridon in fact is so revered in Corfu that a very large proportion of the local male population are named after him; hence the name Spyros which is short for Spiridon.
At 11am following the procession, all the narrow streets and alleyways round the Liston and the Old Town, as well as in all the villages are cleared. Large crowds gather in the squares for the custom that is unique to Corfu. At precisely 11am pottery of all sizes ranging from small to huge, filled with water and decorated with red ribbons are hurled from the windows to the streets below. There is no clear explanation as to how this custom has started. Some say that it is a show of anger at the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, while others say that it signifies the attitude that Easter is a time for reflection and the removal of all that we do not like within our household.
At night people holding unlit candles gather round the Churches for the midnight mass that will proclaim the Resurrection of Christ. It is a deeply religious ceremony which continues to be carried out faithfully as it has always been through the centuries. At a few minutes before midnight all lights go out and the only thing lit in the Church is a tiny candle behind the altar (see below). The Priest then proclaims “Defte Lavete Fos”, which means “Come Take the light” thus announcing the Resurrection of Christ and lights the candle held by the person closest to him. In turn each person lights the candle for the person next to them until all the congregation seems like a sea of candles.
The significance of the candle in the altar is that it is transported from Constantinople (Istanbul) which is the official seat of the Greek Christian Church. The light is lit in a ceremony not open to the outside world and is carefully transported round all the churches in Greece.
In Corfu Town, the midnight mass is followed by the most spectacular firework display amidst the cannon fire from the Old Fort, which signifies the return of Jesus.
On Sunday, Greeks do what they do best – celebrate! Families gather together from early morning and feast all day, while in some smaller villages traditions are more carefully observed, which takes the feast to a two day frenzy!

Other festivals worth noting in Corfu during the tourist season are, May 21st which celebrates the unification of the Ionian Islands to Greece in 1864. This is always celebrated with marches, and much pageantry from all the bands. It also coincides with the name day for St Constantine and St Eleni which as they are two of the most common Christian names (Kostas/Costas, Elena/Helena/Helen/Eleni etc) families have the excuse for yet another party.
August 11th is St. Spiridon day (one of four during the year). This commemorates the intervention of the Cypriot born Saint to save the Island from destruction. The casket (pure gold) containing the bones of the saint is paraded round the narrow streets of the Old Town accompanied by some of the many island bands.
Another impressive religious ceremony is held on August 15th and it celebrates the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary. Throughout Greece this is the busiest time of the year as this is when most Greeks take their summer holidays, and rooms anywhere are at a premium.
One of the biggest non-religious celebrations is held on October 28th and it commemorates the one word reply by the then Greek PM, Metaxas, to the Italian ultimatum for unconditional surrender of Greece to the Italian forces in 1940 – “’Ohi”, which means “No”.

Climate

The weather in Corfu is as close to textbook as one can imagine. All four seasons are clearly lived through the year with cool and wet winters, mild and sunny springs, hot summers (save for the odd spectacular thunderstorm), and pleasantly mild autumns.

The weather in July and August is as you would expect hot and sunny, the island is also at its busiest, with families and couples enjoying all the Corfu has to offer. However, Corfu is not all about the hottest part of the year. May and June, are wonderful months to travel to Corfu as the whole island is carpeted with spring flowers and the resorts of course are not as crowded. It is a perfect time to take in the essence of Corfu. Sea temperatures are as high as 20°C and the beaches in the less commercialised areas on the East and West coasts are completely uncrowded.
September, is a firm favourite with Corfu with the sea temperatures as high as 25°C as well as being the season when all the grapes are picked for the staple of Corfiot diet, homemade wine. In most resorts you can watch families going to their small vineyards to pick their grapes, and you may even be asked to help if you are curious enough.
October is notably cooler in comparison to August but still temperatures are higher than some other parts of the Mediterranean and the resorts are quieter.

Excursions

For a small island such as Corfu there is a remarkable large number of excursions to take in addition to the fabulous boat trips which make any Corfu holiday special. The main excursions and sightseeing trips are listed below, and guests of HolidayCorfu.com will receive full directions to all the attractions listed.
Corfu Town or Kerkyra as it is known by its proper Greek name is a delight to explore. The Liston Building is the epicentre of Town life and exploring the old cobbled streets, small squares and alleyways of the Old Town, is a book waiting to be read. The Venetian influence is quite strong especially when one looks at the architecture, while overtones of the French and British occupation of the island are evident throughout. Although the Town itself is not a holiday destination as such, mainly due to the lack of a beach, it is nevertheless a magnet for visitors due to the short driving distance from all resorts. Many of the sightseeing listed below is found within the Town and it is well worth setting aside a full day to explore the delights it has to offer.
St. Spiridon Church is located approximately 300 metres behind the Liston recognised by its distinct red dome and is the most important Church in Corfu. It houses the remains of St. Spiridon, the patron saint of Corfu whose mummified body is encased in a solid silver casket with glass peep holes through which one can see the head and the feet of the saint. The church is said to contain the biggest weight in solid silver than any other church in Greece, save the island of Tinos. St Spiridon was a common shepherd born in Cyprus and he is worshiped by Corfiots as it is believed that he saved the island from famine in the 16th Century, plague in the 17th Century and the Turks during the 18th Century.
Mon Repos Palace was originally the epicentre of an ancient city and once discovered was rebuilt and redesigned first by a Russian and then by a British commissioner. It subsequently passed on to the Greek Royal family and it is here that the Duke of Edinburgh (husband of Queen Elizabeth) was born. After the Greek Royal family was overthrown the palace was turned into a museum by the State.
The Old Fortress was built by the Venetians circa 1550 and it is well worth visiting both because it houses an important collection of Byzantine art, as well as for the original fortification by the Venetians and subsequent improvements made by the British. By climbing to the top of the fortress b y the lighthouse the view over the Town is spectacular to say the least.
One of the most popular attractions of Corfu is the Achillion Palace which looks completely out of place when compared to other buildings of the same age, while at the same time its sheer extravagance (as it was originally built for a holiday home) and beautiful gardens with views of the sea make this an essential visit while in Corfu.
Whether travelling with or without children a visit to one of Corfu’s waterparks is great fun and quite an inexpensive day out. There are two (2) main waterparks of note in Corfu, with the biggest being Aqualand which boasts a vast amount of rides as well as the third (3rd) biggest wave pool in the world! The other waterpark is called Hydropolis and also features a great number of rides. Please ask us for more details.

Other attractions is Corfu include the Ancient City, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Asiatic Art, the Byzantine Museum, Corfu Town Hall, the Monastery of Platitera, New Fortress, and the Palace of St. Michael & St. George.
Boat trips include days out to Paxos & Antipaxos, a day trip to Albania, or trips to Sivota and Parga on the Greek Mainland and beyond.

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