Activities
There is so much to do in and around Corfu Town:
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Visiting Kanoni – The Mon Repos Mansion – the holiday home of the Greek royal family where Prince Philip was born
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Pontikonisi (also known as Mouse Island) because it is so tiny – the whitewashed monastery that has graced so many of Corfu’s postcards
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Vidos Island – apparently coveted by Paul McCartney who had offered to buy it but was turned down
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The Old and New Forts
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The Church of St Spiridon in the heart of the old town of Corfu. St Spiridon is the patron saint of Corfu. His mummified body rests in the church and is a place of pilgrimage of Greek Orthodox Christians. On Corfu Spiros is a very common male name and Spiridoula is a common female name.
Further afield:
Climate
Corfu has hot dry summers and rainy winters. The hottests months are July and August with temeratures ranging from about 28-33 degrees Centigrade but can be much hotter. June and September are a little cooler with temperatures typically from about 26- 31. October can be wonderful on Corfu with the sea still wrm enough for swimming but can also be prone to some rain.
The main rainy months are November and December and the weather from January to April can be moody interspersed with warm sunny days.
May is a delight, it is as though everything has suddenly sprung to life with almost every flower in bloom; the hillsides are aflame with the bright yellow flowers of the wild broom bushes and in the villages the lilac trees breathe out their intoxicating aromas.
Eating Out
The bars restaurants and tavernas in and around Corfu are just too numerous and all worth mentioning. Really it would be unfair to name some above others but here is a selection:
Tripa in Kinopiastes – a traditional, Greek tavern with its traditional Greek cuisine. It has a rich and colourful past with many polititans, actors and celebrities eating there.
The fish restaurants opposite the New Port – there are three or four of these all in traditional Corfu style serving simply cooked but totally fresh fish, simple wines including some of the best Retsina on Corfu. Salads, wild rocket, courgettes fried or boiled and everything that is wholesome and full of flavour. I’m sure Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver would thoroughly approve.
Gyros shops – Make sure that you have at least one gyros before you leave Corfu. Some of the shops are barely more than a kiosk – this is the best fast food imaginable. Some of the shops do have a few tables.
Getting Around
The main Corfu bus station by the port. Buses from here go all over Corfu and you can reach villages in the north such as Kassiopi and in the south.
From the Corfu bus station you can get to the mainland too. He bus takes passengers to the ferry port and then from Igoumenitsa to several mainland destination such as Salonika, Preveza, Parga, Athens.
Taxis are plentiful but check tariffs with each driver first.
From the port there are international ferry lines and ferries to Igoumenitsa. There are also day trips to Paxos and Parga.
Kids Attractions
Aqualand - one of the most exciting waterparks in Europe
Language
Greek is spoken on Corfu.
Useful Greek words you can try out on your holiday to Corfu:
Yia sou* – hello (to one person)
Yia sas* – hello (to more than one person)
*It is the same phrase for hello and goodbye as it means ‘health to you’
Yia mas – cheers (our health)
Efharisto – thank you
Parakalo - please
Pou eene i paralia? – where is the beach?
Pou eene o fournos? – where is the bakery?
Ti kanis? – how are you?
Kala efharisto – well, thank you
Mia birra parakalo – a beer please
Ena boukali krasi, parakalo – a bottle of wine please
Ena boukali kokkino krasi, parakalo – a bottle of red wine please
Lefko - white
Thio bires parakalo – two beers please (the ‘th’ is pronounce as in ‘there’)
Money
The Euro is the currency of Greece
Night Life
Within Corfu Town the nightlife is mainly bars, Just outside Corfu Town, on what is known as the Commercial Strip or in Greek, Emporico Kentro, there are a number of exciting clubs and lively bars.
Shopping
Corfu shopping is an enriching experience. It is impossible to imagine another place that has so many boutiques, jewellers, leather goods shops, souvenir shops in one area. Another significant aspect of shopping in Corfu Town is that most of the shops are familiy run and suppiers tend to be independent designers, whether for clothes, bags or shoes. Jewellery shops too are usually also workshops - the outcome is that there is so much that is totally unique to each individual shop and that amounts to an awful lot of choice.
It may be strange at first to see a greengrocer next to a stylish boutique of a fish-monger next to a bookshop or even a hardwardware store next to a stylish cafe but there we are, this is how it is in Cofru Town. A place of contrast, always buzzing, so cheerful and vibrant.
Time
Corfu is two hours ahead of GMT