A Magic Summer Spent in Corfu, Greece

A nostalgic look back at the summer spent on the Island

Corfu Island, the big sister of the Ionian Islands, as the locals like to call it, will make you fall in love with the Greek culture, their delicious plates and the sapphire sea. Once you have been there you will have to go again cause 'Greece is the country that offers you the discovery of yourself ' - Lawrence Durrell.

The Island is located on the Northwest coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea, pretty close to Italy. The legend says that if you go on the most northern point of the Island, climb the highest hill up there and bring your best binocular you will then be able to see the Italian coast. This is how close they are. Obviously, I and my friends we've tried this (without binoculars tho) and we've seen some land far far away on the horizon. We couldn't tell if that was Italy or just some other tiny Greek Islands (Platia, Othonoi, Ereikoussa). Next time we'll have to bring a local with us for more explanation. 

Summer in Corfu is not extremely arid. You get to see some rain if you live there from June to October like we did. Winter is mostly clouded and windy. Corfu has got mountains and forests. From enjoying the view from the top of a hill in half an hour drive you can get straight down to the beach on any side of the Island.

There are various ways to get to Corfu. We landed there in June on their small but beautiful modern airport which is situated on a walking distance to Corfu Town (Kerkira) the capital city. From Corfu Town, you can jump on a bus to literally any village on the Island. Using Google Maps you can actually check how far your village is and you can always book a taxi.

On the way back we allowed ourselves about 24 hours of travel. You pay the ticket from Corfu Town to Athens and jump on the coach. They will give you a full last tour of the city, so they can put some tears in your eyes and make you wanna come back. The coach gets on the massive cruise and after that, they politely invite you to step on the very front of the cruise, have a drink and enjoy your next 8-9 hours on the way to continental Greece, port of Igoumenitsa. 

We have chosen to take this trip over the night so we left Corfu at 9 pm and by 6 am the next day we arrived on Igoumenitsa ready for another 5 hours on the coach to Athens. The night spent on the cruise was magnificent, warm and quiet. 

Top 6 things to try in Corfu

Corfu Town it's a blast of little local markets, coffee places, pubs, bars and restaurants not to forget the high street merchandisers of clothes, jewellery, makeup, tech and food.

First night spent in Corfu Town it was sleepless for a group of five random students who just arrived for the first time on the Ionic Island. The lack of sleep was not caused by mosquitos nor was because of the loud music you could hear on the open bars around the city. It definitely was because of the excitement you could read in the eyes of your friends. The adventure of a lifetime just began for us and that summer, we just stepped into, was about to change our lives forever.

Next morning was finding us ready to fill our cameras with photos and our hearts with memories. We took everything that Corfu offered us that summer. I put together a list of 6 things to try in Corfu and I was very picky otherwise my list would have been endless.

1. The old Fortress of the City

In case you get lost in Corfu Town, somehow you will end up on the Old Fortress. There's no need for a map you will get there with the flow. You can also find yourself in this situation several times before realising what is actually happening, it's hilarious I promise! 

There is no need to get into historical debates and details about the origin of this marvellous fortress. All it worths knowing is that over the centuries the Island belonged to the Republic of Venice, France, United Kingdom and finally to modern Greece, because you're able to see a mixture of styles and influences on the Fortress's architecture. A 'little younger' but dating from the same 16th century it's the new Fortress of Corfu that it worths visiting. 

Today this part of the city it offers you spectacular views, great museums, endless walking paths and parks, a variety of traditional restaurants, cold beer and ice coffee. You can easily spend a day enjoying the beauties of both Fortresses of Corfu Town.

2. Halikounas beach

You probably haven't heard of this beach neither have I until that summer. A very friendly bartender told me: 'You should try that beach!' and I've learnt one thing. When some locals recommend you something, you should certainly try it, cause most of the time that place/thing will look a thousand times better than they manage to describe it.

So jump on a bus cause Halikounas beach is about 15 miles South of Corfu town and don't get scared when you get there. It looks like a desert. It is a huge wild beach and it lacks any kind of tourist facilities. If you're a fan of fancy sunbeds, umbrellas and loud music, this beach it's not for you, go find one anywhere on the island it is plenty of them. If you don't mind carrying your beach rug, towels and books with you, by all means, spend a day on Halikounas beach. I promise it's just going to be you, probably another few lucky folks, the golden sand and unreal endless blue water. 

3. Souvenir / gift / speciality shops

For this sort of experience, you don't need to walk on a specific side of the island. Once you've left the old Fortress, everyone will try to sell you something. Don't get me wrong anybody will approach you and put some product in your hands in an exchange of a few euros, no.  But every single little narrow street of Corfu town will host a few souvenir shops.

I have only one piece of advice for you: Do not buy from the first you see, wait until you find at least 94.596 other little shops. Oh dear! Where should I start? Clothes, shoes, jewellery, food, tobacco and smokes, alcohol, postcards, magnets, pottery, handmade-everything (very high quality), maps, books, candies and cookies and many more. 

4. Aqualand

As I recommended you Halikounas beach you can tell I am not a big fan of adrenaline but my friends dragged me to Aqualand and I regret nothing. 

Aqualand is located near Agios Ioannis village which means about 3.5 miles from Corfu town. You can pedal a bike down there but after spending the day on Aqualand you definitely cannot pedal back to Corfu town.

Let me put it like this. You paid for your ticket and you're in and you wonder yourself: 'Hmm... what should I try in here?' You see age restriction 4 on some specific slides 'That's for children!' age restriction 8 'Teenagers!' and something catches your eyes free fall slide - age restriction 12 'That's it! I'm in!'. I promise you it takes your breath away and you need a minute after that. There is also a pirate-themed mini slide with age restriction 12 that worth trying. 

Besides that, because they care about your level of adrenaline and they want you to come back, Aqualand also offers you a variety of bars and restaurants that will help you catch your breath when you're done trying crazy things. Many thanks to the team that makes that place work and care about your safety!

5. Paid tours and trips anywhere on the island

In exchange for a few euros (starting €10 and going up to how much you're willing to pay) you will be able to jump on a bus, cruise, boat, private car, on the back of a horse or pedalling a bike allow yourself to discover the beauty of Corfu. You will have a guide on every step of your trip offering you the necessary explanation. It is usually a local guide that can't wait for you to put your hand up and ask!

We picked Kalypso Boat for a few hours of getting to know better the undersea world. They have experienced divers that brings on your window some of the strangest forms of sea life. From touching a starfish, an octopus or a lobster to a little marine park where you can admire sea lions kissing each other and jumping around for you to be able to capture the best shots. 

One thing to try and I highly recommend is scuba diving. You will never be able to experience the undersea world better than on a Greek Island. For your peace of mind, there are no deadly poisonous jellyfish or sharks that could eat you alive. Obviously, there are better places to experience scuba diving, nothing compares to famous Micronesia, Yongola (Australia), Hawaii or Belize but since we are on the old continent, Greek undersea world will stay on top of the list. 

6. Nightlife

Ohh Corfu, how we miss the sleepless nights you offered us!

When you first get there and ask the locals 'Where should we go first?' They will look at you and smile then saying out loud: 'Kavos!' We took the advice and we made it to Kavos.

Rented car, responsible (at least two) drivers, fancy dressed but no high heels for the girls and Kavos 'we're coming up so you better get the party started!'

Kavos village is located about 27 miles from Corfu town on the Southern coast of the island and it's famous for its loud parties. It's the place that doesn't sleep in the summer and is regarded as the top destination for British tourists. It's not the place you go to try the local cuisine or the best beach nor is famous for their luxury family friendly hotels or spa, but the place you go to party hard. You go there for the best pool gatherings, exquisite cocktails, foam parties, helium balloons and the rest is history. 

Tip: You should never accept a drink or a smoke from anyone in  Kavos unless they give you a receipt for it. It is dangerous and easy to take some serious drugs during a night in Kavos. We have been lucky enough to have my baby brother staying sobber the full night because he was our driver back home. He really took care of us all. That's what brothers are for! Thank you!

Other than Kavos you will find a few bars in every single village of the island. We particularly loved 54 Dreamy Nights in Corfu town plus Quatro Summer and Sea One in Agios Georgios South. They all have friendly staff, high-class customer service, delicious drinks, affordable prices and great location.

In case you don't wanna party hard but you could use a few drinks after a long hot day of whatever you did (shopping/beach/walks) you're definitely going in Agios Gordis village and ask about The Lemon Tree cocktail bar. It is not easy to find (a Greek colleague told me about this place) but trusts me you will get there.

It's a chilled place where you can sit down and enjoy your drinks listening to your favourite tunes. Since it's a family business owned by 4 siblings you can actually meet there, the customer service it's exceptional. 

Funny fact: They do have a lemon tree growing in their open-air bar so they will use fresh lemons for your drinks. So the name is well worthed.

The atmosphere is magic and you just wanna stay there for the rest of your life. And when they 'kick you out' at 6 in the morning you just need to walk down a few streets and you will end up on the beach. Enjoy watching the sunrise! You just made some memories!

We started like this

And we ended our summer like this

Photo gallery