Thanks to the proliferation of streaming platforms, movies and series are becoming the best ambassadors of certain destinations . Corfu is one of those that have been involved in the fever of this type of tourism. Since the premiere british series The Durrells , many tourists have chosen the Ionian island for their vacations.
But Corfu already had another golden age in the 60s , especially among backpackers, after the publication of My family and other animals, book by Gerald Durrell in which the series is inspired and which is followed by two others (Bugs and other relatives and The Garden of the Gods) and which are once again a bestseller thanks to the series.
From Alianza Editorial they have even released a case of the autobiographical trilogy with which the followers of this atypical family can laugh and get emotional thanks to their stories full of occurrences, because Who hasn't wanted to live in the daffodil-colored villa facing the sea and explore the island with the youngest of the Durrells?
The Durrell family home in the television series: Villa Posillipo.
Since this is no longer possible, at least we have to travel in time through the four seasons of the series which, with excellent photography, enhances the Greek landscapes and the calm waters that bathe them (available at Movistar Pus and Filmin) or through the detailed descriptions in which the naturalist and writer records his love for animals, reflected even in the well-chosen titles of the books.
Likewise, there is a 1987 BBC series and a film of 2005 based on the books. Entertaining ways to travel to 1935 , moment in which the brothers Lawrence (Larry), Leslie, Margo and Gerald (Gerry), unconditionally supported by their widowed mother, They settled on the island fleeing the English conventionalism and the country's bad weather.
For our part, we wanted to go beyond Gerald's words and the images in the series, and travel to Corfu in search of the places where all those stories unfold , funny as well as adventurous, to be a little part of them.
A TRIP TO CORFU
We also reach Corfu by sea, but crossing the channel that connects the island with the Albanian city of Sarande instead of doing it by the heel of Italy as the Durrells did. However, the image of the rugged and arid landscape of Albania against the green hills of Greece was the first thing that caught our attention.
The next picture that took hold of our retinas arriving at the port was that of Corfu town with its colorful Venetian houses climbing towards the castle . A panorama similar to the one that usually appears in the first chapters of the series to give rise to the scenes shot in the capital of the island, although from a different perspective.
Corfu streets.
The emotion of feeling closer and closer to the Corfu that we had imagined so much, with transparent waters and olive groves, intoxicated us at that moment. And it is that the Corfu of the Durrells is still latent in so many places... It is clear that It's not the same wild Corfu , but, as Lawrence Durrell points out in the prologue to My Family and Other Animals, "for the twelve-year-old Gerald, ancient Greece doesn't exist either." And so we are all left with a different bit of history.
THE HOTEL OF THE FANS OF THE SERIES
The place chosen to explore the scenes of the crazy family is the Grecotel Corfu Imperial, a five-star hotel – the first to become luxury on the island. located on a peninsula in Kommeno Bay , where some of the actors stayed during filming.
With 40 years of history, they are several personalities that have stayed within its walls to relax in its Italian-style gardens and in the pools that extend to its three private beaches.
Now, the followers of the series choose him for his services , which honor its stately past, its exquisite restaurants in different settings where you can enjoy a different dinner every day but always with views of the sea and, especially, because of the possibilities it offers to bring the Durrell settings closer in a very special way. and exclusive.
Grecotel Imperial Corfu.
It is inevitable that emotion invades us before the bay in which it settles. Views to get carried away to the Corfu of the 30s with the background sound of crickets at night and cicadas during the day. Although perhaps the most spectacular is his picturesque location, very close to the house used in the series and to which the hotel organizes boat trips.
Another of the main scenes of the series is Danilia Villa, a reproduction of early 20th century Corfu with narrow streets and buildings in pastel tones, which was inaugurated in 1977 as theme park until he went bankrupt. The Grecotel group acquired it in 2004 and has kept it as a true oasis in which to travel to the past.
As soon as you enter it you can see that it is a unique place. Despite not being inspired by any specific street in Corfu, keeps all the Venetian essence of the capital , with small shops that were opened to sell objects of the time. Old posters still hang from its facades. In addition to the original objects, Danilia keeps others used in the series, such as a fire engine, although the one that stands out the most is a 17th century oil mill.
There is also a church with its tower in the main square, one of the most filmed spaces in the series. Above a typical tavern, which does not lack its old cash register, there is a small folklore museum that exhibits farm pieces and a reproduction of a traditional house, another point to delve into Corfiot life of the time. The entrance to this house represents in the series the first home to which Larry, the eldest of the Durrells, becomes independent.
The church of Danilia Villa.
Although previously It had already been shot in Danilia Villa Only for your eyes of the James Bond saga, no one had shown any interest in visiting the villa until fans of the series staying at the hotel learned of its existence. "We wanted to share this special place with our clients," Maria Theodoraki, the hotel's public relations officer, told Condé Nast Traveler.
"We want Danilia to retain its charm, so we have no plans to open it to the public" she adds she proudly informing us that they also organize events and weddings . "The bride and groom get married in the small church and then dine with their guests at a long table set up on the main street." Also, a Greek cuisine restaurant is scheduled to open in 2022 aimed solely at Grecotel guests with the firm intention of continuing to preserve the place.
SAILING TO THE DURRELL HOMES
Grecotel Corfu Imperial has a small dock from which they organize boat trips (from 33 euros for groups or from 200 in the case of private outings). The most popular route in recent years is the one to Villa Posillipo, the Durrell's house in the series, a route that recalls the family outings to the sea. The house belongs to an entrepreneur but is in disuse, which is why only the exterior scenes were shot in it , while the interiors were filmed in a London studio.
From the boat, the dilapidated building is reflected in the water multiplying the calm of the Kontokali bay . In its surroundings, some followers of the series take photos remembering the points in which each member of the English family gives free rein to their favorite activities.
The house the Durrells actually lived in during most of your stay in Corfu it is a bit higher up and not easy to see, as hides behind a high wall among olive trees , as Gerald describes in My Family and Other Animals.
In front of both residences, the islet of Lazareto is another of the family's adventure scenarios , a place where Margo makes an escape to cure her lovesickness or where Gerry goes in search of animals.
Lazaretto Island.
Our route continues between a limestone coast full of vegetation and emerald waters that turn blue when the sun penetrates them. So we sail in front of Vido, an island that was used as a prison in the 30s and from which comes the convict fisherman Kosti, one of Gerry's quirky friends whom he gives to the gabion Alecko.
From there we set course for Kalami, further north, to reach the Villa Blanca . According to Gerald Durrell's books, the family lived in several different houses during their time in Corfu : Villa Agazini or Strawberry Color, as Gerald calls it, located in Perama; Villa Anemmoyani or Color Narciso, near the coast that we have just visited; and Villa Blanca, the only one that can be visited.
Larry and his wife Nancy moved to the latter (in Gerald's books, her brother lived with the family), and Gerald returned her memories of her 30 years later. How wonderful to be able to go back to where you were happy as a child to recover memories and write about them!
White Villa.
On one side of the kalami beach , the immaculate building, decorated with figures of animals, houses a restaurant in which pictures of the family are displayed . "We are proud that our visitors can feel the freedom that Lawrence Durrell felt in this house," acknowledges Daria Athinaios, co-owner of the restaurant. There is also a space dedicated to merchandise and an extensive Durrell bookstore in which to get hold of the most curious books such as: What happened to Margo? Did you know that Margaret Durrell also wrote about her life years later?
From house to house along the coast of Corfu.
The owners live on the second floor of the house , grandchildren of the man who rented the property from the Durrells. While in the third, added later, there is an apartment (€600/night) that functions as a small museum when no one is staying there (€3 admission). Visiting it is becoming more and more complicated, because the demand for the apartment does not stop increasing , although what is possible is to make a visit to its virtual museum through the website. "Lawrence's chair is my favorite spot in the house," confesses Daria.
This house does not appear in the series , on the other hand, another located in the next cove to the north does. Specifically, the Kouloura Tavern, an idyllic space to taste Greek gastronomy that in the series is the second house to which Larry becomes independent.
CORFU TOWN
Old facades and green shutters cover the lively atmosphere of the city of Corfu, where its old Venetian fortress is shown as an impressive stone ship in which the past of the city has run aground . In front of her is Spianada, one of the largest urban squares in Greece. Few know that it was a cricket ground, a legacy of British rule. In fact, one of the scenes in the series was shot in another field.
between the narrow small stone streets of the center, as full of cats as Gerald Durrell's novels show, the Jewish quarter is located, where Gerald attends to give French classes with the Belgian consul. Very close is also the Cathedral of Saint Spiridon, the most important saint on the island.
Located in front of a store with images of the saint mixed with souvenirs, the cathedral is still a place to venerate the saint and even keep kissing his feet, fact that not even the chapter in which Gerry tells how his sister gets the flu in that act, is avoided in times of pandemic.
Further from the center, The Durrells Spot has been located since 2019, a store also run by Daria Athinaios that sells souvenirs and a wide collection of Durrell books published around the world.
OTHER DURRELL SCENARIOS
In the series The Durrells there are not too many locations, but in My family and other animals mention is made of various places on the island that are worth a visit. One of them is the Antioniti lagoon or “the lake of the lilies”, where Gerald went in search of native fauna or to have picnics with the rest of his family. Further on, the sandy beach of Agios Spiridon is today more of an oasis than the lake.
Following the north coast of the island we reach the spectacular cliffs of Akra Drastis , image used in the most melancholic scenes of the series.
Akra Drasti.
The Mon Repos Palace, located very close to some ancient Roman baths , was the summer residence of the Greek royal family and the birthplace of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In the series it is the house of Countess Mavrodaki, character who appears in the first season. Currently the palace is a wonderful archaeological museum.
The Strawberry Villa, located south of Corfu Town, appears only in the books and is the Durrells' first home on the island. It was impossible for us to find it because it is located surrounded by new constructions.
In front of her stretches the sea, on which floats Mouse Island (Pondikonissi), mentioned in Animals, bugs and other relatives. Corfu airport is located in front of it. Seeing planes land takes us completely away from that Corfu that the Durrells enjoyed and shared through their books, but it is precisely at this magical point of planes that we can almost touch, where our journey continues towards a new chapter, a new happy place.
There, before the Corfu channel guarded by the mountains of Albania and the Venetian salt flats that Gerald Durrell baptized as “chess fields”.
Mouse Island.