Corfu, the gateway to Venice
How could it be otherwise, this third installment of our trip to the most serene Republic of Venice , is influenced by the summer heat. We opted for one of the most beach destinations in the old republic: Corfu. In Greek, Korkyra.
Corfu is one of the **Greek islands** that we can find in the Ionian sea. It is located in front of Albanian , almost touching the Adriatic.
Against the white of the Cyclades, Corfu risks everything to green and blue
The first thing one thinks of when arriving at this island paradise is how far removed it is from the classic Cycladic stereotype, with its white houses and rather bare landscapes. Here things are different. They are leafy, green, blue and splashed with the colors of the fruits. Orange, cypress and olive trees stretch across Corfu. Panorama that, of course, is repeated in the other Ionian Islands: Kefalonia, Zakynthus, Paxos...
The island can be **reached by plane from Athens** and even, some days of the week, on **direct flights from Barcelona or Madrid** operated by Vueling, Iberia or Ryanair. It is also possible to get by ferry from Igoumenitsa , on the peninsula, or from Paxos. ANEK lines also has ferries that connect with Bari, in Italy. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Italian tourism abounds.
The capital and main city of the island, It is located in the middle of the eastern coast and bears the same name: Corfu. To be precise, it is likely that this was the one who gave the name to the entire island, since the meaning of Corfu in Greek is 'peaks' and refers to the two mounds within the city.
Both are crowned by paths fortresses built by the Venetians. The new and the old. Well, the oldest one was actually rebuilt and enlarged by them, since existed since the 6th century, when the Byzantines built it.
It will be essential to pass through the capital during our visit. Not only because the port and the airport are there, but because its cultural and architectural richness.
panoramic view of the city
After a Venetian domination of almost 400 years, from 1401 to 1797, the imprint left on Corfu by the serene republic is indisputable. We can verify it with a simple walk through its historic center, sandwiched between the two fortresses. in its streets Venetian buildings will alternate with neoclassical constructions made by the British some time later.
An exception to this rule can be found precisely in one of the most remarkable places in the historic city: the Liston, where it is obligatory to sit down and have a coffee. It's about a beautiful boardwalk elegantly escorted by large arcades that, together with its classic lanterns, give the street a beautiful Parisian look. And it is not for less, well was built during a brief French period, in which the island had been handed over to Napoléon after signing the Campofrío treaties. this ride is the spitting image of rue Rivoli in Paris. Identical.
During the Venetian domination of the island, it was considered as the door of Venice. It was named like this because whoever wanted to navigate the waters of the Adriatic should pass off her coast. Whoever crossed this bastion would literally be entering Venice.
However, this never happened. On five occasions the Ottomans tried. All five times they failed. The fortresses of the capital were certainly impregnable and fulfilled their mission of protecting the entrance to the Adriatic.
We are then left to talk about beaches, hotels, food and books. We will be brief.
Porto Timoni
As to take a good swim on a beautiful beach , we are not going to have a problem because we will be surrounded by them. It is said that some of the prettiest are in the West. It may be true, there many small coves of pebbles with a certain resemblance to the Costa Brava. Some of them can only be accessed by boat or after a good excursion. It is the case of the double beach of Porto Timoni, which can be reached on foot from the village of Afionas in no more than 20 minutes.
Another outstanding beach, in this case in the northeast, leads us directly to the books. In the kalami cove it's found the durrell white house . As Xavier Moret explains in Greece, Autumn Trip , the current owner of the house, Tassos, confessed that the Durrells rented there between 1935 and 1939, but that it was never his, because it belonged to his grandfather.
At this point we recommend reading, during the trip to the island, some of the books that make up the Gerald Durrell's Corfu Trilogy , especially My family and other animals.
Since we fully enter the hotel section, it would not be bad to spend a night in the aforementioned white house of the Durrell and, even, eat in his restaurant, just 20 centimeters from the water.
Returning to the city of Corfu, we must note that, like many other coastal towns in the Mediterranean, in August the season is, more than high, very high. There are a lot of people and the prices are not low. September is a much calmer month and just as sunny.
The Durrell White House
Still we will recommend two nice hotels for two types of budget. On the one hand, the Siora Vittoria with rooms for about 200 euros a night , with breakfast included and a truly spectacular place. The location of this is very central.
30 minutes walking to the outskirts we have the Folies Corfu , a series of apartments with balcony, swimming pool and bar. Something more typical of Greece, and Prices start from €85 for two people.
As for restaurants -and to make it clear that we are talking about the very serene Republic of Venice- we will go to the Venetian Well . Idyllic.