Have you ever dreamed of visiting an island? But not just any island, but a super-cool island. Many islands worldwide are a great attraction to visitors; we’ve heard romantic, marvelous stories on some of them. As a family traveling the world for 18 months now, we’ve had the privilege of visiting several awesome islands. Some in Latin America, some in Southeast Asia, and even took a Mediterranean cruise to see a Mediterranean island, Cyprus.
What Makes a Cool Island?
So, what comes to mind when you think of a cool island? As for me, Olivia, I think of white or golden sand beaches, warm sunny skies, great restaurants, and awesome attractions; let’s not forget the great Pina-Coladas served by some beautiful women wearing next to nothing. So when looking for such an island, you don’t have to look too hard. Most islands, I bet, will give you at least some of the above, and a few others will reveal some unexpected treats. As a teenager (many, many, many years ago) growing up in Israel, I always dreamed of visiting the Mediterranean island of Greece, especially Corfu.
The Greek Mythology Connection
I rather not bore you with the Island’s history, geography, etc., but as we have been teaching our kids on the road the Myths of Greek Mythology, we were thrilled to learn that the Greek name of the Island, Kerkyra or Korkyra, is derived from the two powerful water symbols: Poseidon, god of the sea, and Asopos, an important Greek mainland river. Cool!! Corfu without a doubt, is one of the most beautiful places in Greece. It has vast golden sandy beaches, beautiful landscapes, and many traditional villages. In addition, some great churches, museums, and resorts. One of the things that we love about islands has always been the clean air breeze, the open space, and the unique culture of that spot. All three can be found in Corfu. If you want to find more info about it, I suggest going to the Directline-holidays Corfu page.
The Attractions of Corfu
Considering that Corfu was one of the first islands opened to tourism, it has a lot to offer its visitors. Here are very few of what the Island will reveal to you if you happen to visit:
The Island’s Main Town
The main port of Corfu is the largest in the Ionian Islands. It is one of the most elegant and impressive towns in Greece, and every civilization that once occupied the Island, such as the Venetians, the French, and the English, has left some architectural elements. It is a town of unique charm and character, which reminds you of other towns such as Naples.
The Beautiful Beaches
As I mentioned earlier, the Island of Corfu has some of the Ionian’s most beautiful beaches. One can find a great variety of beaches all around the Island. Unfortunately, considering the fact that we love budget travel, most of them have been turned into resorts offering many accommodations, restaurants, and bars. The nice thing is that regardless of the massive tourism, most beaches can be found clean and welcoming.</p>
Accommodations
In addition to the obvious service, Corfu’s hotels are a place to find tons of information about the Island. It proposes a large range of hotels, apartments, rooms, villas, etc..… as well as much general information about the Island. No doubt the prices vary and can meet your budget. If you like spending more and getting luxurious service, any resort will meet your needs. On the other hand, if you are like us and wish to travel super economically, I suggest you enter TripAdvisor and look for cheaper deals. You will often find a much better deal using advanced online reservations rather than walking in.
Getting There
There are several ways to access the Island. The most common methods are by air and sea. There are daily flights to Corfu in and out of the Island. If you’re flying from Athens, there are several flights a day. The trip takes about an hour and costs around 120€-150€. The other method is by ferry. There are ferries every hour to and from Igoumounitsa on the mainland, which is about an hour away. Most people get to Corfu by coming from Brindisi, Bari, Ancona, Trieste, or Venice in Italy. The trip from Brindisi is about 9 hours. Ancona is about 16 hours, and Venice around 30 hours. There are several different ferry lines that compete.
Things to See
Here is our best list from what we have found. We’ve not yet been there; we don’t know if and when we will hit Europe at all (expensive!), but we’ve always been into dreaming, so join us as we dream about Corfu.
As usual, some of the attractions will appeal to you more than others, so we suggest you do your homework before arriving.
- Mount Pantokrator – Mt Pantokrator dominates the Northern part of the Island and is over 1000 meters high.
- Aqualand – especially if you travel with kids as we do, this is the best place to chill. Although Corfu has several water parks, this one is the largest.
- Paleokastritsa – It is famous for being the Island’s most treasured beauty spot and becomes busy with day trippers throughout the season.
- Achillion Palace – The Palace is a place to take your camera. This beautiful building in picturesque gardens overlooking the sea and Corfu town is one of Corfu’s top attractions.
- Greek Nights – Although some of them are too touristic, many say that no Greek holiday is complete without a ‘Greek night’.
- Local Greek Festivals – There are many local festivals or ‘Paniyiris’ during the summer. Everyone is invited!
And so, we’re dreaming. Occasionally we’ll post those dream spots. Do you have any that make you drool? Let us know.
Bon Voyage!
