Long Hot Summer

Most folk visiting the Greek island of Kerkyra (or Corfu) will possibly only pay a cursory day visit to Corfu Town to take advantage of the great shopping set amongst glorious Venetian tinged splendour. But they are missing a trick, or more likely they have a very different holiday agenda to our own. For our first visit to Corfu we spent a week in the capital before venturing north to Kassiopi. 

Corfu Town from the New Fortress, Corfu

As such we got time to take in the Venetian, French and British influences and enjoy the European feel of a city that boasts a sophistication that some of it's larger contemporaries would be envious of. This is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of holidaying on Corfu, but it was a very welcome and pleasant surprise.

Corfu Town, Corfu

Corfu Town is bookended by two splendid Venetian fortresses. The old fort exists on a man made island creating the Contrafossa, a moat which channels the sea between the citadel and the mainland. For a small fee you can cross the bridge and explore the complex at your leisure. There are spectacular views of Kerkyra and Garitsa Bay where you can look down on the old town, the city's marinas and lidos and across to the lush green island of Vido which is adjacent to the main Port. You can even see as far as the airport. It's a good place to visit to get a sense of the geography of Corfu Town before you start to explore. It even boasts a small lighthouse which makes your journey to the top of the fortress in the stonking heat all the more worthwhile.

Lighthouse of the Old Fortress, Corfu

Returning to the centre of town you'll walk through the large open green space of the Spianada Square along the famous esplanade which leads you to the impressive Corfu Museum. At any point you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Italy, such is the Venetian influence . But the real jaw dropper is the Liston which was in fact built by the French, inspired by a rue a in Paris. At one time access was restricted to the islands' elite, hence the name of the Aristocrats’ Promenade. Thankfully now anyone can grab a coffee at one of the many cafes hiding among the columns on it's marbled paving.

 Aristocrats’ Promenade, Corfu Town

The shiny marble floors continue winding through the shopper's paradise of Corfu Town. There is something for everyone nestling in the impressive old town arcades and a plethora of great restaurants, but more of the wonderful food later.

Shopping arcade, Corfu Town

If you need some refuge from the bustling old town make a short detour to the British Cemetery, which is a cool, quiet, peaceful haven among the busy heat of Corfu Town. It is a lovely little sanctuary and we even spotted one of the family of tortoises that inhabit the cemetery. It's only a short walk from Georgios Theotokis Square, the main transport hub of the capital that will get you around the island but it might as well be a million miles such is it's detachment from the hectic world around it.

The British Cemetery, Corfu Town

Make sure you take advantage of the free entry and explore the New Venetian Fortress, which you’ll find just beyond the squares of the pleasant Jewish quarter. As with the older citadel the vantage points offer stunning views of the city and beyond.

Venturing away from the centre of Corfu Town, past the Old Fortress is the Bay of Garitsa. The crescent shaped bay is two kilometers of tranquil seafront ending at the Anemomilos Windmill. There you can join the locals in taking a plunge in the Ionian Sea against the backdrop of the rolling hills of the northern Greece and Albanian border. What a civilised way to start your evening! Perfect.

Bay of Garitsa from the Old Fortress, Corfu

Set back on the park areas of the bay are a collection of local restaurants and they are well worth a diversion away from the allure of the old town for a couple of nights at least.

Swimming at the Anemomilos Windmill, Corfu

You can't come to Corfu Town and not check out the monastery at Kanóni which features on almost every promotional photograph celebrating Corfu.

To get there from central Corfu town head to Georgios Theotokis Square and jump on the local 2A bus to the peninsula at Kanóni. It's home to the picture perfect Holy Monastery of Panagia Vlacherna which sits between the the edge of the sea and a lagoon that the island airport runway was built upon.

The monastery at Kanóni, Corfu

It is the iconic Corfu landmark and as such is very popular with tourists. Another draw to this spot are the stunning views of the planes landing at the airport. They literally pass over your head. Grab a beer at one of the bars at the top of the stairs leading down to the bay and marvel at the steady stream of instagrammers posing for the perfect holiday snap.

The runway vantage point at Kanóni, Corfu

Before we leave Corfu Town and head north, the wonderful food of Corfu Town is well worth a mention. The Greek island caters for the vegetarian and carnivore in equal measures. Of course there is the famous Souvlaki (kebab) and Greek salad, but then chuck in butter beans in tomato sauce, aubergine prepared in a myriad of different ways. Burtheto fish stew is fish cooked in a slightly spicy sauce, the fried courgette balls were a revelation and we enjoyed burrata cheese balls to die for. A must is the traditional dish of pastitsada, which is slow cooked beef served with pasta which has a slightly eastern influence as opposed to a typical Italian ragu. We also found most places offer their own house wine in small carafes which is perfectly quaffable.

Corfu Museum, Corfu Town

The one restaurant I would recommend by name is the very local Rouvas Tavern, which is adjacent to the green and white striped town market. We’d seen Rick Stein visiting on one of his travelogues and was very complimentary. I had a Pork Souklavi and it was simply divine. I don’t know what made it special, but it was incredible. A heads up, this restaurant is only open during the day, so make sure you stop in for a hearty, wholesome lunch.

Colourful supermarket, Corfu Town

Next we head to the north of Corfu Island and explore Kassiopi and beyond.