CORFU TRAVEL GUIDE

Corfu Town has been around since the 8th century BCE when the Phoenicians used it as an important commercial centre. It used to be called Paleopolis, and the Mon Repos Palace is right next to some of the original ruins. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, Corfu was ruled by the Venetians. Because of this, the town has a lot of Venetian architecture, like pastel-coloured buildings, iron fencing, cobblestone streets, and wooden shutters. It's a nice place to take a walk and learn about history.

Nymphs, goddesses of nature, bathed in 200-metre-high waterfalls near this village, according to Greek myth. Just north of town, you can see the waterfalls and the ruins of a small, old monastery called Askitario. In the year 500, a monk named Artemios Paissios lived here by himself. He once had a feeling that his parents were coming to get him, so he dug a grave and laid down in it. A boulder then rolled over him. When his parents tried to dig him out, it seemed that the boulder had caught fire. The village is 33 kilometres (20 miles) north of Corfu Town and can be reached by car in just under an hour.

Aqualand is a fun water park that is good for the whole family. It has 15 rides and attractions about water, like slides, pools, and rivers. It's a little cheesy, but it's fun if you're with kids, and it gives you something different to do after a few days at the beach or exploring ruins. Access for a full day costs 33 EUR (30 EUR if you book online), and access for two days costs 55 EUR (50 EUR if you book online).

The Corfu Trail is a 150-kilometre (93-mile) journey that starts in the south of the island and ends at its northernmost point. It's a pretty easy hike that takes you through hills, mountains, lakes, lagoons, monasteries, and small towns. There are lots of signs to help you find your way. It's a great way to see Corfu outside the resorts, and there are plenty of places to stay along the way (or you can camp out). Since it has ten steps, most people do it over ten days.

Corfu is a great place to sail because the water is calm, and the weather is always warm. There are a lot of companies that offer charter trips, and many of them include lunch and open bars. Some hostels also have party boats that run all day. The most affordable day sails are around 30 euros per person.

The Ionian Bank started this coin museum in Corfu Town. It has displays of coins, stamps, bank documents, books, and foreign banknotes from the last two hundred years. The most interesting thing in the museum is a 100-billion-drachma note from 1944, which is the biggest bill ever made. There is no charge.

Corfu is only 585 square kilometres, but there are more than 4 million olive trees there. Olive oil has always been a big part of Greek culture and tradition, and a tasting tour is a great way to find out how this important food is made. Corfu Olive Tours offers a behind-the-scenes tour of olive groves and old mills where you can learn everything there is to know about olive oil. You can also try out some samples. A tour that lasts 1 hour costs 15 EUR, while a 3-hour tour costs 40 EUR.

This museum has statues, funeral offerings, pottery, and gold jewellery that are very old and come from all over the island. The most famous piece is the huge pediment from the temple of Artemis. It depicts Gorgon, a Greek mythological monster who lived in the underworld. It was built in 590 BCE, which makes it the oldest stone pediment in Greece. The stone lion of Menecrates and a limestone pediment from a temple to Dionysus are also very interesting. It costs 6 euros to get in.

On its own tiny island, Corfu's eastern side is this beautiful monastery with white walls. The fact that you can only get there on foot adds to its charm. Since 1980, it has been no longer a monastery. Instead, it is used as a church for celebrations, a tourist attraction, and even a filming location, most notably for the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only. Since it used to be a monastery, the inside is pretty simple, and the best thing about it is the view of the bay and the building itself. There is no charge. You can also take a boat for 2.5 euros and 5 minutes to get to Mouse Island, which is close to the monastery. Mouse Island is a small, quiet island with a church from the 1300s and a cafe.

Angelokastro is one of the most important Byzantine castles. It is near Paleokastritsa and is high on cliffs that go down to the water. This 13th-century fortress kept the island safe from invaders for hundreds of years, even though it was attacked and besieged many times. The castle has fallen apart over time, and most of it is in ruins now. But the views from the top are truly breathtaking. At the top, there are also some other interesting things, like a hermitage from the 18th century, graves carved out of the rock to look like people, and a small church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The castle costs 3 euros to get into.