Calm and peaceful Corfu

#seascapes #100waysoftravel Corfu is the second largest Ionian island ( which means you can't get bored there- so many things to see ) and the 'greenest' Greek island with lush vegetation and nearly 4 million olive-trees! The unique scent of citrus, ever-greens, palm, and olive-trees is one you can hardly find anywhere else. Depending on what you like, there are rocky and pebbly beaches to the north and east, and beautiful sandy- beaches to the south and west of the island! (Glyfada on the west coast is the most popular sandy beach, especially with twentysomethings, lots of fun there...). Corfu is big enough for everyone to find their own piece of beach... so you'll have your privacy wherever you go! I'd recommend you rent a private apartment rather than a hotel room, because they're much more private. Ours faced the sea, and it was nestled in the middle of an olive grove. The apartment with terrace, mini-kitchen and bathroom was in Barbati (a beautiful little village near Corfu town) We were able to save money by preparing meals at the apartment and even had romantic dinners on our terrace. The place that left the strongest impression on us was Kassiopi, a town to the north-east, where we got our diver's certification. It's a really charming little town, with magnificent beaches, so many good restaurants and interesting (but not too noisy) night-life ... so you'll have everything you need there. If you want real noisy night-life the best place to go is Kavos on the south end of the island. Corfu town (Kerkyra) definitely has the most attractions and stunning sights due to it's 2000 year history, and it's role today as capital city of the Ionian islands. It's an old city with little squares, old Venetian houses, marvelous churches. The many galleries and Italian-style cafes will leave you breathless! Two fortresses dating from the 15th century and the main city square known as Liston are the most popular tourist spots. But, Corfu town has no decent beaches, so Corfiots themselves go to other beaches near the city. You can rent a scooter or a car for a reasonable price and explore the island yourself! You'd be surprised how many curiosities Corfu hides in every one of its nooks! Because of it's position Corfu has always been the target of the world's most known conquerors: Roman and Byzantine empires, Turks, Venetians, France and Great Britain. Each leaving a trace of their culture here, so it's not surprising that Corfu is often called 'Mediterranean little Europe'. From ancient temples, Byzantine churches, Venetian fortresses (there are still four of them) to the magnificent, residential buildings you would expect to see in Venice or Paris! The most fascinating was the palace of Austrian Empress Sissi dating from the 19. century. It's located in a little village of Gastouri, about 6 miles south from Corfu town. Words can hardly describe the beauty of this palace and it's paradise gardens. It's something you've got to see!!!