Description

The island of Corfu is situated on the West coast of Greece. It enjoys a placid Mediterranean climate along with exceptional beaches making it an admired destination for holiday makers. The beaches, resorts and amenities in Corfu are so diverse that the island has the wonderful holiday elements for almost everyone. This is one of the most attractive islands with its dazzling natural beauty and archaeological sites. With surefire sunshine, incredible beaches, pleasing seas, water sport facilities, golfing, tourism in the old towns and a colossal variety of taverns and restaurants, Corfu undoubtedly has something for everyone. A handful of interesting museums, galleries and churches can easily fill a couple of days of sightseeing; the island's best clubs, theatres and some great restaurants will take care of the evenings. This island is popular with sports lovers, adventure lover, families and children. Couples can have a leisure holiday in an authentic Greek atmosphere.

Shopping

Corfu is a fascinating shopper’s paradise. The renowned Corfu lace can be bought from the Lace House in Kassiopi Harbour. Markets in this island are sparkling places, often with entertainment, and are worth visiting. This island, with its tangled narrow streets raging with wide variety of shops will undoubtedly tempt you from the beach.

Restaurants

This island offers from traditional Greek food to many other international cuisines. One must try some of the local drinks like Metaxa, Ouzo, and Retsina just among the few. Fresh local fish cosine is the most recommended. Lithos Taverna, Agios Gordios, Taverna Sebastian, Venetian Well, Bellissimo are popular among tourists.

Night Life

Corfu is prominent for its rich and sparkling night-life. The capital offers a wide variety of bars and cafes proposing a variety of music, appropriate for every experience. Big nigh-clubs are located outside Corfu Town, mostly concerted in the beach resorts of Kavos, Roda, Ypsos, Gouvia and Dassia which also offers an implausible amount of vivacious bars. Au Club, Apokalipsis Club, Hard Rock Café are most popular among visitors. The amusement is not limited to foreign music bars. "Idolo" is one of the music bars, where one can snoop in to Greek music. Dance lover must not miss "La Piscine" and BiBi discos or take pleasure in a drink at Jimmis, Omphiliki, and Porto Nosto bars. Vavel at Pelekas is a recommend one for a brilliant view of the sunset as you pin your ears back to rock and cultural music. Other bars are Morrison Cafe at Ermones and "Chipie-Chipie" at Glifada is worth visiting.

Activities

Corfu provides a wide array of activities to choose from. There is fishing, bowling, golfing, horse riding and bird watching. The temperate climate, ideal for water sports like boating, sailing, snorkelling, sun bathing and scuba diving is one reason why travellers from across the world choose to holiday in Corfu.

Communications

The international access code for Greece is +30. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). The city code for Athens is 21. There are often surcharges on calls made from hotels and it is generally cheaper to use OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation) offices for local and international calls. Calls can also be made from public card phone booths and cards can be bought from kiosks or OTE offices. The local mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators. Coverage is exceptional. Internet cafes are available in the main towns and resorts and are cheaper than accessing the Internet from hotels.

Contacts

Greek National Tourism Organisation, Athens: +30 210 870 7000 or www.gnto.gr
Greek Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 939 1300.
Greek Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7229 3850.
Greek Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 238 6271.
Greek Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6273 3011.
Greek Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 430 7351.
Greek Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 (0)1 676 7254.
Greek Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand: +64 (0)4 473 7775.
United States Embassy, Athens: +30 210 721 2951.
British Embassy, Athens: +30 210 727 2600.
Canadian Embassy, Athens: +30 210 727 3400.
Australian Embassy, Athens: +30 210 870 4000.
South African Embassy, Athens: +30 210 610 6645.
Irish Embassy, Athens: +30 210 723 2771.
New Zealand Consulate-General, Athens (also responsible for Greece): +30 210 692 4136.
Emergencies: 100 (Police); 166 (Ambulance), 171 (Tourist Police).

Currency

EUR

Attractions

This island is littered numerous historical sites, museums, galleries and churches. Dionysios Solomos Museum, Mon Repos Park, St Spyridon Church, Temple of Artemis, Villa Achilliqn is just among the few historical sites that are worth visiting. For those with artistic taste, there is theatre, festivals, music, and museums to visit that take you back to history. One must also not miss the gorgeous beaches and resorts of this island.

Language

Greek

Language Description

Greek is the national language, but English is widely spoken.

Tipping

A service charge is often included in the bill at a restaurant. If not, leave between 10 to 15%. For drinks at cafes, round the bill up to the nearest euro. Taxis expect change as do cloak room attendants and porters.