Corfu
Guide to Corfu, map, weather, and holidays.
Corfu - Ionian Islands - Greece
A popular holiday island in the Ionian Islands group of Greece, Corfu has a population of just over 100,000 and an area of 229 square miles.
Corfu Factfile:
Location: Ionian Islands, Greece.
Population: 107,879 (2001)
Overview: One of the Greek Ionian Islands, Corfu lies off the coast of Sarande, Albania, separated only by a narrow strait. The island of Corfu is a popular holiday destination, well served by the package holiday industry, it became especially popular during the 1970's when cheaper flights brought an increased number of visitors to the island. Corfu has some excellent resorts with something to suit all tastes and ages.
Corfu History: Corfu (Kerkyra in Greek) is steeped in Ancient Greek history and Myth, the name is said to originate from the Nymph Korkira, daughter of the River Assopos, the God of the sea Poseidon supposedly fell in love with her, kidnapped her and brought her to the island. Originally settled by people from Corinth and emigrants from Eritrea, Corfu was always in an important strategic position, being on the main route between Greece and the West.
It was involved in a number of battles over its independence and the first naval battle in Greek history was fought there in about 664 BC, later in about 229 BC it came under the control of the Romans, after the decline of the Roman Empire it was occupied by Genoese privateers who were eventually driven out by the Venicians, Venice officially gained sovereignty in 1401 and held sway until 1797, despite constant attacks by Turkey.
After several further changes in control, the Ionian Islands became a protectorate of the United Kingdom but its strict methods were unpopular with the native population and its sovereignty was finally transferred to Greece in 1864. During the Second World War, Corfu was held by the Italians (1941-43) and then by the Nazis, but was eventually liberated by British troops on 14th October 1944. From the 1970's onwards Corfu became a popular holiday destination.
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Corfu Map: Corfu is one of the Greek Ionian Islands and lies off the coast of Albania.
The map to the right has 'zoom' and 'pan' features which enable you to use the buttons on the top left to zoom in and get a closer look at Corfu, or pan around to view any number of its towns, villages and resorts, some of the most popular include Dassia, Ipsos, Kavos, Gouvia, Paleokastritsa, Benitses, Kassiopi and Messonghi.
Corfu has its own International airport (Corfu Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport), which is situated about 3km south of Corfu Town. The airport code is: CFU and the telephone number is (2661) 039 040 or 34141
Corfu Weather: Corfu enjoys a warm sunny climate during summer time (May to October) and a mild though rather wet winter climate, making it rather more suitable for summer holidays rather than winter ones. Temperatures range from lows of 46°F in the winter to highs of 89°F in August. Most of the rainfall occurs between October and April. You can view todays weather in Corfu here: Corfu Weather.
Corfu Beaches: Corfu has some excellent beaches, if you particularly want a beach holiday, be careful as some of the beaches are very narrow and stoney. Some of he best beaches are located in Gouvia, Glyfada, Sidari and Paleokastrita.
Places to Visit in Corfu: There are a number of interesting places to visit on Corfu including Corfu Town, the Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio) an old Venetian fortress, the Neo Frourio (New Fortress), the "Ano Plateia" (literally: "Upper square")and "Kato Plateia" (literally: "Lower square"), the "Old Palaces" ("Palaia Anaktora"), the monastery at Paleokastritsa, Mouse Island and Lazaretto Island.
Corfu Hotels: You will find a good range of hotels on Corfu and most of the major tour operators feature package holidays to the island, a quick search on the internet will provide a good selection of holiday options.
Corfu Pages: Map - Weather - Airport Transfers - Sidari
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