Greece's emerald isle
Corfu stands guard at the entrance to the Adriatic – on one side, you've got Albania and the Greek mainland, and on the other, Italy. It's a setting that's earned it more than its fair share of interest from invading hordes in the past, and it's why you'll find a mix of influences across the island today – particularly in pretty Corfu Town, which has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
Corfu holds the title for the greenest of the Greek islands. Rolling hills, groves of olive trees (a whopping two million are spread across the island) and mountains blanketed in pine forests have given Corfu the nickname the Emerald Island.
Head to the coast, meanwhile, and you'll discover sweeps of sand and shingle, plus a generous helping of tucked-away coves. The beaches are also beautiful on the neighbouring isles of Paxos and Antipaxos, both easily reached by boat from Corfu Town’s harbour.
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One of the liveliest islands in Greece, Corfu is full of beautiful beaches, as well as plenty of things to do inland. Kids will love a visit to the Corfu Donkey Rescue Centre while those wanting to keep active will find lots of water sports and activities as well as opportunities to hike, mountain bike and horse ride inland.
Flight time from the UK to Corfu (CFU) is around 3 hours.
If you're planning a trip to Corfu from the UK, the following airports have direct flights:
Aberdeen (ABZ), Belfast International (BFS), Birmingham (BHX), Bournemouth (BOH), Bristol (BRS), Cardiff (CWL), East Midlands (EMA), Edinburgh (EDI), Exeter (EXT), Glasgow (GLA), Leeds Bradford (LBA), Liverpool (LPL), London Gatwick (LGW), London Heathrow (LHR), London Luton (LTN), London Stansted (STN), Manchester (MAN), Newcastle (NCL) and Norwich (NWI).
Like the rest of Greece, Corfu is a reliable year-round destination for sunshine, with the holiday season running loosely from March all the way to October. The mercury is at its peak in July and August, when temperatures push past 30°C and you can expect sunshine 12 hours a day.
Currently visas are not required for UK citizens travelling to Greece.
In Greece, a service charge will be included in the bill at restaurants and bars. Much like the UK, an additional tip is not required, although is appreciated for particularly good service. It is common to round off the amount when paying cash, particularly with wait staff and taxi drivers.
The official language of Greece is Greek. English is widely spoken, too, so getting by is easy.
Corfu is only an hour's flight from Athens, so makes a great twin-centre option with the Athenian Riviera.