Hidden in the bushing vegetation of Corfu, the Crab Lake is located close to the island of Poulades. It belongs to the northern part of the island and it is south from the lakes of Gaidarana, where visitors can wander around and enjoy the unique beauty of the wild nature. In the Crab lake you will get to admire the lush landscape as the meadows are spreading out only to be disrupted by the tall oak trees and kermes oaks. In the springtime, the nature around the Crab lake becomes colorful as the wild flowers blossom. Inside the lake, there are freshwater crabs while nearby there is a tree which is called Gavros (anchovy), therefore the lake is also known as “Gavrolimni”. Nearby, one can also find the historic church of Saint Onoufrios of Corfu.
The Durrells is a famous comedy-drama series which is based on the three autobiographic books of the British writer Gerald Durrell. It focuses on the 4 years the family spent on the island of Corfu (1935-1939). The series starts in 1935, when Luisa Durrell decides to move with her four children from Bournemouth, England to the island of Corfu.
Her husband had passed away a few years before and the family was dealing with some financial problems. They were trying hard to adapt to their new lives on the island as there was no electricity, making it a cheap therefore ideal place to live.
Paleokastritsa is located in the north of the island’s center and on the west side of Corfu. ThedistancefromCorfuTownisapproximately 25 kilometers. It is one of the most beautiful places, not only of Corfu but of the Ionian Islands, too. It consists of a series of beaches that are separated through small capes. The view from the village of Lakones is simply breathtaking. There is an old pathway that connects the two villages but only donkeys can pass through or people on foot. On the top of the hill there is a beautiful monastery of Virgin Mary dating back to the 12th century. It is still open and operating normally as Monks still live there. There,the famous icon of Virgin Mary can be found.
Afionas is one of the oldest villages in Corfu, built on an ideal location upon a mountainous cape and offers great views of the Ionian Sea, the Graviaskerry and the Diapontia islands (Othonoi, Erikousa and Mathraki). The sunset of Afionas is particularly stunning and it attracts a great number of visitors. On the left, one can admire the bay of Arillas and on the right the bay of Agios Georgios Pagon. Below Afionas, the double beach of Porto Timoni is located. The name of the left beach is Limni whereas the right one is called Porto Timoni. In order to reach the beach, a walking distance of 30 minutes is required.
The Corfiot Microbrewery is situated in Arillas, a small village in the north of the island. The company was established in 2009, the same year that the economic crisis started in Greece. The production started with 80.000 bottles of beer, 70.000 euros turnover and just three employees. During 2012, the production increased fiercely at 500.000 bottles of beer and the turnover was 500.000 euros. Mr. Kaloudis, the owner of the company stated that this year investments were made in order to increase their production and respond accordingly to the demand, anticipating sales to be 30% more. He continued by explaining that the demand is higher than the supply as the company is small. The Corfiot beer is fresh and not filtered, this is why it has gained a lot of fans due to its unique aroma and taste.
Lounge cafe “Akrotiri” is located on the top of the cape, between the beach of Arillas and Agios Stefanos. It offers great panoramic views from every angle and it is one of the few places in Corfu from where you can spot Diapontia islands. Here you can take a break from your hiking or wandering around the island experience and choose from a great variety of different kinds of coffee as well as snacks, ice-creams and sweets. The ideal time of the day to visit Akrotiri café would be during sunset when the different colors unite in the sky and accompanied by the sea, offer the most incredible views.
Cape Drastis is another, wonderful place on the island, hidden in a beautiful lush landscape. It is situated in the Northwestern part of Corfu and more specifically in the traditional village of Peroulades. There you can sprinkle your body with clay or even try out your performance on cliff-jumping.
One of the main benefits of Cape Drastis is that these beaches are accessible only through the sea (either by swimming or boat) and this has maintained the natural beauty as well as the virginity of the landscape.
Chlomos is one of the oldest villages in Corfu, dating all the way back to the 13th century. This picturesque village is known as “the balcony of Corfu” as it is situated on an altitude of 270 meters and offers great views of the south as well as the east part of the island. Most of the buildings in the village feature the Venetian architecture; they are painted with red and orange colors and are built around the main square. If you wander around the small alleys you will discover a variety of old mansions, including the 15th century mansion of Thomas Palaiologou, the brother of the Emperor Konstantinos Palaiologou. Another interesting fact is that Chlomos in the Greek language means pale and the village took its name from its habitants, who were very pale due contracting malaria at the beginning of the 19th century.
The wine variety of Kakotrigis has been associated with Corfu and more specifically with the grounds of Halikounas for more than 300 years. This is where the wine of the Pontiglio Winery (Mpampis Kouris) is being produced and ensures its authenticity as it features a written statement on the bottle that it comes from the protected geographical region of Halikounas.
Lake Korission is situated in the southwestern part of the island, close to the village of Argirades. It stretches in an area of 6.000 acres and includes the Lake Korission as well as the wild, sandy beaches that form on the right side of the lake.
A magical world unfolds in front of the eyes of its visitors, as the lake and the sea unite through dunes in an area protected by Natura 2000 due to its unique ecosystem, flora and fauna.
Besides Vlacherna Monastery and the Mouse Island, the trademark of Corfu is Ioannis Kapodistrias, a fierce politician born in Corfu who became the governor of Greece. Dafnis family paid its respects to the governor by naming their olive oil family business after him. Emphasizing on high quality, the family produces a very special olive oil from the variety of lianolia which has many benefits for our health.
The olive oil is bitter and spicy with exceptional taste of grass, herbsand spices. The Governor olive oil has become very popular all around the world and has attracted many visitors to the island of Corfu. Apart from its health benefits, it enhances the taste of the food right before being served.
Corfu has approximately 4.500.000 olive oil trees that cover approximately 70% of the island’s lush landscape. Here, olive oil is produced from a special variety of olives called “lianolia”, which can be found only in Corfu. The olive oil trees in Corfu are mostly 200 to 500 years old but there are older trees that are estimated to be 1000 and 1500 years old.
Approximately four centuries under the Venetian rule determined the character of the island. While the rest of Greece was under Turkish rule, Corfu had a rich cultural life and many literary and artistic figures came to Corfu from other parts of Greece.