It is a real jewel of an island, Corfu. The sea is postcard blue, vivid green forests tumble down steep slopes to meet hidden coves and gentle breezes ruffle the elegant Cypresses which are scattered around the landscape. Of course, some areas are on the touristy (or very touristy) side but those parts are easily avoided.

The north east of the island, whilst also quite developed for tourism, has retained its lush coastline and is rather a Corfiot millionaire’s row with the luxury homes of the likes of the Agnelli and Rothschild families nestled along its tranquil shores.

We were very happy to be able to help some clients who were planning a long overdue holiday on the island and needed help with an itinerary and places to eat and drink.

They had already found accommodation; a hideaway à deux up in the hills above Dassia and just needed some fine tuning to their plans. If they had needed our help with a place to stay, then we wouldn’t have hesitated in recommending this most wonderful of houses The Olive Press at Glyfa.

Its situation can’t be beaten and while it doesn’t really fall into the ’boutique’ category, it is decorated in a traditional Greek style and is full of charm. The whole estate is made up of three properties; The Cottage (sleeps up to 4 people), The Olive Press (Sleeps up to 7 people), the Family House (sleeps up to 9 people). Harold Pinter wrote several of his plays in The Cottage so that will be a draw for some! Each of the houses has a lovely outside space and they are positioned so that they don’t overlook each other.

One of the very best things to do on Corfu is to hire a small motor boat. You can self-drive from the tiny resort of Nissaki right up to the northern fishing town of Kassiopi (being careful not to veer into neighbouring Albanian waters in the process!) or south to Gouvia. We recommended Nissaki Boat Rental to our clients and they were delighted.

You can hire a boat for the whole day stopping off at hidden coves and bays for a swim or mooring up for lunch at the various tavernas and restaurants along the way (the restaurateurs are experts in this and will always help you getting in and out of the boat if you don’t have your sea legs).

The most popular lunch stop-offs on that coast seem to be in Agni Bay and Agios Stefanos. For a good old traditional Greek lunch in Agni Bay, Nikolas Taverna will hit the spot. Further up in Agios Stefanos, Restaurant Galini has tables right on the water with uninterrupted views across the bay.

Of course, there were many, many other restaurants for us to recommend and our clients particularly liked  Taverna Glyfa with its obliging owners who will pick you up in their speedboat from your nearest jetty and drop you off afterwards with the sunset as a romantic backdrop.

Flights are frequent and easy from UK to Corfu with regular departures from London and Manchester.  Corfu Airport is tiny* and can be somewhat chaotic so it might be an idea to mentally prepare for that and be ready to wait. If you are inbound though, the wait will be well worth it.

*Corfu airport was upgraded and expanded in 2020.

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