Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Information
USEFUL WEBSITES
Countless websites are devoted to the Ionians; here are some of the better ones:
Corfu
www.corfu.gr
,
www.allcorfu.com
,
www.corfuland.gr
(in Greek)
Ionian Islands
www.greeka.com/ionian
Ithaki
www.ithacagreece.com
Kefallonia
www.kefalonia.net.gr
Lefkada
www.lefkada.gr
,
www.lefkas.net
Paxi
www.paxos-greece.com
,
www.paxos.tk
Zakynthos
www.zakynthos-net.gr
,
www.zanteweb.gr
CORFU ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑ
POP 101,080
Magnificent, verdant Corfu, or Kerkyra (
ker
-kih-rah) in Greek, was Homer's 'beautiful
and rich land'. Mountains dominate the northern half where the coastlines can be steep
and dramatic and where the island's interior is a rolling expanse of peaceful countryside.
Stately cypresses, used for masts by the Venetians, rise from shimmering olive groves
(also a Venetian inspiration). South of Corfu Town the island narrows and flattens.
Beaches with sometimes oppressively thick development punctuate the entire coast-
line. Development is most intensive north of Corfu Town and along the northernmost
coast.
Corfu was a seat of European learning in the early days of modern Greece. While the
rest of the nation struggled simply to get by, the Corfiots established cultural institutions
such as libraries and centres of learning, and many major Greek figures like Ioannis Ka-
podistrias, the first head of independent Greece, hailed from Corfu. To this day, Corfiots
remain proud of their intellectual and artistic roots. This legacy is visible from its fine
museums and cultural life to its high-calibre, Italian-influenced cuisine.
