Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in 1824 and handed over to Greece in 1864, is the birthplace of Britain's Prince Philip
and has been converted into the
Paleópolis Museum
(daily 8.30am-7.30pm; €3). As
well as various archeological finds from the vicinity, including some fine sculpture, it
contains period furniture
in situ
, and temporary modern art exhibitions.
Other remains worth a peek outside the confines of the estate include the
Early
Christian Basilica
(Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; free) opposite the entrance, the
Temple of
Artemis
,
a few hundred metres west, and the eleventh-century church of
Áyii Iáson and
Sosípater
, back towards the seafront on Náfsikas.
Vlahérna and Pondikoníssi
Bus #2 leaves Platía Saróko every 30min for Vlahérna convent • Boats leave the dock at Vlahérna for Pondikoníssi (€3 return)
The most famous excursion from Corfu Town is to the islets of Vlahérna and Pondikoníssi,
2km south of town below the hill of Kanóni, named after the single cannon trained out to
sea atop it. Reached by a short causeway, the tiny, white convent of
Vlahérna
is one of the
most photographed images on Corfu.
Pondikoníssi
, tufted by greenery from which peeks
the small chapel of Panayía Vlahernón, is identified in legend with a ship from Odysseus's
fleet, petrified by Poseidon in revenge for the blinding of his son Polyphemus.
11
Vídhos
Hourly shuttle
kaïkia
run from the Old Port (€1.50 return, last boat back 1.30am)
Vídhos
, the wooded island visible from the Old Port, is a quieter destination then
Vlahérna or Pondikoníssi. It makes a particularly pleasant summer evening excursion,
when there is live music at the municipal restaurant near the jetty.
The Achilleion
Daily: May-Oct 8am-7pm; Nov-April 8am-4pm • €7 •
T
26610 56245
Some 6km south of Corfu Town, past the resort sprawl of Pérama, is the bizarre
Achilleion
, a palace built in a mercifully unique blend of Teutonic and Neoclassical
styles in 1890 by Elizabeth, Empress of Austria. Henry Miller considered it “the worst
piece of gimcrackery” that he'd ever laid eyes on and thought it “would make an
excellent museum for surrealistic art”. The house is predictably grandiose but the
gardens are pleasant to walk around and afford splendid views in all directions.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
CORFU TOWN
By plane
The airport is 2km south of the town centre. A
dedicated bus connects with central Corfu Town 8 times
daily or blue city buses #5 and #6 can be flagged at the
junction 500m north of the terminal. Taxis charge a rather
steep €10 into town.
By bus
There are two terminals: the islandwide green bus
service is based on Avramíou (also for Athens and
Thessaloníki), and the suburban blue bus system, which
also serves nearby resorts such as Benítses and Dhassiá, is
based in Platía Saróko.
By ferry or hydrofoil
All vessels dock at the New Port (Néo
Limáni), just west of the Néo Froúrio. The Old Port (Paleó
Limáni), east of the New Port, is used only for day excursions.
By car
For car rental, try Avis, Ethnikís Andístasis 42
(
T
26610 24404, airport
T
26610 42007), behind the
New Port; Budget, Venizélou 22 (
T
26610 28590; airport
T
26610 44017); or Hertz, Ethnikí Lefkímis (
T
26610
38388, airport
T
26610 35547). Among local companies,
Sunrise, Ethnikís Andístasis 14 (
T
26610 44325), is
reliable.
By motorbike or scooter
Motorbikes and scooters
can
be rented from Easy Rider, Venizélou 4 (
T
26610 43026), or
Atlantis, Xenofóndos Stratigoú 48 (
T
26610 40580), both
in the New Port.
Services
There is no official tourist office, amazing for such
a touristic island. The post office
(Mon-Fri 7.30am-8pm) is
on the corner of Alexándhras and Zafirópoulou. Many
regular cafés have wi-fi and there are some internet cafés
dotted around, such as X-plore, N. Lefteríti 4, two blocks
north of Platía Saróko.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation in Corfu Town is busy all year round and expensive in comparison to the rest of the island. For rooms you
can try the Room Owners' Association at D. Theotóki 2A (Mon-Fri 9am-1.30pm, plus summer Tues, Thurs & Fri 6-8pm;
T
26610 26133,
E
oitkcrf@otenet.gr).
