Corfu is a verdant island full of trees and olive groves. A great deal of the eastern coast of the island has been given over to resorts. In the interior, many traditional hill villages preserve the island’s authenticity.
After ancient times, the island was under Byzantine rule, then Gothic, then Norman, then Angevin rule. Owing to its strategic importance, it attracted a great deal of attention from the Venetians. They ruled here from 1386-1797; after the Venetians, the French ruled from 1807-1814 and then the Brits reigned supreme here from 1814-1864. Then, finally, in 1864 Corfu joined with the new, modern Greek state.
Today, the island is well touristed by package tourists from Northern Europe – but there is still enough authenticity, beauty and culture to make it very much worthwhile to visit.
Books about Corfu
Lawrence Durrell, Prospero’s Cell
Gerald Durrell, My Family and Other Animals
Greece in Focus 