Lonely Planet Uncovers Serene Side to Corfu

The international travel guide highlights Ionian island’s inland villages and monuments, cuisine and traditional products

Paleokastritsa, Corfu, Greece.

Corfu may be best known for its beaches and crystalline seas yet it is worth wandering up to the Ionian island’s mountain villages, seeking out quality local products and hiking the myriad trails, writes global travel authority Lonely Planet.

In a travel destination feature published on the Lonely Planet website, UK travel writer Anita Isalska highlights some of the island’s lesser-known attractions that visitors should consider exploring.

She touches upon historical monuments, such as Corfu Town’s Old Fortress, Angelokastro and the Byzantine castle in Kassiopi, while also recommending a visit to the village of Old Perithia and the monastery in Paleokastritsa.

Isalska, who recommends sampling Corfiot dishes, also features a family-run olive oil estate, a young Athenian who moved to the island to become a beekeeper and a kumquat producer.

“Corfu’s spiritual heart beats strongest at Easter, when choral music concerts take place – as well as the less peaceful tradition of smashing clay pots, or botides, on Easter Saturday,” she adds.

Furthermore, Isalska, who visited Corfu in mid-October, suggests kitesurfing at Halikounas beach and birdlife-spotting at the Korission Lagoon.

Read the Lonely Planet feature here.

Marketing Greece arranged the press trip to Corfu with the support of airline partner Aegean as part of efforts to promote the Ionian islands.