Corfu
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For other uses, see Corfu (disambiguation).
"Corcyra" redirects here. For other uses, see Corcyra (disambiguation).
| Corfu Κέρκυρα | |
|---|---|
Pontikonisi (background) and Vlacherna Monastery (foreground) seen from the hilltops of Kanoni
| |
 
Corfu
| |
| Coordinates: 39°35′N 19°52′ECoordinates: 39°35′N 19°52′E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Ionian Islands |
| Regional unit | Corfu |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Konstantinos Nikolouzos[1] |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 614.6 km2 (237.3 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 906 m (2,972 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Municipality | 102,071 |
| • Municipality density | 170/km2 (430/sq mi) |
| Community | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 490 82, 490 83, 490 84, 491 00 |
| Area code(s) | 26610, 26620, 26630 |
| Vehicle registration | KY |
| Website | www.corfu.gr |
Corfu (/kɔːrˈfuː, -fjuː/; Greek: Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra [ˈcercira]; Ancient Greek: Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα; Latin: Corcyra; Italian: Corfù) is aGreek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands,[3] and, including its small satellite islands, forms the northwesternmost part of Greece.[4] The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality, which also includes the smaller islands of Ereikoussa, Mathraki and Othonoi. The principal city of the island and seat of the municipality (pop. 32,095) is also named Corfu.[5] Corfu is home to the Ionian University.
The island is bound up with the history of Greece from the beginnings of Greek mythology. Its Greek name, Kerkyra or Korkyra, is related to two powerful water symbols: Poseidon, god of the sea, and Asopos, an important Greek mainland river.[6] According to myth, Poseidon fell in love with the beautiful nymph Korkyra, daughter of Asopus and river nymph Metope, and abducted her.[6]Poseidon brought Korkyra to the hitherto unnamed island and, in marital bliss, offered her name to the place: Korkyra,[6] which gradually evolved to Kerkyra (Doric).[7] Together, they had a child they called Phaiax, after whom the inhabitants of the island were named Phaiakes, in Latin Phaeaciani. Corfu's nickname is The island of the Phaeacians.
The island's history is full of battles and conquests. Castles punctuating strategic locations across the island are a legacy of these struggles. Two of these castles enclose its capital, which is the only city in Greece to be surrounded in such a way. As a result, Corfu's capital has been officially declared a Kastropolis ("castle city") by the Greek government.[7] From medieval times and into the 17th century, the island was recognised as a bulwark of the European States against the Ottoman Empire and became one of the most fortified places in Europe.[8] The fortifications of the island were used by the Venetians to defend against Ottoman intrusion into the Adriatic. Corfu repulsed several Ottoman sieges, before falling under British rule following the Napoleonic Wars. Corfu was eventually ceded by the British Empire along with the remaining islands of the United States of the Ionian Islands, and unification with modern Greece was concluded in 1864 under the Treaty of London.
In 2007, the city's old quarter was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, following a recommendation by ICOMOS.[9][10][11]
Corfu is a very popular tourist destination.[12][13] The island was the location of the 1994 European Union summit.[14]
Climate[edit]
Corfu has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa in the Koeppen climate classification).
Tourism[edit]
Corfiotes have a long history of hospitality to foreign residents and visitors, typified in the 20th century by Gerald Durrell's childhood reminiscence My Family and Other Animals. The north east coast has largely been developed by a few British holiday companies, with large expensive holiday villas.[95] Package holiday resorts exist on the north, east and southwest coasts.
At the other end of the island, the southern resort of Kavos also provides tourist facilities.
St George South to the west boasts the largest sandy beach on the island coupled with a selection of all inclusive package hotels and traditional corfiot villas and flats. The Korission lake nature reserve also provides a stop over for European birds migrating south.
Up until the early 20th century, it was mainly visited by the European royals and elites, including Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany andEmpress Elisabeth of Austria; today it is also widely visited by middle class families (primarily from the UK, Scandinavia and Germany). With the advent of the jet airliner bringing these groups relatively affordable 'package holidays', Corfu was one of the primary destinations for this new form of mass tourism.[96] It is still popular with the global elite however, and in the island's northeast the homeowners include members of the Rothschild family and Russian oligarchs.[97][98]
Transport[edit]
The island is linked by two motorways, GR-24 in the northwest and GR-25 in the south.
- Greek National Road 24, Cen., NW, Corfu – Palaiokastritsa
- Greek National Road 25, Cen., S, SE, Corfu – Lefkimi
Corfu has ferry services both by traditional ferries to Gaios in the island of Paxoi and as far as Patras and both traditional ferries and advanced retractable airfoil, hydrodynamic-flow, high-speed ferries called "Flying Dolphins" to Igoumenitsa and Sarandë in neighbouringAlbania. The small port of Lefkimmi is also to be found at the southernmost tip of the island on Cape Kavos, offering a ferry service to the mainland.
The Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport, named after Ioannis Kapodistrias, a distinguished Corfiot and European diplomat, and the first governor of the independent Greek state, is located around three kilometres south of Kerkyra, just half a kilometre north of Pontikonisi. The approach and landing, in a northeasterly direction, afford passengers spectacular aerial views of Pontikonisi and Vlaheraina Monastery, also taking in the hills of Kanoni, as the runway employed for landing lies a few hundred metres from these spectacular local landmarks. The airport offers domestic flights from Olympic Airlines (OA 600, 602 and 606), and Aegean Airlines (A3 402, 404 and 406). Seaplanes, Air Sea Lines, a Greek seaplane operator, offers scheduled flights from Corfu to Paxoi, Lefkada, Ithaki, Kefalonia, Ioannina, Patras and Brindisi in Italy.
The buses to the main places on the island run about six times a day between the city and Glyfada, Sidari, Paleokastritsa, Roda and Acharavi, Lefkimmi, Lefkimmi and Piri. Other coaches drive up to twice a day to Athens and Thessaloniki. City buses run through the city to the Airport, Achilleon, Gouvia, Afra, Pelekas and some other places of interest.
A bike-sharing scheme called EasyBike Brainbox is available to get around the city.[99]
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