As Greek islands go, Corfu is one of the bigger ones, 33 miles long and 15 miles across at the widest point.
Corfu is featured in the schedule of most European package holiday companies
catering for the sort of holidaymaker who is looking for a "home away from home" with guaranteed sun,
cheap booze and lots of nightlife thrown in for good measure.
Corfu has, therefore, managed to earn itself a reputation for being full of karaoke bars,
lager louts and "restaurants" serving fish & chips and Sunday roast beef.
However, provided you stay away from the tourist hotspots like Kavos, Benitses, Gouvia and Ipsos,
it's easy to find parts of the island which are virtually untouched by the tackier side of tourism.
About half an hour's drive from Corfu town up north along the east coast
you're at the foot of Mount Pantokrator, whose steep slopes and winding roads have made it unviable
as a mass market development area and the coastline here is dotted with tiny turquoise coves and inlets.
Over on the western coast is a beach-lover's paradise with such long sandy stretches of beach
that even in the height of the summer season it's still possible to find a quiet spot.
Look for Halikounas, Ermones and Pelekas, but if you want to avoid the crowds, stay away from Paleokastritsa,
where the "film set" scenery inevitably attracts a regular influx of daytrippers.
Inland is where you can discover a more untouched Corfu of fertile valleys,
citrus and olive groves, where the most common form of transport for the local farmers is still a donkey.
For those seeking tranquility and a place to commune with nature,
there's even a wetland nature reserve (Lake Korisson) hidden away behind the south west coast,
perfect for twitchers in the migratory season, or for lovers at anytime!
There are many boats to and from Italy, Patras, Igoumounitsa and the other islands in the chain.
There is also an international airport.
Recommended background reading: "My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell
for a glimpse of how Corfu was 50 years ago or for maps, walks, drives and regularly upated info -
"Landscapes of Corfu" published by Sunflower.
