Corfu, or Kerkyra, is the most northerly of the Ionian chain of islands that run down the west coast of Greece and include kefalonia, Lefkas and Zante. It was one of the first Greek islands to suffer from the mass tourism that surged in the 1960s and many parts of Korfu quicly surrendered to the demands of cut-price holiday firms. Once beautiful bays were scarred by cheap hotels, happy hour bars and noisy discos. Yet some of the loveliest beaches and most romantic villages of the
Greek islands can be found just a few minutes walk away. A favourite since Victorian times Corfu is still the most popular Greek island for Brits. Around 490,000 went at the last count - more than
Crete,
Santorini, Mykonos, or
Rhodes. Around 10,000 Brits now live there. Corfu's has some of the best beaches in Greece and with 31 of them designated blue flag they are the cleanest and safest. The most popular tourist spots are along the coastal north and south of town and the north coast, leaving many parts of the island relatively untouched by tourist development.
