Take your time.
Corfu, or Kerkyra as is the Greek name for the island, is one of the island queens: Corfu is breathtakingly beautiful, with a long and amazing history, and iconic, unique architecture. The island culture is also a unique mix of the ubiquitous Greek culture mixed in with Italian and French in a way only the Mediterranean can balance.
It’s no wonder that Corfu is popular with tourists. Vacations there are flexible, as there is something for everyone. You can have it luxurious and cosmopolitan one day and adventurous and casual the next!
Here is everything you need to know to get the most out of your dream Corfu vacations!
Brief Corfu history.
Corfu, Kerkyra in Greek, has a history that goes far back into Ancient Greece. Legend has it that the island got its name Kerkyra from the nymph Korkyra. The god of the sea Poseidon fell in love with her and took her to the island that was named after her. From the union came children that later, legend has it, became the Phoenician people.
Corfu is mentioned in the Odyssey, as it is one of the islands where Odysseus ends up, shipwrecked and needing assistance.
Corfu is the only Greek island that was never conquered by the Ottoman Turks. Instead, Corfu was under Venetian rule throughout the Middle Ages. The name ‘Corfu’ appears during those times, from the Byzantine name “Koryfo” which means ‘island of the peaks’ after its two peaks of the Old Fortress. In 1797 Corfu became a French prefecture under Napoleon Bonaparte.
The island came under British rule in the 1800s until 1864 when Corfu, together with the rest of the Ionian islands, finally became part of the new Greek state formed after the Greek War of Independence.
It’s this history that gives Corfu its unique cultural flavor.
The name ‘Corfu’ appears during those times, from the Byzantine name “Koryfo” which means ‘island of the peaks’ after its two peaks of the Old Fortress.
Read more here.