Corfu Island Tourist Traps

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Achilleion was built between 1889 and 1891 and is a luxurious 3 storey building in Pompeian style with neo-classical elements, and is surrounded by verdant gardens decorated with excellent works of art. It was built by the Italian architect Kardilo on behalf of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, better known as Sissi. It is situated near the village of Gastouri, where, in former times the mansion of the philosopher Petros Armenis Vrailas stood. It housed Corfu’s casino between 1962 and 1992 and it’s interior decoration with paintings and statues by the best artists of the period left us with an unparalleled impression.

We visited the Catholic chapel which is housed in the palace . The decoration of this chapel was of striking beauty. We also loved to see the old pictures, paintings, chairs and other objects that gave us a good impression how Sissi must have lived.

Unique Suggestions: Travel by footh (a nice walk from the beach) or by car. Try to avoid a bus trip. Whenever you do this it will mean that you will arrive with a lot of people at the same time and have little moving space to explore the palace. We went to the palace just in between the arrival of two busses and were able to walk around in our own pace and take pictures without all those people on it :-)

Address:
The palace of Achilleion, Gastouri.

Directions:
Situated at the south side of the island. It's a 10 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.

Fun Alternatives: Visit the little villages of Pontikonissi or Benitzes, which are close-by.

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Maybe you can say that we’re fans of Sissi, because we visited her residence in Funchal (Madeira) and when we decided to go to Corfu we had our mind set on visiting Achilleion. But be aware that this is the ultimate tourist trap! Busses loaded with tourists arrive at the small parking lot. Guides in 4 different languages provide tours and people are waiting outside in lines for their turn. We were a bit overwhelmed by this as we didn't expect this kind of masses of people. But anyway, we payed the entrance fee of €5.- per persone (Iris was for free) and went inside the gates, trying to find our way around without trying tp pay too much attention to all those people. We were a bit lucky as one bus was a bit delayed giving us a chance to move around in our own pace.

Elizabeth herself named the palace in Gastouri Achilleion and she dedicated it to her favourite hero, Achilles who, as she wrote, “…represents the Greek soul, the beauty of the land and is strong, proud and persistent like a Greek mountain…”.

Unique Suggestions: Travel by footh (a nice walk from the beach) or by car. Try to avoid a bus trip. Whenever you do this it will mean that you will arrive with a lot of people at the same time and have little moving space to explore the palace. We went to the palace just in between the arrival of two busses and were able to walk around in our own pace and take pictures without all those people on it :-)

Address:
The palace of Achilleion, Gastouri.

Directions:
Situated at the south side of the island. It's a 10 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.

Fun Alternatives: Visit the little villages of Pontikonissi or Benitzes, which are close-by.

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Once we were back in Pirgi we walked the Christo Mili all the way to Ipsos. This main road runs through the shopping and disco strip, lining the inland side whilst the clear water and clean beach occupy the opposite side. It was around 10 o'clock in the morning and we noted that the area was still trying to wake up. Not too many people walking around, probably still sleeping after a strenous night out in the pubs and disco's. In Ipsos we visited the local church, which is a beautiful basilica with a central nave and two side aisles built in the 18 th century. We ended up in the old fishing harbour. The pier provided us a stunning view at the Christo Mili, with the mountain of Pantokrator in the background.

On our walk back to Pirgi we discussed the fact that an area like this is not what we are looking for during a holiday. For us this area is too much of a 'wall-to-wall burger joints and music bar" kind of place. We don't like to pick up a smutty t-shirt or a blown up plastic turtle. As we are more interested in what the island has to offer we went to the nearby former Venetian Naval base and the small, but extremely pictoresque island of Lazareto in the bay opposite of Gouvia. We guess that it's just a matter of taste?

Fun Alternatives: Address:
Villages of Ipsos and Pirgi

Directions:
Situated at the north side of the island. It is a 18 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.

The large mountain range of Pantokrator covers the beach with its shadow, reminding that the real Corfu still awaits us to be discovered. We took a look around Ipsos village behind the main road and ventured out further with our car visiting the quaint traditional villages set in the hill side behind Ipsos, such as Agios Markos or Ano Korakiana. We drove around with our car and must warn you that the road signs were difficult to read in Greek and asking around doesn't work! We first visited the nearby village of Agios Markos. In this village you're able to have a look at the traditional "kafenia" (coffee-shops) and visit two notable churches.

The first is Agios Merkourios with its frescos dating back to 1075, considered to be one of the most significant Byzantine monuments on Corfu. The second church is Pantokrator, where we admired the well-preserved murals which dated back till 1576.

Fun Alternatives: Address:
Villages of Ipsos and Pirgi

Directions:
Situated at the north side of the island. It is a 18 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.

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If you like all facets of touristic spots, Ipsos and Pirgi are the places to be! It's one of the most developed touristic settlements on the island. The beach between Ipsos and Pirgi is 1,5 kilometers long and is also known as Christo Mili (Golden Mile), which is very representative. The beach stretches along the roadside and gently curves at the harbour end. It's set against the dramatic backdrop of the hills of the north east of Corfu on the left and to you right accross the sea to Corfu Town. Sea sport instructors, diving, bars and restaurants, hotels and camping-sites are spread out throughout the beach, satisfying every taste.

When we talked to a local man he told us that it's changing a bit. Especially Ipsos was known as a party resort. You'll find romantic couples and parents with teenagers - who prefer the busier bars and clubs. It's still a very lively resort and the discos and bars will remain, but on the far side of the beach at Pirgi near the harbour it is quieter. Besides that the village behind the main road has some culture to offer and is less hectic.

Fun Alternatives: Address:
Villages of Ipsos and Pirgi

Directions:
Situated at the north side of the island. It is a 18 km drive from the capital of Corfu, Corfu Town.

If you want any taste at all of real Corfiot, and real Greek, life, at all costs, avoid the monstrous "All Inclusives," much favored by the Brits who, apparently, can't or won't do anything on their own. These are vacations planned to the nth degree by large tourism companies, who charge just one price for everything: transportation, lodging, and food. They have bought up many of the once-beautiful properties on Corfu and have built large, monstrous "resorts" which more or less keep the inhabitants there, on the premises, instead of encouraging the inhabitants to explore this beautiful island, eat at local tavernas, and to get to know the locals. The "All-Inclusives" are almost single-handedly responsible for the near ruination of a beautiful land. Luckily, there are some Brits who have finally gotten the picture, but, for the most part, all they want is (a) sun, (b) sea, (c) and cheap food and lodging. They don't care about the dignity or uniqueness of the people, their history, the culture, or anything but the ability to get sozzled in the sun for a cheap price. Bottom-feeders, all. Please do yourself a favor and get yourself to Corfu on your own (there are plenty of cheap flights from most European cities), and then find your own lodging at a charming inn or taverna. You will find your eyes opening to a wonderful way of life, a fabulously beautiful island, some of the best homemade food you could find anywhere, and you will make friends of the Corfiots, who are amongst the friendliest people on the planet. My feeling is, if you want just cheap food, cheap booze, sunshine, and a Howard Johnson's atmosphere, STAY HOME. The Corfiots don't need tourists like that.

Unique Suggestions: I wouldn't know. I have no experience at "All Inclusives," and have always avoided them at all costs. I am an adventurer and don't need to be led around by a ring in my nose, as the patrons of these places seem to need.

As I said above, use a little ingenuity and do everything yourself: Book your own flight, find your own lodging (very easy to do, once you get there), find your own rental car, and find your own tavernas and restaurants. You will reap many rewards from this apparently original view of traveling.

Fun Alternatives: As I said, the alternative is to do everything yourself: Book your own flights, don't bother getting a reservation until you land on the island, nose around a bit, ask around a bit, and you can find any kind of accommodation you please on the island at most times of the year (except maybe July and August, when the island is over-run by tourists, in which case, you wouldn't want to be there anyway!). The Corfiots are exceedingly helpful in all matters and will help anyone find anything s/he needs. The cheaper local tavernas are wonderful, too.

Many people, well almost everyone, arrive on Corfu through the port. One thing to know is that there is much more of Corfu Town to see than just what is around the port.

Also, be aware of all the hotel runners who work at the port. Many of them will lie about the competition, and not give you a fair representation of what is actually available.

Fun Alternatives: Be sure to venture to "Old Town".

See my other tips.

Not a real trap here... just something to be aware of. At the Pink Palace, they make it really convenient to just charge everything to your room. You just carry your pink card with you at all times and you are set to go. When you check out, all of this adds up and it can be a shock if you just keep charging everything to your room. Though the room prices are really amazing, other things seem rather expensive (I remember laundry seeming adsurd!) so just make sure you keep track of what you put on your card!!!