Are you considering a luxury holiday?
Our team has over 50 years luxury travel experience
We can find the perfect luxury property for you
Book a Call Enquire OnlineBY - Will Davis , 8 October 2024 - VIEW ALL ARTICLES
Sun-drenched white beaches, lush vegetation inland and some of the most beautiful luxury holiday villas in Europe, Corfu in Greece is quickly shaking off its clubbing and fried food past and becoming a very elite place to holiday again.
The north-east of the island around Kassiopi is a particularly lovely place to stay, and that bit further away from the more heavily populated resorts. The great thing about this island is that you can hire private luxury villas with pools and stunning views that are quiet and secluded yet still only 10 minutes from Corfu Town and the airport.
You can happily spend a day or more just wandering around the pretty old town, with its mansions and palaces, left over from Corfu’s colonial days. The town’s colourful houses and tranquil squares have given it UNESCO World Heritage Site status. A good handful of museums as well as two forts will give you plenty to do should you tire of the people-watching.
Walkers and nature lovers could spend a week on a luxury villa holiday in Corfu happily, without even setting foot into a town. The island has some truly stunning countryside, just made for hiking, where you can get to know the heart of the island – the ‘real’ Corfu – passing by lagoons home to hundreds of native birds, as well as conquering the island’s highest summits, and wandering through fields of wildflowers and old Corfu villages, where elderly ladies in traditional black dresses and knee-high socks will give you a nod as you pass by.
And as if that weren’t enough, the beaches are awe-inspiring – in my opinion the most beautiful in the whole of Greece.
Festival season begins with Greek Orthodox Easter and goes on until early autumn. The warmest months are July and August, approx. 31°C. May and June are very pleasant 23-28°C and the sea is usually warm enough to swim in by June, and the average rainfall drops off at the end of May. Equally, September and October are a great time to go with pleasant, warm temperatures.
The views, the views, the views! This well-known Ionian island is blessed with stunning sea views and quaint tavernas along the water’s edge in the many villages dotting the coastline.
We love spending the morning at the Ambelonas estate where you can take part in cookery classes or wine tastings, or simply wander through the pretty vineyard and veg garden and buy some of the fabulous produce on offer to take home for lunch.
Corfu International Airport is located in the middle of the island on the western coast, so it’s not far from the airport to anywhere on the island.
Food is fresh and enjoyed slowly in Corfu and you’ll find great meze and seafood at most of the tavernas should you wish to eat out of your luxury villa. It’s hard to go wrong. But there are lots of eating establishments that are just a bit different, too.
You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to places to eat with sea views, but among the best is the family-run Boukari Beach restaurant in the tiny fishing village of Boukari. Excellent seafood and great views.
Gourmands should make time for at least one meal at Etrusco in Kato Korakiana whilst on a luxury villa holiday in Corfu. This multi-award winning restaurant has been listed in the ‘top 100 restaurants in the world’. All the vegetables, flowers and fruits on the quirky menu are grown in the restaurant’s garden.
The winner of the ‘best atmosphere’ award must go to the Corfu Sailing Club restaurant inside the old fortress where the boats are moored alongside the tables.
Written by
Will is a keen traveller and writer. When he's not travelling the world or writing about it, he's managing the marketing for Firefly Collection.