Introduction to Corfu

Cast aside the Corfu package tour and Kavos clichés and you too will find Homer's "rich and beautiful land" of hazy olive groves and rugged mountains, twenty miles off the west coast of Greece. The ouzo-fuelled revelry and beaches are there if you want them, but this Island also has culture and poetic landscapes. Wander Venetian Corfu Town as the fortress lights up, survey Albania from the rocky heights of Pantokrator and read the work of British writers, Lawrence and Gerald Durrell, to get the real picture.

Beaches

Paleokastritsa deserves its west-coast fame. Cave-riddled cliffs flank its pebbly bays and bluer-than-blue sea, so bring your snorkel. Moving south, Liapades has a sublime backdrop, while secluded Myrtiotissa attracts nudists. Families like Agios Georgios' fine sand and shallow water, along with Sidari's sandstone formations and Canal d'Amour (Channel of Love). Nesting amid cypress and olive trees, crescent-shaped Kalami Bay is where the Durrell brothers spent their childhood. For a party vibe and nonstop watersports, go south to Kavos.

Things to Do

With its pastel townhouses, Venetian Corfu Town (Kerkyra) is a fresco painting come to life. Gaze out to sea from the sturdy New Fortress, contemplate ancient Greek sculpture in the Archaeological Museum and shop for local olive wood and kumquat liqueur in the labyrinthine lanes. The deserted Byzantine town of Old Perithia, near the nearly 3,000-foot summit of Mount Pantokrator, hides in the rugged northeast. Swing south to Achilleon, Empress Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary's 1890s summer palace, set in sculpture-dotted gardens.

Eating and Drinking

Authentic Greek food, all-day English breakfasts, gyros to-go -- you'll find it all. In Corfu Town's backstreets, candlelit tavernas dish up favorites such as bourdeto (paprika-spiked fish in a tomato stew), pastitsada (beef and pasta casserole) and sofrito (veal in garlic and white wine). A well-heeled crowd dines on Italian-inspired cuisine over views of the fortress illuminated in the harbour. Family-run tavernas by the water's edge in postcard perfect Agni, serve simple, delicious fresh fish.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Do as the Corfiots do and begin your evening with a volta (stroll), people watching and sundowners under the Liston's elegant arcades in Corfu Town. Or join young revelers at the poolside lounge bars and clubs lining Ethnikis Antistaseos, near the New Port. For serious drinking and partying, try brash Kavos on the island's southern tip, where DJs play at Future and Atlantis. English pubs, karaoke bars and "Greek nights" with fast-paced sirtaki dancing dominate in Ipsos, Roda and Sidari.