Cheap Flights to Corfu

Meet the grande dame of the Ionian Islands

Corfu’s history, both fictional and factual, is full of heroes and heroines, romance and tragedy and rise and fall. Named after the beautiful nymph Korkyra, Corfu’s career as one of Greece’s most storied lands started out as the Homeric island of Scheria, home to the Phaeacians and Odysseus's last stop on his journey back to Ithaca. In medieval times, it became known as Europe’s major stronghold against pirates and Ottoman invaders. Its capital is still safeguarded by two majestic medieval castles, having earned the city the title of Kastropolis, meaning ‘castle city’. Corfu was eventually occupied by the British after the Napoleonic Wars and remained under the Crown’s rule right until the birth of modern Greece in 1864. Among its most famous ‘invaders’ were Miranda from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Hollywood darlings Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier as well as British novelist Lawrence Durrell and his brother, the famed naturalist Gerald Durrell.

From naval power to metropolitan hub

Explore Corfu’s glorious medieval past in Corfu Town’s Old Castle or New Castle. Or both. Take in the 15th-century Venetian citadel, Palaio Frourio that withheld not one but three Ottoman sieges: the great siege of 1537, the siege of 1571 and the second great siege of Corfu in 1716. Besides stunning views of the capital and the bluest of seas, legend says that the twin peaks of the fortress also gave the city its name from the word ‘koryfi’, meaning ‘peaks’. The New Castle (or Fortezza Nuova as the Venetians called it), overlooking the northeastern part of Corfu, is just as remarkable both in terms of vistas and architectural finesse. Also dubbed the Fortress of St Mark, it was designed by the famous Italian military designer, Ferraute Vitteli, to encompass a dizzying number of chambers, galleries, stairs and ramps and serve as an impregnable line of defense against Turkish intruders.

A medley of ages, rulers and flavours with a touch of kumquat

With a history as far-reaching and tempestuous as Corfu's, exploring local cuisine is bound to be an adventure in its own right. You certainly won’t be disappointed. Centuries of Venetian domination have clearly left a mark on Corfiot tastes. The island’s signature dishes include sofrito (veal cooked with vinegar, garlic and parsley), bourdeto, a fish stew made with tomato sauce and red spicy pepper, bianco, a fish dish served with a garlicky-lemony sauce, potatoes and black pepper, and pastitsada, aka a tomato-drenched casserole dish traditionally eaten for Sunday dinner. The island also has some leftovers from its five decades as a British Protectorate: pudding and ginger beer. The islanders’ favourite drink, kumquat, however, is all Greek. The bright-orange liqueur is sweet and fragrant, and a common ingredient of cocktails, creams, puddings and unforgettable evenings.

Corfu beaches: 50 shades of gold and blue

Stretching along some 200 kilometres of coastline, Corfu beaches are legion. Not to mention postcard-perfect and pristine, with 30 of them having earned the coveted Blue Flag eco-certification. Sidari’s main draws are its soft, sandy beaches and out-of-this-world rock formations, carved out by the surrounding emerald-hued sea. To find fjords and love, go west: legend says that if you take a dip in Canal d’Amour (Channel of Love), you’ll find your soul mate. Paleokastritsa is Corfu’s unofficial beach capital. It has six beautiful beaches, no less, each more Insta-worthy than the last. Looking for some secluded bliss? Ambelaki has all the comfort and none of the noise of popular Greek beaches. Agios Spyridonas, Agia Triada and Agios Petros are perfect hangouts for families, as well as water sports and snorkelling enthusiasts. Want some greenery with your suntan? Halikounas is essentially one strip of land between the Ionian Sea and the Korission lagoon, leading right into a thick forest of cedars and orchids.

Corfu weather

The climate of the archipelago of Corfu is warm mediterranean, making it the perfect spot to soak in some well-deserved winter sun. September and October bring warm days with temperatures around 23°C, as do early spring months. Summers are hot and dry with plenty of sunshine, rare rainfalls and seasonal breezes.

Corfu airport

Corfu’s Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport is located 2 kilometres south of Corfu Town and 0.5 kilometre north of the islet of Pontikonisi. By car or taxi, it takes approximately a 10-minute drive to reach the city. Bus services between the airport and the city centre as well as car rental options are available.