Greece
Corfu & Ionian Islands — Boutique Hotels & Travel Guide
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The Ionian Islands are geographically and culturally distinct from the Aegean — greener, wetter, and shaped by centuries of Venetian, French, and British rule that left an architecture and a cuisine unlike anything on the eastern Greek islands. Corfu is the most visited, with a UNESCO-listed old town of extraordinary Venetian preservation. Kefalonia has the most dramatic landscape. Zakynthos has the famous shipwreck beach. The smaller islands — Ithaca, Lefkada, Paxos — reward those who seek them out.
Why Visit Corfu & Ionian Islands
Corfu Old Town — the Campiello district, the Liston arcade, the two Venetian fortresses — is among the finest historic towns in Greece, its architecture unmistakably Italian in character. The west coast of Corfu, with its olive groves running to the sea and the Diapontia Islands visible on the horizon, is the most beautiful landscape on the island. Kefalonia's Myrtos Beach — a crescent of white pebbles above impossibly turquoise water — is consistently rated among the finest beaches in Europe.
Best Towns in Corfu & Ionian Islands
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When to Visit
May and June are exceptional in the Ionians — the islands are at their most green and the crowds are entirely manageable. July and August are busy, particularly in Corfu and Zakynthos. September remains warm and quieter. The Ionian Islands receive winter rainfall that keeps them green year-round — a quality entirely absent from the Aegean.
Nova Insider
Take the ferry from Corfu to Paxos — the smallest and least known of the main Ionian islands, 45 minutes south — and spend two nights in the olive-covered interior. The island has no airport, one main port, and a quality of quietness that Corfu lost decades ago. The sea caves of Antipaxos, accessible by boat from the port of Gaios, are among the finest in the Mediterranean. Bring a mask and fins.
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Greek Islands — Boutique Hotels & Travel Guide