The emerald island – the Greek island of Kerkyra, also called
Corfu
KERKYRA
The
greenest of all the Greek islands. It has sufficient water and thus, unlike the
othernearly 1500 Greek islands, it is green even throughout the summer.
It
is also called the island of olive trees. Trees that are many hundreds of years
old were planted here by the old Venetians in the 14th century, who
also left behind a spectacular Venetian capital to the island.
Kerkyra is the second largest island in the Ionian Sea. It’s located within sight of neighboring Albania. At the narrowest point, a mere 5 kilometers separate it from mainland Greece.
It also has several name variations: “Korkyra” in ancient Greek, “Corfu” in Italian, and Kerkyra in modern Greek. It’s a Greek island, so let’s call it by its Greek name.
In 2001, the long-distance Corfu Trail was created. It winds along the whole length of the island, from the resorts of Kavos on the southern coast, all the way to Agios Spiridon on the northern coast; the whole trek is 220 kilometers long and takes approximately 10 days to complete..
All of the parades are accompanied by local brass bands in their fancy uniforms, creating a remarkable, colorful spectacle.
The island’s capital and main port is Kerkyra. Also known as Korkyra or Kerkýra .More than a third of the island’s population lives here. The capital’s historical core has been included in the UNESCO historical heritage list since 2007. The old town is a unique display of baroque and neoclassicist architecture, magnificent villas, palaces and cathedrals. The ancient city of Kerkyra was founded in the 8th century B.C. and was located to the south of today’s city center.
