Relax in Corfu no matter what the Budget

What better than the unending natural beauty of Corfu to sooth away the stresses of your daily toil. Under these intense blue skies, contrasting sugary beaches and adorning smatters of perfumed oranges, lemons and blooming gardens, your relaxing holiday is guaranteed. Corfu is an enchanting island filled with hidden coves and inlets, sparkling bays, little fishing villages, balmy olive groves and exotic wildlife such as hoopoes, orioles, pelicans and even tortoises. And for those who need a little cultural fix, Corfu’s old town offers the proudest display of world heritage sites left by some of history’s colonial greats.

If your idea of relaxing entails basking gloriously on an idyllic beach, then you’ll be spoilt for choice in Corfu. You just need to decide which kind of beach experience you’d prefer. Corfu’s best beaches are on the Westside and range from neat bustling town bays backed by all the bars and amenities you could possibly need, to cosy coves tucked away out in the wilderness, and a lot more in between. Take for instance Agios Giorgios, a scenic sandy stretch between Northwest Cape Arilla and AngeloKastro. Despite it bustling with bars and clubs, it boasts Corfu’s cleanest waters and never seems over crowded. On the Island’s Northern tip lies Longas, a wild card with no loungers or water sports but which offers shade on a blazing morning, idyllic islets to swim to and perfect sunsets early evening. Half way down the island is another option for those escaping the water sport crowd – Myrtiotissa’s stunning bay is now much frequented by nudists, although not exclusively so you needn’t feel obliged to achieve the ultimate all over tan!

South again are the golden sands of Marthia and Agia Varvar, a heavenly stretch that is broken up by a stream and offers little else than a few bars and transparent warm waters. On the Eastside there are some calmer seas to swim in, for example Ypsos beach, a lovely, long shallow water stretch of sandy bay, which is quite developed and organised, offering a choice of handy taverns, cafes, shops and bars. The sea is shallow and faces the picturesque mainland hills. To the far South is Kavos beach, a popular 3 km long stretch of azure waters and white sand, backed by plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes and shops, that allure tourist to rent Corfu beach villas adorned with comfortable sun loungers, umbrellas and the usual water sports nearby.

If your antidote to stress is a Nature Trail then follow the local coastal paths that surround the whole of Corfu and treat yourself to a mountain hike during the spring bloom or the dried up, tree shaded river beds in early summer. Another very satisfying way to recharge your batteries after some beaching is to absorb some of Corfu’s exotic cultural ambience. Corfu’s beautifully preserved old town and world heritage site will not disappoint. You can’t but marvel at the huge choice of ancient historical sites to visit, as well as an eclectic array of renaissance, baroque and classical architecture left from the Venetians, French and British colonial days. The ambience is cosmopolitan and there are countless museums, galleries, palaces and squares to appreciate.