Holidays In Corfu, Greece

Posted on March 9, 2009
Filed Under Islands

Gouvia, a small former fishing village has been developed throughout the last four decades into a modern holiday resort. Ideal for couples and families visiting the island of Corfu, it provides an up to date and secure place for vacation. The resort is located 7km north of Corfu town, on the east coast and has been popular since the 70s to people coming from most of the European countries. Gouvia is set on a bay and offers a pebble beach, a marina and large variety of hotels, bars, restaurants and shops. The calmness of the day and the lively atmosphere of the night, both combined with a feeling of coziness are offered to its visitors. The local people are nice, friendly and eager to show to the foreign vacationists the way of the Greek hospitality.

Corfu has got two neighbor countries: the first one is Albania, from which it is separated by the Corfu channel. The closest town and port is Saranda (Aghii Saranda) which is linked to Corfu by a daily ferryboat all year round and daily cruises during the summer season.

The second neighbor is Italy. As Corfu is very close to the strait of Otranto, therefore Brindisi is 7 hours away sailing! Thanks to its position between Italy, Albania and Greece, Corfu is a strategic place and therefore it was always a point of interest for all the foreign powers since the Homeric times.

Corfu is also the greenest island in Greece thanks to the rain fall during autumn and winter (115cm of rain/year) and humidity which could reach 95%. The average temperature during winter is 12-13 degrees C. In the summer, it is 31 degrees C.

Longtime ago, before Corfu started off in tourism, the Corfiot butter and the goat cheese were very famous allover Greece. Wine is another of the products that Corfiots continue to produce. As they grow several varieties of grapes, they produce all kinds of wine, for a myriad of tastes.

The number one product on Corfu is for sure olive oil. The whole island is covered with olive trees. There are approximately 4 million olive trees from the same variety, a Venetian one: small olives, tasty and oily. The olive tree has always existed around the Mediterranean, but so intensively planted, we encounter it during the Venetian dominion which started in 1386 and ended in 1797. The Venitians decided to get the monopoly of the olive oil trade in the Mediterranean from the hands of the Genovese. They then thought of transforming Corfu into a large olive grove by offering subsidies to the inhabitants of the island to encourage them to plant olive trees. 

One of the most unusual products of Corfu is the KUM KUAT, a little orange originally from China (Golden fruit). The first plant was brought to Corfu by a British gentleman in the year 1860. Since then a sweet liqueur, candied and glaced fruit have been produced. Today it is a real local product of Corfu.

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