Corfu Island

(Local Name: Kérkyra) Area of island: 592 sq. km/229 sq. mi.

Altitude: 906m/2,973ft

Population: 100,000

Corfu (Kérkyra), the most important and most northerly of the Ionian Islands, lies off the coasts of Albania and the Greek region of Epirus, at a distance ranging between two and 20km (one and 12.5mi). The beauty of its scenery, with gentle green hills in the south and rugged limestone hills in the north, rising to 906m/2,973ft in the bare double peak of Mt Pantokrátor, its mild climate and its luxuriant southern flora make Corfu a very popular holiday area. The island's main source of revenue, in addition to the increasing tourist trade, is agriculture. Corfu (known to the ancient Greeks as Korkyra) is believed to be the Homeric island of Scheria, home of the Phaeacians and their king Alkinoos. The earliest traces of settlement point to the presence of farming peoples, perhaps incomers from Italy. Colonized by Corinth in 734 B.C., Korkyra developed into a considerable power which threatened Corinth itself. A Corinthian naval victory over Korkyra in 432 B.C. in the Sybota Islands (probably at the mouth, now silted up, of the river Kalamas) was a major factor in the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. In 229 B.C. it was occupied by the Romans, who called it Corcyra. In the division of the Roman Empire in A.D. 395 Corfu fell to the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire. The medieval name of Corfu appears to be derived from the Greek name Koryphoi ("Peaks"). From 1386 to 1797 Corfu was held by the Venetians; then, after a brief period of French occupation, it passed to Britain in 1815 along with the rest of the Ionian Islands. It was returned to Greece in 1864. In the course of its eventful history Corfu suffered frequent devastation, so that most of its ancient and medieval remains have been destroyed.

Airport is 5km/3mi south of Corfu Town. Scheduled flights from Athens several times daily (50minutes). Direct flights from London and other UK airports.

Ferry services: Igoumenítsa-Corfu (10 daily); Patras-Corfu, weekly; also ferry connections with Italy (Brindisi, Bari, Ancona, Otranto) and Croatia (Dubrovnik). Local services: Corfu-Paxí; Corfu-Erikoúsa-Mathráki-Othonian Islands; Corfu-Kefalloniá (Sámi)- Ithaca-Patras.

The island celebrates the anniversary of its reunion with Greece on May 21 and the Lefkimmi Fair is held at the beginning of July with folk dancing.

The Feast of St Spyridon is held annually on November fourth.