Travel Tuesdays With Quilt: A 36-Hour Virtual Visit to Corfu
We have covered several islands in our digital travel series, including Tuvalu, Samoa, Vanuatu, and St. Kitts and Nevis. Islands and beach towns are always a favorite amongst wanderlust travelers around the world, so this week we decided to explore Corfu Island in Greece. A part of the Ionian islands located west of mainland Greece, it boasts of white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, a historical old quarter, and countless opportunities to stroll around.
We used our AI models to source recommendations from travelers on the Internet by studying their Instagram posts, YouTube videos, travel blogs, and TripAdvisor reviews. Our Culture AI detected the following emotions from Instagram photos:
Interestingly, a majority of posts feature individuals posing in front of historical buildings or the vast expanse of the sea from a viewpoint. The photos are vibrant and capture happy moments of solitude, exploration, celebration, and cultural immersion. There are posts dedicated to exploring every nook and corner of the island, with snapshots of inner alleys as much as the historical sites, showing us that there’s more to Corfu than just the sea.
Based on our AI-driven analysis of travelers’ posts, here’s a curated 36-hour virtual tour of Corfu, inspired by the New York Times’ 36 Hours travel series:
36 Hours in Corfu
DAY 1
10 AM: All roads lead to Old Town
Like most places, the best way to start exploring Corfu is with a walk down memory lane. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site that has two ancient Venetian fortresses from the time of the Ottoman Empire. With walkable cobbled streets and picturesque alleys, the streets are marked by Venetian and Neoclassical style buildings and restaurants.
To make the most of your time, take a walking tour. In case you can’t, don’t miss exploring the Old Fortress built by the Byzantines, Achilleion Palace (featured in the James Bond movie ‘For Your Eyes Only’), and St. Spyridon Cathedral, the final resting place of the island’s patron saint.
1 PM: Wine and Dine
In the afternoon, head to Salto Wine Bar for Greek wine and tapas. The restaurant comes highly recommended on TripAdvisor.
4 PM: Museum hopping
Post-lunch, indulge in some museum hopping with visits to one or more of the museums in Corfu. The Archaeological Museum has rare finds from the Temple of Artemis, the Antivouniotissa Museum is a museum of post-Byzantine religious art, and the Banknote Museum of Alpha Bank has a complete collection of Greek currencies from 1822 to date.
6 PM: Wine, gastronomy, and culture
Spend the evening at Ambelonas Corfu located in the west of Corfu town. A wine estate cum restaurant, you can take cooking classes, explore the estate, and devour island goat cheese, farm-to-food veggies, and the chef’s special roast pork. The estate also has spectacular panoramic views and an exhibition of pre-industrial equipment used in the production of wine and olive oil.
DAY 2
8 AM: Summit the highest peak
Start the day with a hike up to the highest peak in Corfu: Mount Pantokrator. From here, you can get a glimpse of Old Perithia, a ghost town dating back to the 1400s.
12 PM: Visit the Corfu British Cemetery
If you like visiting old cemeteries, the Corfu British Cemetery is a hidden gem. Primarily used as a military cemetery for British soldiers stationed in Corfu in the early 19th century, it has the bodies of casualties from both the World Wars. It is a lush green area with tortoises roaming around freely, making it a peaceful space to pay homage to the dead.
1 PM: Grab a Mediterranean meal
Have lunch at Trilogia Plous or O Mylos by Isla. Both serve delicious Mediterranean food with great views. Both restaurants are also great venues for sundowners and dinner.
3 PM: Take an Olive Oil tasting tour
Corfu has over four million olive trees! Olive oil is an important part of Greek cuisine and a walk through olive oil groves will give you a glimpse into how it is produced.
5 PM: Hit the beach for a sundowner
Corfu has a plethora of white sandy beaches to choose from and no visit to this gorgeous island is complete without plenty of vitamin sea. Paleokastritsa beach, Pontikonisi (Mouse Island), Canal d’Amour Beach, Mirtiotissa Beach, and Issos Beach are some options.
If you have more time on your hands, here’s a 7-day guide for Corfu:
You can then proceed to the other Ionian islands like Paxi, Ithaka, Lefkada, and Zakynthos — all of which are easily accessible by ferry.
LOGISTICS
How to get there Corfu is well-connected with mainland Greece by both plane and ferry. There are also direct flights from some parts of Europe.
Places to stay There are numerous luxury resorts, villas, and boutique apartments to choose from in Corfu. Kastraki Eplavis is great for small groups and families, while the Delfino Blue Boutique is great for honeymooners and luxury travelers. If you don’t mind staying a car ride away from the beach, The Merchant’s House located in Old Perithia makes for a lovely, quiet stay.
When to go
April-May and September-November are the best months to visit Corfu as the weather is pleasant and perfect for hiking and outdoor activities. The summer months, that is June-August are hot but great for swimming.
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Write to anurag.banerjee@quilt.ai to learn about AI-powered research.
Originally published at https://www.quilt.ai on May 17, 2022.
