Package deals are among the easiest ways to travel with children, writes AILISH CONNELLY, who got to Corfu hassle-free before embracing all the sun-drenched Greek island has to offer
SPIROS, THE Greek boatman, quickly dropped a peck on both my cheeks and announced gleefully, “I will be back. But first I must curse that fool over there with the bubonic plague.” And off he marched across the stone floor of Elena’s Taverna in Psara, outside the village of Messonghi, Corfu, to harangue a perfectly innocent-looking man quietly sipping his retsina.
The husband and I sighed happily. It was business as usual. George, Elena’s son, old friend, new dad and man possessed of an encyclopaedic knowledge of this beautiful place, had taken our order of grilled feta, courgette balls, salads and souvlakis, after cursing us for our tardy return to his beloved homeland. The local wine was starting to flow. The evening was warm, a pink light playing on the slopes of distant mainland Greece, the soft breeze enveloping us with the scent of lilies. Our children were noisily meandering around the olive trees, hunting small lizards and insects, best mates already with other holidaying youngsters. We were back. The Greek chorus of our vacation had begun as delightfully as we anticipated it would, with colour, clamour and just the correct level of chaos.
Corfu, or Kerkyra, the 33km-long, most northerly of the Ionian Islands, is perched a few kilometres from the mainland where the Greek and Albanian border meets. It’s one of those Greek islands that can offer many different types of holiday, from a luxury villa for the independent well-heeled visitor, to package holidays, to the backpacking gap-year student looking for cheap rooms. The beauty for many northern European families, crawling out from under their rocks, yearning for a glimpse of the sun, is that Corfu has an airport. It cuts down on the rigmarole of connecting ferries from Piraeus, Athens. I’ll leave that to my offspring when they turn 18 and enjoy that rite of passage: island-hopping, living on a plate of chips a day.
I’m slightly bemused by people who sniffily tell you they hate packages. They’d rather push up the daisies than take a cheerfully thrifty, no-brainer break.
We booked our holiday through Budget Travel, it being the only operator that flies direct from Dublin to Corfu and, honestly, package deals are one of the easiest methods of travelling with children. On to the flight, with its fairly generous 20kg-per-person baggage allowance; picked up on arrival at the airport for the 40-minute transfer to Loulass village aparthotel in Psara, Messonghi; down winding, heart-stoppingly narrow roads festooned with garlands of flowers and deposited at our hotel, hassle free.
Having left Dublin at 8am, by 2pm we were stretching our toes into the blissful blue waters of the Ionian Sea, crunching the pebbles of Messonghi beach underfoot.
Because of its abundant rainfall, Corfu has a rich, verdant landscape, and because of its size you are never more than 15 minutes from the coast. Olive groves are scattered throughout the hilly terrain, dark nets rolled up beneath the canopy of the trees, ready for harvesting the fruit come October.
Corfu boasts dozens of spectacular beaches: shingly on the eastern side, the calm seas sheltered by the mainland at such beaches as Benitses, Ipsos, Moraitika or Messonghi; sandy on the western sides, where the coast faces the open Ionian Sea and where large waves allow for surfing. Try Agios Georgios (the guys in Malibu Taverna at the far left end of the beach will bring your calamari and ice-cold beer right down to you on your sunbed) or, should you feel so inclined, Mirtiotissa, the unofficial nudist beach.
Paleokastritsa, dismissed by our Greek friend George as too touristy, is simply one of the most beautiful places on Earth and a must-see. On the northwest coast of Corfu, it’s approached by a narrow zig- zagging road. You travel round a hairpin bend and suddenly the vista opens out beneath you: small fishing boats bobbing in a clear turquoise cove, seafood tavernas edging the beach and that extraordinary sunlight bleaching everything – that light that almost sears the back of your eyes. You can imagine Homer’s adventurer Odysseus landing here, to be tended by his protectress Nausika. Sure, it’s a bit touristy, but only because it’s drop-dead gorgeous. We had a delicious three-course lunch for €11 per adult at the Apollon restaurant and then flopped under a parasol on the half-moon strand for the afternoon, dipping into the crystal waters to cool off, while the children swam and played, Gussie, our youngest, attempting to morph into the Sandman.
Car hire is good value in Corfu and, as the island is small, you can see most of it in a few days. Most rentals are economy cars; the roads are narrow, winding and Corfiots drive like the clappers, passing out pootering foreigners on blind corners and stopping in the middle of tiny village streets to pass the time of day.
Corfu town is worth a visit, but it’s hot and busy during the summer months. Time a trip in the relative cool of the evening. The Venetians occupied Corfu for 400 years till the end of the 18th century and left legacies of the Serene Republic in the public buildings, the squares, the fortified town walls and many private dwellings. Wander the kandounia, the narrow stone-paved streets, visit museums such as the Byzantine Museum or the Museum of Asiatic Art, slip into one of the many churches or sip coffee on Kapodistriou, a pedestrianised thoroughfare.
Near the village of Gastouri, the Achilleon Palace, built by Elizabeth, Empress of Austria, between 1890 and 1891, is a huge neoclassical villa set in stunning gardens, with important works by Italian painter Galopi and the Austrian Franz Matt. The Achilleon Palace is a perfect stop-off in the dead heat of early afternoon.
A boat trip is another must on an island like Corfu. We joined the aforementioned Spiros on his boat for a fabulous day on the glassy waters of Boukaris and Lefkimmi bays. We swam in warm seas, on sandbanks and in lagoons, caught crabs on rocky headlands and, back on board, dined on salads, bread and local wine, while listening to Greek music and wild stories from our host. A heavenly day on a heavenly holiday.
You can have any kind of holiday you like on Corfu. You can park poolside, or explore ancient churches, you can dine on fresh fish in waterfront tavernas, catch fireflies as night falls, watch vivid green and orange butterflies flutter among the geraniums and bougainvillea, wander dusty potholed byways; find fun and companionship in a local hostelry; and waken to the ever-present chatter of birdsong. You can find your own private Greek chorus.
Where to stay
Loulas Village Aparthotel. Psaras, Lefkimi, 00-30-26610-75293, loulas-v@otenet.gr. Family-run hotel and apartment complex with good facilities, nice pool area and incredibly friendly staff. Set in a quiet rural location, it’s a 10-minute walk to the nearest village, Messonghi, and 100 yards from the sea and some good tavernas.
Rossis Beach Hotel and Apartments. Messonghi Beach, 00-30-26610-75352, www.hotel-rossis.com. Right on the beach in the village resort of Messonghi, this laid-back hotel complex is well run, clean, has friendly staff and good food.
Tango Bar Apartments. Paleokastritsa, 00-30-26630-41227, www.tango-apartments.com. Bright airy apartments on the edge of a cliff – great views.
Hotel Bella Venezia. Corfu town, 00-30-26610-46500, www.bellaveneziahotel.com. Old world, Venetian-style palazzo that is now a hotel.
Where to eat
Taverna Dionysos. Psara, Messonghi, 00-30-6974- 329786. Small Taverna set in a garden with a delicious selection of Greek and international dishes.
Klimataria. Benitses, 00-30-26610-71201. One of the best seafood restaurants in Corfu, run by a Greek husband and Irish wife.
75 Steps. Spileo, Messonghi, 00-30-26610-75028, www.75Steps.com. It feels like 1,000 steps, but the views across the whole of southern Corfu are worth it. With gorgeous terraces and riotous banks of flowers everywhere, the best time to visit is when the sun is just nodding off behind the horizon.
Restaurant Rex. Kapodistriou, Corfu. 00-30-26610-39649, rex1932@otenet.gr. Set on the bustling Kapodistriou, you can watch Corfiots and tourists alike while dining on good traditional food.
Snack Bar Elena. Messonghi, Psaras, 00-30-26610-75582. Delicious, wholesome, home-cooked food. Generous portions and great value in this bustling family taverna.
Taverna Malibu. St George South, 00-30-26620-52998, www.corfu-malibu.gr. Rediscover your inner hippie at this reasonably priced cliffside taverna. Typical Greek menu plus seafood. Very reasonable prices.
Apollon Restaurant. Hotel Apollen, Paleokastritsa, 00-30-26630-41211, www.corfu-apollon-hotel.com. Set just off the beach in the stunning resort of Paleokastritsa, this restaurant has a super three-course lunch/dinner offer.
Where to go
New Fortress. Solomos Street, Corfu Town, 00-30-26610-27370, open 10am-4pm daily. Interesting for its military architecture, this Venetian fort has panoramic views across the bay and the old town of Corfu.
Corfu Town Esplanade. Wander the ancient defensive walls of Corfu town, taking in the port, old fortress and new fortress and the Kapodistriou pedestrian area with boutique shops and cafes. Jewellery is a good buy in Corfu.
Mouse Island, a small islet with an ancient monastery at Kanoni. Reach it by boat from Corfu town.
Paleokastritsa. Visit this famous gulf with its six bays and take some time from your day on one of the beautiful beaches to walk up to the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigis, set high upon a rock overlooking the bay.
The Archeological Museum. 5 Vraila Street, Corfu, 00-30-26610-30680, open 8.30am-3pm (9.30am-2.30pm Sun; closed Mon). Important discoveries from the ancient Temple of Artemis and other ancient artefacts dating from the sixth century BC.
Boat trips. We took a trip from Messonghi River, where there a number of boats operate. All excursion boats are licenced and are inspected twice yearly for safety. There are boat trips on offer from every resort. You can negotiate the price and details of the trip directly with your skipper. Contact the tourist office in Corfu town at 00-30-26610-37638.
Go there
Budget Travel (Budgettravel.ie; 01-6311111) has weekly direct flights from Dublin plus all-in holidays to many resorts in Corfu running from May to October. Thompson Holidays (www.thompson.co.uk) runs flights and holidays from Belfast to Corfu.
Malev Airlines (www.malev.com) flies Dublin to Corfu via Athens. KLM (www.klm.com) Royal Dutch Airlines flies from Cork to Corfu via Amsterdam. Connect to Manchester, Bristol or London Gatwick with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) or Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) from Dublin, Cork or Shannon to fly Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) to Corfu.