THE CORFU TRAIL
Officially dedicated in April 2001, the Corfu Trail, meandering 220 kilometers (137 miles), is now a destination in itself. This way-marked and sign-posted path connects many existing trails to create a linear experience of Corfu, from Arkoudillas at Corfu's southernmost extreme to Cape Agia Ekaterini on the northern shore. Avoiding heavily developed areas, it meanders through diverse landscapes, up and over mountain slopes, down through olive groves, along lonely beaches and through picturesque villages. Instrumental in obtaining European Union funding for the project, Corfu author Hilary Whitton Paipeti maintains the Corfu Trail website, where you can request guidebook information and recommendations on local accommodations.
CHOOSING A PATH
Both The Book of Corfu Walks and the Second Book of Corfu Walks, by Hilary Whitton Paipeti, contain maps and historical notes on hiking Corfu. They can be found in bookstores that cater to English-speaking visitors (such as the one on G. Theotoki, Corfu Town), or you may contact Hilary by email at The Corfiot, the island's English-language monthly magazine. Landscapes of Corfu, by Noel Rochford (Sunflower Books), a concise pocket-sized book, contains every twist and turn of 20 different walks around the island, with tips on how to use buses to access trailheads. All of the walks described in this article can be found in these guidebooks.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
International airlines such as Delta and Virgin Atlantic provide regular trans-Atlantic service to Athens, which is the connecting point to all Greek islands. From Athens, you can book a 45 minute flight to Corfu on any of three competing airlines—Olympic, Aegean, or Air Greece—with several flights departing daily.
For lodging on Corfu, do your planning online. The Kerkyra Network bills itself as the"complete holiday and business directory" of Corfu, providing a range of information from the current weather forecast to a listing of all the hotels on the island, including contact information and links. The @ Corfu Home Page provides extensive information in six languages. Greek Islands.com: Corfu borrows from the Toubis guidebook for a quick visual overview of the island. Greek Islands Net is a great source of Corfu-related links, with everything from history to travelogues.
from Away.com
