Corfu North: Mon Repos Roman Villa, the British Lord High Commissioner Palace, Northern Fishing Villages, Kassiopi, and the Albania Crossing
The Corfu north and heritage circuit covers the Mon Repos Roman villa birthplace of Prince Philip, the British-built Palace of St. Michael, the northern fishing villages of Agios Stefanos and Kassiopi, and the Albania crossing by boat.
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Mon Repos Villa: Prince Philip's Birthplace
Mon Repos, the neoclassical 1830s British Lord High Commissioner residence in the Archaeological Park south of Corfu Town, is the birthplace of Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh who was born there in 1921 during the Greek royal family's Corfu residence. The estate contains the ruins of the Hellenistic Kardaki Temple and the 6th century BC temple of Hera and is the primary archaeological park in the Corfu suburb, open to the public as the Museum of Paleopolis.
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The British Palace: The Palace of St. Michael and St. George
The Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu Town, the neoclassical Maltese limestone palace built by the British between 1819 and 1824 as the Lord High Commissioner's residence, is the most impressive British colonial building in the Ionian Islands and now houses the Museum of Asian Art, one of the most unexpected museum collections in Greece with the Gregorios Manos collection of Chinese and Japanese art assembled by the Greek diplomat in the 19th century.
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Northern Corfu: Agios Stefanos and the Quiet Villages
The northern Corfu villages of Agios Stefanos Sinion, Acharavi, and Kassiopi on the northeast tip, with the Kassiopi Byzantine fortress ruins and the clear water of the Kassiopi bay, are the most unspoiled and most beautiful part of the Corfu coast, with the Albanian mountains visible across the 3-kilometer channel and the small fishing boat harbor of each village providing the encounter with the pre-tourism Corfu coastal community.
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Albania by Boat: The 30-Minute Crossing
The Corfu to Saranda Albania ferry crossing of 30 minutes by the Finikas Lines hydrofoil connects the most western point of the Ionian archipelago to the Albanian Riviera and the ancient city of Butrint, the UNESCO World Heritage Roman and Byzantine city on the Albanian lagoon that is the most significant archaeological site in Albania. The crossing from Corfu to Albania is the shortest EU to non-EU border crossing in the Mediterranean and the most accessible Albanian destination from Greece.
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Corfu Carnival: The Pre-Lent Tradition
Corfu Carnival, held in the weeks before Lent and the most elaborate carnival celebration in the Ionian Islands, with the costume parade and the burning of the King of Carnival effigy in the Spianada esplanade, is a tradition dating from the Venetian occupation. The Corfu Carnival is more Italian than the Greek carnivals of the mainland and reflects the Venetian cultural influence that distinguishes the Ionian Islands from the Aegean island culture.
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Ionian Islands Hop: From Corfu South
The Ionian Islands chain from Corfu south through Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia, and Zakynthos, connected by regular ferry services and the internal Ionian Airlines flights, provides the most complete island hopping circuit in Greece for the combination of the cultural heritage, the natural beauty, and the variety of island character from the Venetian sophistication of Corfu to the dramatic Shipwreck Beach of Zakynthos. The Ionian circuit is the most geographically logical multi-island itinerary in Greece.