Anyone been to Corfu? Would love to hear your impressions, can you do it alone, and what are some must sees. Thank!

Sally

Not my favorite port. Here are my short notes from the port.

CORFU, GREECE

Getting into town: A free shuttle is offered from the ship to the center of Corfu.

The Walled City: The shuttle stops right outside the old walled city. This is basically the ruins of the wall and very little is inside the city. There is a walk up to the top that offers a nice view of the surrounding harbor and small islands.

Downtown area: The main shopping area is directly across the street from the walled city. It is a maze of small winding streets lined with shops. The “Palace” is now an Asian Art Museum; we did not tour it to know if it is worthwhile or not. Horse-drawn carriages are available in the downtown area.

Achilleion Mansion: This may be the best choice in Corfu. The mansion was built by the Empress Elisabeth of Austria and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The mansion has been restored, the views are beautiful, and the villa is interesting, although it can be crowded. You can do this on your own with a taxi or take the ship’s tour.

Ship’s tours: These received mixed reviews. Some really enjoyed them while others found them not as interesting. No one tour was more popular than the others here – it depends on your interests.

Not really my favorite port either although I bought some great silver Greek jewelry at somewhat reasonable prices. Found it to be a nice place to sit at an outdoor cafe and drink a glass of wine and people watch.
Susan

Thank you Ngaire, I was hoping you would respond with your usual helpful experience. Do you think it would be worthwhile to get outside the main areas, ie, Corfu Town and into the countryside?

Sally

I honestly dont know as I did not do that when I was there. It is just not as interesting an island as the other Greek islands. However, as some as said it is very authentic and not as touristy.

I have to agree with Ngaire. Corfu was interesting, but not a highlight for us.

We did, however, have a wonderful time strolling the streets and looking in the stores. Andi, Doug, Alan and I met up with a street vendor who was hysterical. He had all kinds of odds and ends to sell. Andi and I had one hell of a shopping spree from his cart.

I do hope Ken will post on the lovely ring holder he chose as his grab bag gift on VOF. That was purchased in Corfu. That was the incredible find I selected for our gift exchange. I think they broke the mold after making that one! Ken, it's one of a kind, so I hope you have it locked away! :D

Be sure to tke a taxi to the mansion. It is not that far and the view is worth the trip. The flowers, gardens and the mansion itself is really beautiful. We strolled down the road (about 5 mins) to a lovely family run restaurant and dined outside overlooking the sea. Be sure to have the taxi that brings you set a time to pick you up. Also, bought some jewelery there that turned out to be very high quality. We thought it was 18k and it tuned out to be 22k as our hometown jeweler told us when we went to have it sized. There are lots and lots of jewelry shops on Corfu. Our jeweler here in Vegas said the quality was much better that the ones we purchesed in Florence. Cheaper too!