Corfu

Homer may have described Corfu as Scheria, the mythical island of the Phaeacians where the shipwrecked Odysseus was rescued by Princess Nausicaa — and standing on the island's northeastern shore, gazing across the narrow strait to the Albanian mountains, the identification feels entirely plausible. The Venetians ruled Corfu for four centuries, from 1386 to 1797, and their legacy permeates every cobblestone: the Old Fortress and New Fortress guard the harbour approaches, the Liston arcade — modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris — lines the Spianada, the largest square in Greece, and the narrow kantounia (alleyways) of the old town create an urban labyrinth that earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2007.

Corfu — Kerkyra in Greek — possesses a lushness unusual among the Ionian Islands. Winter rains and mild temperatures nurture dense olive groves (the island claims four million trees), tall cypresses, kumquat orchards, and wildflower meadows that blaze with colour in spring. The northeastern coast shelters elegant bays — Kalami, where the Durrell family lived in the 1930s and which Lawrence Durrell immortalised in Prospero's Cell, and neighbouring Kouloura, a tiny horseshoe-shaped harbour of almost painful beauty. The western coast, by contrast, offers dramatic sunsets over sheer sandstone cliffs at Loggas Beach, accessible by a precipitous wooden staircase.

Corfiot cuisine reflects the island's complex cultural heritage. Sofrito — veal escalopes braised in white wine with garlic and parsley — is the island's signature dish, a legacy of Venetian influence. Pastitsada, slow-cooked rooster in a spiced tomato sauce served over thick pasta, reveals Italian roots transformed by Greek sensibility. Bourdeto, a fiery fish stew made with scorpion fish and liberal quantities of red pepper, has its origins in the Venetian brodetto. The island's kumquat liqueur, produced from fruit found almost nowhere else in Europe, makes a distinctive digestif. For a morning ritual, seek out a traditional kafeneio in the old town for a Greek coffee and a slice of sykomaïda, a fig and anise cake.

From Corfu's harbour, day trips radiate in every direction. The islet of Pontikonisi (Mouse Island), topped by a tiny monastery and reached by a short boat ride from Kanoni, is the most photographed spot on the island. The Achilleion Palace, built in 1890 for Empress Elisabeth of Austria ("Sisi") as a neoclassical retreat devoted to Achilles, offers gardens with sweeping views over the Ionian Sea. On the mainland, a ferry to Igoumenitsa connects to the ancient oracle of Dodona, the oldest in Greece, set in a mountain-ringed valley two hours inland. The Vidos Island, directly opposite the old port, served as a Serbian military cemetery during World War I and is now a peaceful nature reserve.

Corfu's strategic position at the entrance to the Adriatic makes it a natural port of call for Mediterranean itineraries. The island welcomes AIDA, Azamara, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Celestyal Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Emerald Yacht Cruises, Explora Journeys, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Holland America Line, Lindblad Expeditions, Marella Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic Ocean Cruises, Seabourn, TUI Cruises Mein Schiff, Viking, Virgin Voyages, and Windstar Cruises. Nearby ports include the mainland town of Parga, the islands of Lefkada and Paxos, and — across the Ionian Sea — the western Peloponnese. The best time to visit is May through October, with June offering wildflowers and warm seas before the peak summer crowds descend.