 Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. The island is part of the Corfu Prefecture. The principal town of the island is also named Corfu, or Kerkyra in Greek. Corfu is home to the Ionian University.
The coastline is about 217 km including capes. Two high and well-defined ranges divide the island into three districts! The highest point is Mount Pantokrator.
Capes and promentories include Agia Aikaterini, and Drastis to the north, Lefkimmi and Asprokavos to the southeast and Megachoro to the south. There is an island in the middle of Gouvia Bay which extends across much of the eastern shore of the island; it is called Ptychia. Camping grounds can be found in Palaiokastritsa, Agrillos, two in the northern part, Pyrgi, Gouvia and Messonghi.
The name Corfu is an Italian corruption of the Byzantine "Koryphō", meaning city of the peaks, which is derived from the Greek "Koryphai", meaning Crests or Peaks, denoting the two peaks of the fortresses that enclose the city. The whole island, composed as it is of various limestone formations, presents great diversity of surface, and the views from the more elevated spots are magnificent.
Corfu has become an important port of call. Corfiotes have a long history of hospitality to foreign residents and visitors. Some Italian culture and cookery have been absorbed, and are particularly evident during August when Italian holidaymakers visit en masse.
Corfu has ferry services both by traditional ferries to Gaios in the island of Paxoi and as far as Patras, high speed ferries called Flying Dolphins to Igoumenitsa. There is also a small port of Lefkimmi at the southern tip of the island on Cape Kavos, that offers a ferry service to the mainland.
The Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport, is located around 3 kilometres south of Kerkyra just half a kilometre north of Pontikonisi.
The approach and landing, in a northeasterly direction, affords the flying passengers a spectacular aerial view of Pontikonisi and Vlaheraina Monastery as well as the hills of Kanoni as the runway used for landing is actually a few hundred meters away from these spectacular landmarks.
The airport offers domestic flights with Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airlines. Air Sea Lines, a Greek seaplane operator offers scheduled flights from Corfu to Paxoi, Ioannina and Patras.
Corfu airport is also connected to EU countries through scheduled and chartered flights. This includes scheduled flights from Germany and the United Kingdom. British Airways started at the end of 2006 its first scheduled flights to Corfu. They fly to Corfu 4 times per week: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat.
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