The beautiful island of Corfu is geographically in the far north west of Greece, lying within sight of Albania, just off the coast of the Greek mainland and about 75km from the heel of Italy. The island, known as Kerkyra in Greek, is about 60km long and between 17 and 25km wide, giving an area of approximately 640 square km. The population is approximately 120,000 with 35,000 of those living in Corfu Town. Corfu is the most northerly of the Ionian Islands.
The island has a Mediterranean climate providing long, hot summers and warm, wet winters. Corfu gets a lot of rain during the winter months and is therefore very fertile and supports a large agricultural sector. The island is covered with vegetation which includes millions of olive, fig, pine and citrus trees as well as many vineyards.
Corfu is an island of contrasts with high peaks, the highest being Mount Pantokrator in the north east at 914 metres, and valleys such as the Ropa Valley in the middle of the island. It also has wetlands, such as Korission Lake, which is a thriving habitat for many species of birds.
Corfu is also a magnificent floral spectacle, especially in the springtime (April/May are the best months), but at all times of the year you will be stopped in your tracks by the splendour of the vegetation and wildflowers in the countryside, as well as the breathtaking displays provided in the villages by the ubiquitous bougainvillaea and geraniums.
Unlike many Greek islands, Corfu does not dry up in the summer months and offers some of the most spectacular scenery to be found anywhere in Europe. This variety of landscape, flora and fauna leads many people to feel that Corfu is blessed with the most beautiful countryside of all the Greek islands.
Its beauty was celebrated in the writings of the Greek poet Homer, whose hero Odysseus enjoyed a brief but beguiling stay here on his voyage home from the wars. A few centuries later, playwright William Shakespeare adopted Corfu as the magical island setting for "The Tempest". Today, Corfu's modern-day visitors are sure to find Corfu and its people as delightful and welcoming as Odysseus ever did.
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Geography 
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