Greek island life: the Durrells’ Corfu is still a favourite with UK visitors

Corfu still has prices to suit the impecunious Durrells but not on the north-east coast.
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Cathy Hawker13 July 2018

Green hills, blue sea and endless olive groves: the colours of Corfu make it one of the most beautiful Greek islands.

Its position in the Ionian Sea, closer to the heel of Italy than to Athens and just a three-hour flight from London, makes it a long-term favourite with UK visitors.

Most head to the built-up southern coast, while further north lie blissfully secluded coves — but be prepared to pay for this special location.

Richard Cookson, a visitor for decades and now very settled on Corfu, says this is his favourite part of the Med.

“On the north-east coast where the Albanian coast gives protection from the wind, villas close to the water are in high demand and can rent for up to £44,000 a week.”

With his late ex-wife, Patricia, Cookson set up CV Travel in the Seventies, bringing an elegant crowd to the smart villas along the rocky north-east coastline, which became known as “Kensington-on-Sea” because of its popularity with well-heeled London families. The dreamy waterfront villa he and Patricia built, Villa Yeraki, now owned by their sons, can be rented through Villa Collective from about £5,000 to £29,000 a week.

British buyers love north-east Corfu’s wild beauty, agrees Andrew Langton of Aylesford International, but that’s only part of the appeal. “There are villas that are wonderfully peaceful and private yet within easy reach of the shops and facilities in Kassiopi, for example,” he says. “Visitors feel very safe here. The Corfiot people, like the Greeks in general, are overwhelmingly friendly and welcoming. You quickly feel you’re part of their family.”

On an exceptionally private peninsula north of Kassiopi, British owners are selling a substantial villa they designed and built 12 years ago. The airy, five-bedroom house comes with a wonderful swimming pool, white gravel paths meandering towards the sea and olive groves that produce 150 litres of oil a year. The villa and eight-acre gardens are priced at a steep £7.5 million, through Aylesford.

Above beautiful Agni Bay with good sea views, Savills is selling a homely three-bedroom detached villa and pool for £790,000. The 1,990sq ft house built in 2006 has gardens filled with lavender and rosemary and comes with a strong rental history.

“The three best bays in the northeast are Agni, Kassiopi and San Stefano,” says Nikos Nitsos of Savills Corfu. “Agni is popular because it is close to Nissaki and only 20 minutes to Corfu Town.”

Gentle Agni Bay has three tavernas. The oldest is Taverna Nikolas, overlooking the Med, opened by the great grandfather of current owner Perikles in the 1890s before any roads had been built.

All deliveries and customers came by boat and still today, many of Perikles’s customers, some loyal regulars for more than 30 years, arrive by boat, mooring on the wooden walkway before feasting on fresh fish and traditional Corfiot dishes.

AN ESTABLISHED BOUTIQUE B&B TO BUY

Mark Hendriksen and Saskia Bosch from West Hampstead lead a double life. Mark is a publisher and Saskia is a well-known Dutch voiceover artist but together they transformed three derelict properties into The Merchant’s House, a boutique B&B in north-east Corfu.

“Main noise is from owls”: Londoners Mark Hendriksen and Saskia Bosch set up a B&B in the mountain village of Old Perithia

“I came to see Old Perithia having read about deserted ghost villages,” says Mark. “It was a virtually abandoned Venetian mountain village where nature had taken over. We bought three terrace houses, renovated them and opened with six suites in 2012.” Guests come to walk among the wild orchids in the hills, to paint, write and enjoy the peace while being served fig-cherry jam, sourdough bread and lemonade, all made by Mark.

The Merchant’s House has won one of TripAdvisor’s highest ratings. “There’s no light pollution and the main noise is from owls but Old Perithia is very much alive,” says Saskia. “It’s popular for day visits and now has five tavernas.”

Work commitments mean they have decided to sell The Merchant’s House through Aylesford International for £1.3 million including all furniture and two acres of land.

GREAT PLACES TO STAY

Ikos Dassia — for Greek hospitality

Ikos has been making a name for itself since its first resort opened in Halkidiki three years ago. Its aim is to “reinvent the all-inclusive”, showing that all-in does not always mean quality is compromised.

The third Ikos resort opened in May on the coast in Dassia, north of Corfu Town. It’s a five-star hotel based around a long, sandy beach with lightflooded contemporary interiors and winning Greek hospitality. General manager Savvas Sidiropoulos calls it a “unique and revolutionary product, an extrovert all-inclusive serving Taittinger champagne as standard at prices that will reunite families”.

Eight restaurants serve Italian, Corfiot, French, Mediterranean and Asian dishes, there’s a wine cellar with 300 labels, a kids club, beach pedalos and tennis courts. Room service is free, as is the mini bar. Ikos has a fleet of bright free blue Minis and guests can eat for free at three local restaurants.

​Ikos Dassia takes almost 1,000 guests with 20 room and suite categories. Sea and Sky. Sea is more family focused while elegant Sky has grey velvet cocoon chairs and turquoise and sand-coloured detailing.

Destinology offers seven nights at Ikos Dassia from £1,589 per person, staying in a double room on an all-inclusive basis. This deal is based on two adults sharing.

MarBella Nido — for the grown-ups

Also new this summer, south of Corfu airport, MarBella Nido is a 70-room and suite adults-only hotel. Peaceful and romantic, it’s on a wooded hillside across the road from the beach and next door to its sister hotel, the family favourite MarBella Corfu.

The hotel resembles a Greek village, with low-level buildings in Corfiot colours of sand, palest yellow and terracotta with echoes of the Venetian arches seen in Corfu Town. The pleasingly unfussy design focuses attention on the views. All rooms and suites face out to sea, many with their own super-size hot tubs or pools.

Service is friendly, from smiling drivers who whisk guests up and down the hill on golf buggies to attentive cocktail waiters in the pool bar and restaurant. Other dining options include a buffet and also rooftop fine dining, for watching the sun sink into the Ionian. Destinology has seven nights at MarBella Nido Suite Hotel & Villas from £1,199 per person, staying B&B in a junior suite, based on two adults sharing.