Rural charm

Treat your stomach to a drive up Mount Pandokrator, northeast Corfu. The island has the Venetians to thank for its four-and-a-half million black olive trees (and Italy repays the gratitude – it’s the biggest importer of the island’s harvest). Most families grow olives, wine and kumquats for themselves – any surplus they sell for a few euros. The route weaves past stalls in dinky village squares: you’ll be pushed to find juicier elsewhere.

They say Paleokastritsa was the beach Homer was cast upon in the Odyssey. He was lucky – on the west coast you’ll find some of the loveliest scenery in Corfu, and if Paleokastrítsa evolved rather haphazardly, that can’t hide the dramatic beauty of its bay, pock-marked with little caves. Boats wait at the pier, ready to guide tourists into these aquatic nooks – the most stunning is the Blue Eye, which, thanks to a quirk of rock formation, appears to be lit from the depths below.

Unlike many smart restaurants, which shut outside the tourist season, the three traditional tavernas in the pebbly little northeastern bay of Agni are abuzz year-round – not least because they are decently priced and gourmet-good. Try Nikolas Taverna (Agni Bay; 00 30 266 309 1136) for sofrito (veal in white-wine sauce with garlic). Now loosen your belt, sit back, breathe out and relax.

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Greece in winter is its own season, coursing with ritual. Visit the Church of Ayios Spyridon on December 12, the name day of St Spyridon, and witness the power of devotion. The patron saint is held in high reverence – if an islander likes you, you can expect to hear ‘O Aghios Spyridonas mazi sou’, which means ‘May Saint Spyridon be with you’. Born a lowly shepherd in 290AD, he became the Bishop of his native Cyprus, his remains arriving in Corfu hundreds of years after his death. Come at Easter if you want to witness the first of some grand island processions in honour of the saint. The whole thing starts at 11am on Palm Sunday, at the church dedicated to him in Corfu’s old town – shiny with icons, it’s an event in itself.

It’d be hiker’s heresy not to mention the 200km Corfu Trail. It opened in 2001 and takes walkers from one end of the island to the other, avoiding urbanity wherever possible – if you are keen to eschew 21st-century Corfu, this is how to do it. To break yourself in gently, the Trail’s planners suggest you walk south to north since the first half is easier-going. If 200km sounds a little lengthy (it takes an estimated 10 days), you can limit yourself to small parts (for packages, see www.travelling.gr/corfutrail).

Make yourself understood: When you’re shopping for pretty handmade linens say ‘I-ne po-ly a-kri vo’, to let them know it’s too expensive to even contemplate. You’re not a savvy shopper unless you haggle. green credentials: Corfu is also known as the Emerald Isle for its lush vegetation. Faux Pas: Don’t refuse a Frappé. The ingredients may not seem so glamorous (Nescafé, sugar and water blended with ice cubes) but all self-respecting Corfiots drink it instead of breakfast. £10 buys: About five bottles of delicious roadside-stall olive oil or wine.

Where to stay

No expense spared

Grecotel Eva Palace (00 30 266 109 0003, www.grecotel.com). Gracing the Kommeno peninsula, 10km from Corfu Town, is this superbly relaxing, couples-only resort, with a private beach and serene palm-edged pools. It has a spa and open-air à la carte restaurant – one of the best on the island – and there’s also an excellent spa and restaurants in adjacent Greco hotels: the Corfu Imperial and the family-orientated Daphnila Bay Thalasso. Sea-view doubles from £130, B&B.

Siorra Vittoria, 36 St Padova Street, Corfu Town (00 30 266 103 6300, www.siorravittoria.com). With a simple, sink-into elegance, this 19th-century townhouse hotel is the result of a sensitive renovation that has created nine rooms with many original features intact. It also has a pretty garden – handy for escaping high-summer crowds. Doubles from £99, room only.

Middle of the road

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