Corfu Holidays
Corfu Vacations or Holidays. Why not have a vacation or holiday in the Greek island of Corfu. It can be a super place to have a vacation or holiday in. You may want to see the beaches, the historic sites, the culture of the island. You may want to visit the important sites of the area.
The name Corfu is an Italian corruption of the Byzantine Korypho-, meaning city of the peaks, which is derived from the Greek Koryphai , meaning Crests or Peaks, denoting the two peaks of Palaio Frourio. In shape it is not unlike the sickle, to which it was compared by the ancients, the hollow side, with the town and harbour of Corfu in the centre, lying toward the Albanian coast. With the island's area estimated at 227 square miles (588 km2), it runs approximately 40 miles long, with greatest breadth at around 20 miles. Two high and well defined ranges divide the island into three districts, of which the northern is mountainous, the central undulating, and the southern low-lying. The most important of the two ranges is that of Pantokrator San Salvador the ancient Istone, which stretches east and west from Cape Falacro to Cape Psaromita, and attains its greatest elevation in the summit from which it takes its name. The second culminates in the mountain of Santi Jeca, or Santa Decca, as it is called by misinterpretation of the Greek designation Hagioi Deka , or the Ten Saintsos. The whole island, composed as it is of various limestone formations, presents great diversity of surface, and views from more elevated spots are magnificent. Beaches are found in Agios Gordis, the Korission lagoon, Agios Georgios, Marathia, Kassiopi, Sidari, Palaiokastritsa and many others. Corfu is located near the Kefalonia geological fault formation and as such earthquakes are sometimes experienced. But the fact is that Corfu town and countryside has not lost its traditional architecture from 16th century to a succession of earthquakes.
Corfu's coastline spans 217 kilometres (135 mi) including capes; its highest point is Mount Pantokrator (906 metres (2,972 ft)); and the second Stravoskiadi, at 849 metres (2,785 ft). The full extent of capes and promentories take in Agia Aikaterini, Drastis to the north, Lefkimmi and Asprokavos to the southeast, and Megachoro to the south. Two islands are also to be found at a middle point of Gouvia and Corfu Bay, which extends across much of the eastern shore of the island; are known as Lazareto and Ptychia (or Vido). Camping areas can be found in Palaiokastritsa, Agrillia, with four in the northern part, Pyrgi, Roda, Gouvia and Messonghi.
The town of Corfu stands on the broad part of a peninsula, whose termination in the Venetian citadel is cut off from it by an artificial fosse formed in a natural gully, with a salt-water ditch at the bottom, that serves also as a kind of marina and is called Kontrafossa. The old city, having grown up within fortifications, where every metre of ground was precious, is a labyrinth of narrow streets paved with cobblestones, sometimes tortuous but colourful and clean. These streets are known as "kantounia", and the older amongst them sometimes follow the gentle irregularities of the ground.
Palaio Frourio
The old citadel (Palaio Frourio literally: Old Fortress is an old Venetian fortress built on an artificial islet with fortifications surrounding its entire perimeter, although some sections, particularly on the east side, are slowly being eroded and falling into the sea. Nonetheless, the interior has been restored and is in use for cultural events, such as concerts and Sound and Light Productions, when historical events are recreated using sound and light special effects. These events take place amidst the ancient fortifications, with the Ionian sea in the background.
Ano and Kato Plateia and the music pavilion
Near the old Venetian Citadel a large square is also to be found, divided by a street in two parts: "Ano Plateia" (literally: "Upper square")and "Kato Plateia" (literally: "Lower square"). This is the biggest square in South-Eastern Europe, and replete with green spaces and interesting structures, such as a Roman-style rotunda from the era of British administration, known the Maitland monument, built to commemorate Sir Thomas Maitland.
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