The Unique Sights of Corfu that Won’t be in a Guide Book.

 Not all of the sights and activities in Corfu have a big hype to their names. You might hear a whole song and dance about Achillion palace and the view from the old fortress, ect. But just because they aren’t listed in a guide book, doesn’t make these unique, Corfiot sights any less impressive and well worth an Instagram. These are some of the smaller perks Corfu has to offer for those who don’t mind an exploratory walk without a map.

A moment in the middle of a busy day in Old Town Corfu.

The Abandoned Homes

Despite the heat, walking quickly became one of my favourite activities in Corfu. As you walk along any given road you can see perfectly kept ‘mansion’ villas next door to dilapidated houses without rooves.

Two houses in town almost next door to each other.

The Island is still rebuilding after the crisis but you can still see the battle scars all over the residential and retail areas. Rather than being an eye-sore, I like to look at these fading façades as a piece of history and they only seem to elevate the beauty of the homes and shops that remain intact.   

The Guard Dogs of the Gardens

It would appear that everyone owns a pet that wants to kill you. Walking along the road, dogs run up to their gates to ward you off. I must admit, staying in a stranger’s home in a country I don’t know is made a lot less scary when I see Snowy dart off across the garden to bark at passing cars and unsuspecting pedestrians.  

Snowy guarding the house.

Rather than putting me on edge, being barked at from a million different directions is somewhat comforting; knowing that these animals can’t be rewired like a bugler alarm.

The Plant Covered Buildings

There is always something wonderful about the way that nature creeps back up to reclaim an abandoned building or a forgotten bike on the side of the road. It always reminds me of Jurassic Park somehow, the way the plants grow back up through the floorboards of an empty shop. It’s like nature carrying on from where humans failed.

These plants and flowers grow all over the shops and cafes in Old Town.

Even the buildings that are still occupied are usually covered in beautiful flowers. Cafés and restaurants are made that much more inviting by being surrounded by the intoxicating smells of jasmine and honeysuckle.

The Citrus Trees

You know you’re in Corfu when every other tree is dripping with yellow and orange ball balls like a mad Mediterranean Christmas! Orange and lemon trees are super common in the gardens of homeowners and mixed in with the fields of olive trees and carefully cultivated vineyards. This pop of colour is not only beautiful but if you happen to have one in your garden; they are really handy as well.

The lemon tree in Miri's Garden.

One of my favourite parts of house sitting in Corfu is the fact that I can stroll into the garden, pick a fresh lemon and slice it up to put into my ice tea in the mornings, bliss.   

The Crooked Old Ladies

Gravity seems to have an accelerated effect on some of the elderly ladies out in Corfu. Walking along the road you may regularly encounter old women wearing floral dresses and headscarves who appear to be almost bent in half as they shuffle along, going about their daily business.

Image via Pinterest, (I do not own this image.)

Other than the overwhelming need I feel to pick them up and help them to their destination, I saw this charming little feature of the people of Corfu as a testament to how active and resilient the elderly population remains here, despite any infirmities.

The Kittens in the Cracks

Corfu, like mainland Greece, has a pet population issue. Many of the residents either cannot afford to spay and neuter their pets, or they are against doing so. This has caused a massive amount of stray animals to roam the streets and sift through the rubbish bins. Whilst this might be very sad for an animal lover like myself to see, it does mean that you will occasionally see a bundle of kittens curled up in the broken window pane of an abandoned house or an adorable dog might follow you home in the hopes you’ll feed him.

Found this cat raiding the bins underneath a beautiful flowering bush.

The Roadside Botanics

You could write a book on the massive variety of plants and flowers that can be found by the side of the road, (I’m sure someone already has, I’ll look it up.) Everyone here seems to take immense pride in their gardening, whether it’s a series of perfectly maintained flowerbeds in the front garden, or a tiny apartment balcony covered with potted plants and hanging baskets.

The sea of cacti on the side of the main road to Pelekas

But it’s not just in the domestic that beautiful botanics can be found. All along main roads, tiny country lanes or growing up through the public pavements are wild poppies, muscari, giant daisies, geraniums, cacti blooms, orchids, cornflowers and hundreds more. If you have a passion for plants, Corfu is a must visit garden of Eden.  

A well kept balcony in town.

That’s my top sights that won’t appear in a guide book. I will be doing a blog post on the top tourist attractions, things to do and free or super cheap activities to do in Corfu soon, but for now I just wanted to share some observations from my casual walks about the towns and villages.

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