Corfu Town is the island’s charming capital, first established by the Venetians and subsequently a colonial hub for France as well as Britain. Its fascinating history has resulted in many architectural delights including the Venetian Fortress, mansions and palaces. Just 10kms away is the traditional village of Kynopiastes with its 17th century Agio Paraskevi Monastery, pretty churches and narrow tiled alleyways lined with traditional homes and shops.

Nymphes is a must-see village for its wells and waterfalls, linked with the legend of a nymph who bathed here regularly, captivating the local men. At the edge of the village is the small, ancient Askitario Monastery, originally home to a 5th century miracle-working monk.

The town of Paleokastritsa is a bizarre mix of modern beach resort and monastic community set in lovely, unspoilt countryside. Panagia Theotokos Monastery dates from the 13th century although most of its buildings are from the 17th century. The local museum holds the skeleton of a sea monster and the beaches here are perfect for a relaxing afternoon and refreshing swim. Local boats offer trips to grottoes and caves.

For holidaymakers with children, a day at the Aqualand water park is an essential part of any holiday. One of Europe’s best water parks, it’s set just a short drive from Corfu Town and covers over 70,000 square miles of innovative slides, from gentle to scary, as well as rides, pools, attractions, eateries and other delights. Shows of Greek dancing and traditional music are also part of the fun.

The former fishing village of Benitses is one of the most traditional of all the Corfu resorts and lies 12kms from Corfu Town. Visitors keen on golf will enjoy a game at the Corfu Golf Course, designed by architect Donald Carradine. For the best view on the island, head for Mount Pantokrator, Corfu’s highest peak, the summit of which is accessible by road.

Corfu’s landmarks focus on its architectural delights which stretch over six centuries, as well as its sheer natural beauty. Forts and castles, royal palaces, historic, ornate Greek Orthodox churches, monasteries and several museums tell of the island’s past and the occasional incongruity gives a special flavour to sightseeing on the island.

One such architectural delight is Corfu Town’s early 19th century Regency Palace of St Michael and St George, home to the Museum of Asian Art. The collection of Ming Dynasty ceramics, Tibetan temple art, Indian sculptures and Japanese ukiyo-e prints may seem incongruous here, but are fine examples of their periods and dynastic styles.

The Church of St Spyridion was built in 1596 and holds the mortal remains of the saint, smuggled to Corfu after the fall of Constantinople. The silver reliquary lies in the small side-chapel and is carried around Corfu Town four times a year in a splendid procession. The interior of the church is beautifully decorated and holds many silver objects.

Corfu Town’s medieval quarter is now a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Venetian palaces, cobbled squares and ancient churches. The Venetian Old Fortress guards Corfu Town from its promontory and contains the lovely Church of St George, and Mon Repos in Kenoni is a former royal palace set in glorious landscaped gardens and now home to an interesting archaeological museum.

Set in the village of Gastouri, the Achilleion Palace was built for Empress Elizabeth of Austria and is a magnificent white marble structure with an over-the-top, sumptuous interior. After the empress died, the palace was bought by Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, who visited it regularly until WWI broke out.

Corfu Town is the island’s hub for entertainment and nightlife, with many visitors preferring a leisurely dinner followed by a wander to a café on the Esplanade for drinks, Greek music and good conversation. A good number of bars and small tavernas back the beaches and give great sunset views. Night spots with cool music and hot dancing are found along the coast between the town and Gouvia beach resort, with a choice of typical Greek nightclubs, Greek music venues and lively places such as the well-known Corfu by Night.

For the young party people set, it has to be admitted that Corfu isn’t Ibiza, but the clubs along Kapodistriou offer the latest music and, past the New Port, there’s a strip of flashy dance clubs which are guaranteed to please. For more sedate evenings, open-air orchestral and band concerts on the Esplanade are the thing, and sound and light shows give a glow to the evening. The Corfu Festival kicks off in September, offering opera, theatre, ballet and concerts by international as well as Greek artistes.

If you’re feeling lucky, you’ll find the Corfu Holiday Palace with its glittering casino, although you’ll need to be 23 or older to get in and mingle with the international set crowding the place in high summer. Opening hour is 20:00 and, as with the nightclubs, closing is at 03:00. Evening boat cruises offering dinner and drinks are another popular night-time option, with the bonuses of fresh, cool sea air and the view of Corfu by night.

Corfu cuisine reflects the island’s Venetian heritage, with pasta dishes such as pastitsada (layered beef and pasta with a spicy tomato and béchamel sauce), the local version of a much-loved Italian recipe. Meat, especially veal, plays a major part in the island’s gastronomy, is locally reared and served with parsley, garlic and wine vinegar in the traditional sofrito. As with all Mediterranean islands, Corfu has seafood as an important source of protein, served stewed in a tomato sauce as bourdetto or with herbs, lemon juice, lashings of black pepper and root vegetables as bianco.

Olive oil from the island’s many groves as well as the olives themselves is widely used, and its strong, somewhat bitter flavour adds to the taste of each dish. Although dishes common to the rest of Greece, such as moussaka and marinated, skewered lamb, are found on most menus, Corfu cuisine has many unique culinary delights which are not found on the mainland or other islands. Many delicious traditional recipes hark back to when all the ingredients were thrown into a pot and simmered for an entire day.

Chicken is popular, grilled or roasted, and the feta and kefalotiri cheeses are an important part of many dishes. Corfu has few vineyards, but the wine produced here is perfect with the cuisine, as is the local Retsina wine. Ouzo, distilled from vine stalks with aniseed added for flavour, should be sipped while munching olives, and Greek beer is served freezing cold. Desserts are traditional, using filo pastry, chopped nuts and lashings of local honey. The best tavernas for authentic Corfu food are local favourites away from the main tourist drags.