Corfu island
In the Greek archipelago of the Ionian Islands, of which it is the second by extension with almost 614 square kilometers of surface, the island of Corfu is the one situated more to north, precisely in front of the coastline of Epirus, the geographical and historical region of the south-Eastern Europe, between southern Albania and north-western Greece.
Corfu is also the name of the island’s capital, whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To the north of the city, especially on the eastern coast, there are many beaches.
The island is very crowded in the summer and many residents live off tourism, but agriculture is also an important source of income. The territory is mountainous to the north and flat to the south and is known for being characterized by attractive countryside. Olive trees predominate, and figs, oranges, lemons, grapes, corn are also cultivated. In many areas, which have not been marked by mass tourism, nature is still untouched; the cultural offer is also valuable.
In short, you can definitely go to the beach, but there are many other things to do in Corfu.
Ferries to Corfu departing from Italy
Below we find out how to reach this island by ferry, called in Greek Kerkyra, starting from the Italian peninsula, whose heel tip is just over 80 nautical miles (150 km scarce). The journey can be made with or without a vehicle.
The Brindisi – Corfu route is active only in summer, from mid-July to early September, thanks to the Grimaldi Lines fleet, which sails two times a week and takes eight hours to reach its destination.
Also the Ancona – Corfu route is performed exclusively during the summer: the Grimaldi Minoan Lines carrier is operational from mid-June to mid-September with two runs per week lasting 19 hours and a half; in the summer months there is also the possibility to sail on the route with the joint venture units Anek Lines – Superfast Ferries, which reach the island also from Venice; the route Venice – Corfu is carried out, however, only in mid-season (in June and September).
On the route Bari – Corfu are operating the ferries of the shipping companies Anek – Superfast and Ventouris Ferries in July and August.
Getting to Corfu via Igoumenitsa
How to get by ferry to Corfu from Italy in spring, autumn and winter? At this time of year you have to go first to Igoumenitsa and from here take another ferry, which takes just over an hour, to the island.
The ferries Bari Igoumenitsa take approximately 9 hours to arrive in the port of Gomenizza from which depart then to the island; the same goes for the route Brindisi – Igoumenitsa.
On the route Ancona – Igoumenitsa the naval units of the company of navigation Grimaldi Minoan Lines and those of the Anek Lines in collaboration with Superfast Ferries operate all the year. The crossings are daily.
The route Venice – Igoumenitsa, operated by Anek – Superfast, is traveled three times a week and in medium season there is, for a run, an intermediate stop in Corfu.
Igoumenitsa – Corfu ferries
The distance between Igoumenitsa and Corfu is 18 nautical miles: it takes about an hour and 30 minutes to complete this route. The shipping companies Kerkyra Lines, Lefkimmi Lines and Kerkyra Seaways guarantee several departures every day of the year, scheduled from early morning until late evening.
The port of Igoumenitsa is the most important port of the northwestern Greece, and is second for passenger flow only to that of Piraeus; it is located close to the city center. The pier of the central dock is that used for the international connections, while the pier of the north dock is used for the moorings of the ships of the national drafts.
The Corfiot port in which the active ships operate on the national and international routes is the New Port (Neo Limani), but some runs arrive at the second port of the island, that of Lefkimmi; being located on the southern coast of the island, the route that from Igoumenitsa arrives here is shorter, with a journey time of about three quarters of an hour.
