1. Pleasant, peaceful, welcoming atmosphere, lots of flowers, pretty colors, beautiful green landscapes (particularly in the northern part of the island) a varied coastline and attractive olive orchards
2. The locals are charming, friendly, and polite, and even thank foreigners for coming
3. Clear seas of emerald green or opalescent blue, first-rate, clean beaches, including my favorites: Paleokastritsa Beach (on the north-west coast of the island) and Notos Beach (which you can only reach by car)
4. The fishing village of Kassiopi, where tourism has not yet displaced authentic everyday life.
5. There’s a lot of fun to be had going out in the evening as well
6. It’s easy to travel around the island, even with a hired moped
7. Plenty of sights, with historic monuments, including the summer palace of Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) and the Channel of Lovers at Sidari
8. A family-friendly island
9. Seeing the local Orthodox priests, who seem to live a simple, puritan lifestyle, riding past on a bicycle or sitting on the bus. There are many interesting Orthodox churches too, all smelling sweet of incense
10. The city of Corfu is an interesting mix of Greek and Italian influences
11. The olive groves in the interior of the island are beautiful
12. The tranquil bay of Agios Stefanos on the east coast
13. Agios Gordis Beach on the west coast
14. Halikounas beach on the southern coast
v.g. photo
14. The delicious and filling appetizers
15. The view from Mount Pantokrator
1. Some tourist cons in the popular places, and pushy African street vendors
2. Swarms of biting mosquitos (!) in the summer, and the heat can be oppressive
3. Crazy drivers, and very narrow, winding roads full of bumps and potholes
4. A lack of public restrooms
5. Hordes of tourists in high season (July and August)
6. Noisy, drunk, unpleasant young British holidaymakers, especially in the south of the island, and more than enough self-important Italians as well
7. The coastline is very rocky in many places, and the sea is sometimes full of seaweed
8. Seafood is too expensive
9. Some might even find Corfu boring after a while, as its many interesting sights aren’t for everyone
10. Some beaches aren’t great
11. The Channel of Lovers may be a bit overrated
12. Litter disposal is a constant and very visible problem
13. Due to the narrowness of the sewage pipes you can’t flush toilet paper, but have to throw it into the trash bin (which I find disgusting)
14. Outside the old town of Corfu, the island shows Greece’s economic problems all too clearly (abandoned buildings and shuttered businesses)
15. Damp and mildew can be a problem, on account of the high humidity
16. Outside the city, buses hardly run on a Sunday
17. Difficult to get Wi-Fi in many parts of the island