By thinking a little about your holiday destination before you travel, and taking some simple steps

when you are there, you can gain so much more from your holiday. You will also be making a positive

contribution to the people and the places you visit.

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2 Make Holidays Greener / Insider Guide to Corfu

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The Ionian island of Corfu is located just off the West coast of Greece. Corfu enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate along with excellent beaches. It is very green compared to other Greek islands: hot, dry summers combined with winter rain creates lush vegetation which is dominated by over 2 million olive trees.

A BIT OF HISTORY

Many myths and legends feature Corfu including: Hercules, The Odyssey and Jason with his Argonauts. The island’s Greek name, Kerkyra, comes from the nymph Korkyra, daughter of the river Asopos. According to a myth, Poseidon, god of the sea, fell in love with the beautiful nymph Korkyra and abducted her. Corfu has a colourful past, with Greek, Roman, Venetian, British and French occupations having left their mark.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

Corfu Town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and this has helped to protect and preserve the architecture and monuments on Corfu which include fortresses, churches, museums and monuments. It is well worth spending a day here for a rich cultural experience.

GET OUT AND ABOUTKeen to use more environmentally friendly forms of transport? Exploring Corfu by walking, cycling or using public transport is easy and will bring a new and different experience to your holiday.

Corfu is an ideal destination for a keen walker. The North is fairly rugged with Mt. Pantokrator its highest mountain. Beneath the mountain is Corfu’s oldest village, Ano (Upper) Perithia. At the other extreme is Korission Lake (in the South), an inland lake, separated by a thin sand bar from the sea.

The Corfu Trail is a 222km long footpath covering the full length of the island. The route is well signed and a book accompanies the trail which you can download from the internet at www.thecorfutrail.com

There are two types of bus in Corfu - Blue buses serve Corfu town and the environs, Green buses serve the rest of the island. Local buses are a cheap way to travel, but the bus timetables are a little difficult to find and often change without notice! The best way is to ask a local. Often a ‘Kafenio’ is opposite a bus stop, and doubles as the bus shelter. Simply pop inside and ask when the next bus should arrive.

HELP PROTECT TURTLE POPULATIONSThe Loggerhead turtle is the only turtle known to nest in Corfu. You can do your part to protect these species by....

1 Not shining bright lights onto beaches at night. This confuses turtles as they mistake the light for the moon when making their escape to the sea.

2 During the day relax on your sunbed close to the sea. Turtles use the soft sand at the back of the beach for nesting, and these nests can be crushed by umbrellas and beds.

3 Many turtles are injured by jet skis and other water sports equipment, so if you plan on having fun in the sea, please drive slowly!

MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS…The famous book about Gerald Durrell’s idyllic childhood on the island reveals an abundance of fauna both on land and water. It is still possible to stumble upon wild tortoises on country walks or to spot dolphins on the horizon. Corfu is blessed with many endemic and rare wild flowers and herbs. Lemons, oranges and figs grow everywhere – look out for them as you stroll around the streets in your resort.

3 Make Holidays Greener / Insider Guide to Corfu

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LEARN THE LOCAL LINGO!Making an effort to say a few words in Greek will really impress the locals. It’s great to be able to say please (‘parakalo’) and thank you (‘efharisto’) in the local language, rather than relying on the locals to speak English.

You might find the following phrases helpful:

Good morning ka-lee-me-ra / Καλημέρα!

Good afternoon ka-lee-spe-ra / Καλησπέρα!

Good night ka-lee-neekh-ta / Καληνύχτα!

Goodbye khe-re-te / Χαίρετε!

Yes ne / Ναι

No okh-ee / Όχι

Please pa-ra-ka-lo / Παρακαλώ

Yes please ne pa-ra-ka-lo / Ναι παρακαλώ

Thank you ef-kha-rees-to / Ευχαριστώ

No thank you okh-ee ef-kha-rees-to / Όχι ευχαριστώ

Excuse me me seen-kho-ree-te / Με συγχωρείτε

Sorry lee-pa-me / Λυπάμαι

Where is … pou ee-ne … / Πού είναι…;

My name is … to o-no-ma mou ee-ne … Το όνομα μου είναι…

What is your name?.... pos se lene ? / Πώς σε λένε;

I am from … ee-me ap-o teen … / Είμαι από …

I’d like … tha ee-the-la / Θα ήθελα…

How much is ….? po-so stee-khee-ze / Πόσο στοιχίζει;

Please write down the price se pa-ra-ka-lo gra-pse mou tin ti-mi / Σε παρακαλώ γράψε μου την τιμή.

Delicious! no-sti-mo / Νόστιμο!

ENJOY THE LOCAL FOODEating to Greeks is life itself. It is a time for Greek families to get together and socialise. The traditional highlight of the week is Sunday lunch - a long drawn-out affair - often lasting many hours. Like them you will discover that a Greek holiday is all about eating!

Meals are to be lingered over, try a selection of starters (mezzedakia), main courses of fresh locally caught fish and tender meats, organically grown salads garnished with herbs and home-pressed olive oil.

…AND WINEGreek wines are also well worth trying. As well as the traditional ‘village wines’ there has been real progress in Greek wine production and superb choices are available.

…AND GINGER BEERCorfu was a British protectorate and ginger beer is one of the British style drinks that the locals adopted with enthusiasm. The Greek version is simply excellent. Ask for it at restaurants and coffee houses. Locally it is called “Tsitsibeera”.

…AND OLIVE OILCorfu is famous for its 2 million olive trees. Olives form an essential part of Greek life and the Greek diet and many locals earn a living from harvesting olives and producing olive oil.

KAFENIOA Kafenio is the local village gathering place and used to be the traditional refuge of the Greek male (but nowadays it includes everyone). Each village will have at least one or two. They are usually close to the village square and are easily identifiable as there will be a few old chairs outside and a couple of tables. Although a coffee shop, you will also find many locals drinking ouzo, brandy, beer and soft drinks. Sometimes

a few essential groceries will be on sale. Some Kafeneia will offer a mezze with your drink - this can be anything from a few olives and a little feta cheese to a whole assortment of local dishes. The refreshments and mezzedakia, however, are almost incidental to the proceedings, which can vary from gossip to political discussion, putting the world to rights. There will be gentle musing, through to a game of tavli (backgammon). During a visit to Corfu, you must take time to visit your nearest Kafenio and the locals! Tourists are always made welcome.

Some Kafeneia will offer a mezze with your drink - this can be anything from a few olives and a little feta cheese to a whole assortment of local dishes.

4 Make Holidays Greener / Insider Guide to Corfu

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SOUVENIRSIf you are on the look-out for something traditional and locally made, there are many places selling beautiful crafts made of olive wood.

FESTIVALSThere are many local festivals or ‘paniyiria’ during the summer in Corfu, particularly July and August, though there are some in June and September. “The Corfiot” newspaper lists the major ones, but there are many others that only the locals know about. Just ask around.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE… While the island’s azure-blue seas are one of the big draws for holidaymakers, the land itself can become very dry during the summer months, and water is a precious commodity.

You can help to conserve water by taking short showers, instead of baths, and reusing towels.

HELP TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENTHotels in Corfu are increasingly environmentally-aware, offering internal recycling options and encouraging visitors to keep waste to a minimum, for example through schemes which reduce use of plastic bottles or through reuse of towels. You can also help to do your bit

on the island through even the smallest measures such as:

● Re-using a plastic cup, rather than taking a new one for each drink. You can also help by only using straws when totally necessary.

● Taking a reusable shopping bag with you.

● Removing all unnecessary packaging before you leave home.

● Be sparing with electricity - remember to switch off lights and air conditioning units when you leave your room, and don’t leave the TV on standby.

For further information on how to make holidays greener, please visit www.makeholidaysgreener.org.uk

● Re-use your towels and bed linen - by not changing your towels every day, you’ll be helping to save water, electricity and chemicals used for laundry.