Kerkyra is located in the western part of Greece. The island belongs to the Ionian Islands cluster that is located at the Ionian Sea. Kerkyra covers an area of 592 m² and it has approximately 107.600 inhabitants. It is 58 km long and about 27 km wide.
Its geographical position attracted powers in the past, from east & west. y and the Italian city-states of Genoa & Venice. Through ancient history it was under the of the city-states of Athens & Corinth and later it was ruled by the Goths, Lombards, Saracens & Normans and was fought over from the kings of Sicily and the Italian city-states of Genoa & Venice.

Kerkyra is considered as having one of the most attractive countryside of all the Greek Islands. Touring around the island of Kerkyra you will come across Kerkyra (Corfu), the capital of the island, which is one of the most bedazzling towns of Greece. During your stay on the island of Kerkyra you have to visit Paleokastritsa, Benitses, Kavos, Gouvia, Sidari, Gouvia, Kasiopi, Dassia, Kontokali, Messonghi, Pelekas, Moraitika, and numerous other settlements that are all worth a visit.

On this cosmopolitan island, you'll be able to combine relaxation with good times and a full nightlife, for Kerkyra is an international tourist centre which can satisfy the demands of the most difficult visitor.
Its physical beauty of lush vegetation, combined with the typical Greek seascapes and the architecture of the British and the Italians attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The island of Kerkyra is an exceptional resort for your holidays as it combines breathtaking natural beauty, interesting historical sites and the unique mentality of the hospitable inhabitants.
The name Kerkyra (Corfu), by the way, comes from Korkyra, daughter of a river god, who was carried away by Poseidon, god of the sea. Myths and ancient history are never far from the surface on Kerkyra: many people have names like Penelope, Odysseus' loyal wife, and Alexander "the Great". Kerkyra Town looks very different from most Greek towns because of Kerkyra's unique history. From 1386 to 1797, Kerkyra was ruled by Venetian nobility; much of the town reflects this era, with multi-storied buildings on narrow lanes. In 1797, the French landed, occupied the town's fortress, and declared democracy, to the delight of local inhabitants-- but soon set up an upper-class government disliked by ordinary Corfiots.
In 1798, Russian ships arrived in the Ionian Sea, and inspired Corfiots to rebel against the French and the nobility.

After a brief civil war, the French surrendered; a Russian-Turk duo were briefly in charge and then, in 1799, an independent Greek republic of the Ionian Islands was established-- with Kerkyra as capital. But more relations between nations followed, and local rebellions too...
By 1814 Kerkyra was occupied again, this time by the British: an era that would last until 1864, and leave Kerkyra with a large grassy cricket field. From 1864 onwards, Kerkyra has been part of Greece: but its architecture remains much more Italian than anywhere else in Greece.