Ionian Islands, olive groves and coves facing Albania.

What are the Ionian Islands?

The archipelago of the Ionian Sea, on the west coast of Greece, facing Epirus and Albania. They are nothing like the Cyclades: here it rains in winter, the islands are green, covered in olive groves, and the architecture is more Italian than Greek, a legacy of centuries of Venetian rule. The beaches are coves beneath cliffs, often reached by boat.

For now, on Geocalia you have Corfu, the northernmost and best connected. It is a good choice if:

• You are interested in a city with history. Corfu's old town, between two Venetian fortresses, has been a World Heritage Site since 2007. You can walk it, from the Liston and the Spianada esplanade to the Old Fortress.
• You want coves and boats. The west coast, from Paleokastritsa to Porto Timoni, has caves and beaches that are best reached by sea. Boats of up to 30 HP can be hired without a licence.
• You walk. The Corfu Trail crosses the island from end to end, and Mount Pantokrator, at 906 m, has views to Albania.
• You travel without a car. The green buses reach Paleokastritsa, Kassiopi or Agios Gordios, and the blue ones go to the airport, Kanoni and the Achilleion.

Allow four or five nights. If you are driving through northern Greece, Corfu combines well with Zagori, about 130 km from the port of Igoumenitsa, and with Meteora, an hour and a half from Ioannina along the Egnatia motorway.

How do you get there from Spain?

By plane, with a connection. The route list for Corfu airport shows none from Spain, not even seasonal. The practical option is to fly to Athens and connect with Aegean, all year, or with Ryanair in summer: the flight lasts around 1 h 15. In summer Rome (ITA Airways, Wizz Air) and Milan (Wizz Air, Neos, Ryanair) also work. The airport is 2 or 3 km from the old town and the blue line 15 bus links it with San Rocco Square and the port roughly every hour.

By ferry from the mainland. Car ferries leave Igoumenitsa for the town's port, with up to 25 departures a day in high season and a crossing of 1 h 10 to 1 h 30; the adult fare starts at about €5 or €6 and the car is paid separately. For the south of the island there is a shorter crossing, from Igoumenitsa to Lefkimmi, of about 50 minutes. With so many departures, you don't need to sleep in Igoumenitsa to cross.

By ferry from Italy, with your car. In summer there are boats from Brindisi (about 6 h), Bari (8 to 10 h), Ancona (17 to 19 h) and Venice (once a week, about 25 h). It is the way to arrive by car or motorhome from Spain without crossing the Balkans.

Do you need a car?

For the town, no: the old quarter is covered on foot and a car gets in the way. For the island, it helps, but is not essential. The green KTEL Kerkyras buses leave from Eptanisou Avenue: to Paleokastritsa it is about 50 minutes for €2.80, and to Kassiopi, 1 h 15 for €4.30. The blue city buses cost from €1.30 if you buy the ticket at the stop; on board it costs more. If you hire, take a small car: many roads are narrow with an uneven surface.

When to go and what does it cost?

May, June and September. Average maximums run from 24 °C in May to 31.5 °C in August, when the coves fill up. October is already rainy and from November to March it rains a lot: Angelokastro closes, the Old Fortress opens from 8:30 to 15:30, campsites and beach hostels close and the ferries to Italy stop running.

Corfu is mid-priced, with a big difference between the resorts of the north-east coast and the campsites and hostels of the west. Some reference prices: the Old Fortress and Angelokastro, €10; the Achilleion, €7; a half-day boat hire, from about €50.