"We have another... 34 Guests and 9 Users watching this website. "
I want to speak to those anonymous 34 guests. And any others who come across this post in the future.
Corfu has seen a big decline in tourism over recent years, I guess because it was so popular in the past and people now want new things. Well you need to think again. The names you see in the list of users, including mine, are people who have sampled the offer that Arillas, in the North West of Corfu can provide. And come back year after year, knowing what they can expect. Many of us are firm friends as a result of meeting there, and just as much with the villagers themseves.
The first impression can be misleading. A simple, rural ex fishing village with narrow roads, no high-rise, laid back and taking its time. But that hides dozens of superb family-run businesses which provide true Greek hospitality, set against a mile of lovely beach. The sea is shallow and warm, an ideal setting for families with young children, who are welcomed in every establishment. The welcome is real, and is such a contrast to the "plastic smile" reading from the script "customer service."
There is something for everyone. Teenagers can bop their nights away in the Malibu Bar in complete safety, and that includes the recycled middle aged ones! Yes, I have been known to join in.... Meanwhile their olduns can be enjoying a more sophisticated drink in the Coconut Bar next door.
The village is surrounded by beautiful countryside, ideal for the walkers who want to find new flora and fauna, or simply gasp at the amazing views.
Romantic couples can find plenty of locations, for example the deck above Horizon Hotel to sip drinks and ignore the rest. But beware - they reckon the water promotes pregnancy! Many romances began in Arillas, or blossomed into much more. Many
older couples find a chance to renew their own romance - Jen and I are amongst them. They call us "the lovebirds," and we are in our late fifties.
Older folk can find peace, pleasure and contentment amongst simple surroundings. They are just as welome as the tiny tots.
Arillas prides itself on providing exellent food and wine. Authentic Corfiot cuisine, but much more as well. And dozens of choices all over the village. Far too many to try during a two week stay.
To those 34 guests, why not sign up and read the whole forum.
It might change your life. For the better.....
Phil