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IONIAN ISLANDS All the linked books featured on this page can be ordered securely on-line by clicking on the title or picture where one exists. Our inventory of books, replete with currency converter can be found by clicking on the little orange thingy below:
Go to Saronic Isles
Compiled by Markos Stephanou and Stelios Jackson Ó for the Hellenic Bookservice, 91, Fortess Road, London. If you have any queries or suggestions or wish to add your link, please contact Stelios
These were once known as Britain's Greek Empire, which ended in 1864 when Britain ceded them to Greece as King George I's dowry. They're a rainy group from October to March - Corfu in particular gets more precipitation than London - making them all rather green. There are few ancient sites of above ground significance and precious little intact medieval heritage. This last is the result of a devastating earthquake in 1953 which levelled the lovely towns of Lefkada, Kefallonia and Zakynthos in particular.
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General Books on the Ionian Islands:
The Rough Guide to Corfu and the Ionian Islands by John Gill. The usual Rough Guide expertise. The best all-round guide to Corfu and the Ionian Islands.
The Lonely Planet Guide to the Ionian Islands. LP's alternative to the Rough Guide, well written as you'd expect.
Corfu and the Ionians by Dana Facaros A nice book to island-hop with. T
Greek Island Hopping by Frewin Poffley I used this book for the first time in March 1998, having always believed in the past that its uses would be limited. What a pleasant surprise I was in for. This is a terrific book, not only for the ways and means of getting between islands and mainland ports but as a guide book in its own right. Particularly good for freelance travellers, hopping the Cyclades or Dodecanese. SJ
The Greek Islands: Guide to the Byzantine and medieval buildings and their art, by Paul Hetherington. This will appear on all the island pages as it a) covers every group and b) it is excellent. There are omissions but that is to be expected and this is an essential read for anybody interested in the Byzantine period and the Orthodox church. Detailed descriptions of over 300 locations of medieval buildings, especially monasteries, found on 47 Greek islands. A wonderful book. SJ
Ionian: Corfu to Zakynthos and the Adjacent Mainland by Rod Heikell Essential for the yachtsperson, Rod Heikell's 'Greek Water pilot' is the bible for 'yachties' ( I've been one, so I know) and will probably be on the boat if your going to join a flotilla. This is a slightly more portable version just to the Ionian Islands.
Flora and Fauna books can be found by clicking on the triffid
Antipaxos (see Paxos)
(Also known as Kerkyra) Corfu, once called Britain's Greek empire (Corfu town has its own cricket club), is a fascinating and diverse island. There are plenty of unspoilt areas with peace, quiet and some lovely walks and beaches for those that wish that, or discos aplenty for those who'd prefer to boogie the night away. Close to the Albanian border it apparently gets more annual rainfall (almost all of which falls from the end of October to the end of March) than London, making it a very green island. Despite the heavy colonial influences, Corfu is big enough to retain its own character, whether in the depopulated villages of Mt. Pantokrator in the north, some rambling country estates or the more recherché alleys of the old town. Package tourism is in a slump of late, which has seen the revision of some of the crasser excesses of the east coast resorts. The best beaches are on the western coast anyway. No ruins, just the two castles of the main town (plus another at Angelokastro) and thousands of olive trees.
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Holiday company: The Greek Islands club come here Greek Islands Club ... or Sunville Museums: Antivouniotissa Byzantine Museum Sites: Palaiopolis (Mon Repos Estate) Books:
In the Footsteps of Lawrence and Gerald Durrell in Corfu (1935-39): A Modern Guidebook, by Hilary Whitton Paipeti with additional material by Peter Harrison. This is a lovely little booklet detailing the Durrells' life on Corfu. It is small (in size and it only has 64 pages) but perfectly formed.
The Second Book of Corfu Walks: The Road to Old Corfu, by Hilary Whitton Paipeti. The 2nd edition of this book is 103 pages long and details 23 walks and 4 "mountainbike tours" in Corfu. A splendid book, which I shall one day use if I survive my walk across Crete in 2003. SJ PS: There never was a "First book of Corfu Walks", only a first edition of this.
The Corfu Years by Edward Lear. A lovely book of the pictures that Edward Lear painted in the years he spent in Corfu.
Prospero's Cell by Lawrence Durrell. A very readable anthropological and topographical look at Corfu and its residents. I am a great fan of Lawrence Durrell's travel writing, though not of his novels.
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. An amusing tale of family life in Corfu with scorpions and brother Lawrence. A classic in the field
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An almost waterless island - there is only one spring - with three coastal resorts: Vathy the capital, Kioni the most exclusive resort and Frikes in the north which is an alternative ferry port to Vassiliki on Lefkahada (day trips can be taken to Fiskardo -the name Fiskardo derives from the Norman "Fishguard - on Kefallonia from Kioni). Most visitors love Ithaca and the locals return the compliment. I spent a tremendous week here with a couple of friends in 1990, and Ithaca remains one of my favourite islands. Walkable with good beaches, friendly villagers and goats who climb trees! Odysseus' island is verdant and is perfect for that get-away-from-it-all type holiday, while still able to bring you some of those home comforts. Book ahead if you plan to go in July or August. Holiday company: The Greek Islands club come here Greek Islands Club or... Musuems: Stavros Archaeological Collection Book:
Cephalonia and Ithaca. A lovely colourful book, though the "Ithaca" part has only 11 of its 127 pages
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Also available is Welcome Guide to Kefallonia and Ithaca booklet and map. Link:
In severe danger of becoming known as 'Captain Corelli's island' after the superb novel by Louis de Bernieres (see below), Kefallonia's charms are manifold. Due to its size and some of the best beaches in Greece, Kefallonia can and has to cope with a great deal of tourism. Along with Zakynthos, Kefallonia endured the 1953 earthquake and must fall back on its natural endowments to attract visitors. The beauty spots to make for are Assos with its castle on the west coast and its nearby beach of Myrtos; and Fiskardo in the far north which largely escaped damage and is now chocka with flotillas. A day trip from Fisgardo to Kioni on Ithaca is a viable option. Natural wonders include the caves of Melissani, with lakes inside, and Drogarati, used for concerts on occasion. Both are near the east coast port of Sami which is where most ferries arrive. Argostoli is the more attractive capital in the southwest with a range of non-package accommodation. Mount Aenos, in the centre of the island, is the original home of the Cephalonian fir (abies cephalonica) a striking tree found in low mountain forests across Greece. Car hire is definitely recommended. Holiday company: The Greek Islands club come here Greek Islands Club or... Museums: Argostoli Archaeological Museum Korgialeneion Historical and Folklore Museum Sites:
Books
Captain Corelli's Mandolin a novel by Louis De Bernieres This is a magnificent novel. Set on Kefallonia during, first Italian, and then German occupation of the island, the author weaves a magical tale of human courage and love against all odds. A wee bit flawed on the political front (the communists who made up around 50% of Greece's population at that time are all 2 headed baby eaters and the sympathetic socialist wasn't a communist, so precisely who did he vote for?), this is however essential reading wherever you go but of course even more so here.. SJ Also available in Modern Greek
Captain
Corelli's Island: byAndy Harris and Terry Harris Cephallonia (Kefallonia)
Herbs, Trees and traditions of Cephalonia, including festivals, byAnna Maria Simpson with illustrations by Gerasimos Razis-Galiatstatos. A wonderful book detailing the traditional uses of the plantlife found on Kephalonia, with a short section on the festivals that take place on the island every year. 117 pages.
Cephalonia and Ithaca. A lovely colourful book, the vast majority of which is on Kephalonia
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Also available is Welcome Guide to Kefallonia and Ithaca booklet and map
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Kythera. Yes, I too think of Kythera as an Ionian island but it's officially an Argo Saronic one so you'll find it here
Lefkas or Lefkada (Levkas or Levkada) The ' white island' (named after its white cliffs) is as much of an island as the Peloponnese is. A canal 70 foot wide separates Lefkas from the mainland and a swing bridge connects it back again. Not the prettiest main town in Greece but once explored you'll realise Lefkas has something for everyone. Vassiliki was voted as the third best place to windsurf in the world. The foothills around Nidri are really lovely with plenty of little villages to stop and have a drink in. The island of Meganissi has accommodation and you can either get a ferry there or hire a wee boat with an outboard motor. There was an Egyptian felucca called the Ayesha crewed by an English couple stationed here a few years ago. If you get a chance to sail on her, do! I know that Thompson holidays had it as one of their options. Aristotle Onassis' island Skorpios is just off the coast and you can take a trip there on a look but don't touch basis (i.e. you will not be allowed off the boat). There is an army guards to make sure you don't. There are plenty of good beaches on the west coast, from Ai-Nikitas down. There is also good hill walking to be had around the central villages. Finally, the local hero was a German (memories of the second world war are still strong so there aren't many Greek islands that you can say that about) named Dorpfeld, a very eminent archaeologist who was convinced that Odysseus' home island of Ithaca was modern day Lefkada. Sadly not too many people off this island subscribed to this theory and general opinion is that the Odysseus' island of Ithaca was probably....Ithaca! Holiday company: The Greek Islands club come here Greek Islands Club or... ...Sunville Musuems:
Lefkada (Skorpios, Meganisi and Porto Katsiki): Tour of the town, the countryside and the villages. 142 pages of colour photos and text, which will be cheaper in Greece seeing as it's published there
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Wonderful islands for walking, Paxos is small, waterless and almost completely covered in olive trees. Both Paxos and its neighbour are relatively unspoilt though the latter is becoming extremely popular with the yacht-set. On my first visit to Paxos in 1977 I found it almost untouched by tourism and spent the whole time walking (I used the Greek Islands Club's fantastic little guide book 'Paxos: Walking and Wild Flowers) and trouped pretty much the whole of the island in a week. Since then, the tourist trade has taken-off somewhat but it seems to be sympathetic to the island's way of life. Antipaxos is worth a day-trip, especially as the beaches tend to be better there and you can nip over to the mainland resort of Parga and so on to some new adventures (see Mainland Greece/Epirus). Holiday company: The Greek Islands club come here Greek Islands Club Books Landscapes of Paxos by Noel Rochford. A great book for the walker or explorer with its own fold out map. One of the Sunflower series. Picture and link to follow
Paxos:Walking and Wild Flowers by Martin Sands. An invaluable pocket guide book and worth the money even if it ignored the vegitation altogether. Not stocked at present and available from the Greek Island Club/Sunville Greek islands club Not sold by HBS
Old Paxos: Glimpses of the Past By John Forte. An elogated book this, hence my dreadful scan of the front cover ( it would show an Edward Lear sketch, sorry), with a number of sketches and b/w photos illustrating "old Paxos" intermingling with text from John Forte.
Exploring Paxos and Antipaxos by Susan Valerie Omar. Splendid travel guide which includes a map of Paxos and its satellite island Antipaxos. Fully revised second edition is 114 pages long. Pictures are in black and white.
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A very green island , especially when compared to Kefallonia, Zakynthos is the furthest south of the Ionian Islands and has its own airport. It has quite a booming tourist trade and is a nice alternative to Corfu for those who wish to spend time on the beach. You may have seen the documentary series 'Island of Dreams' featuring a group of Shirley Valentine wannabes who arrived on their Greek package hol., found their own personal Greek God and stayed - or didn't as the case was! Exploring inland is well worth the effort with some lovely walks and beautiful scenery with villages such as Maherado, Tragaki and Kiliomeno which have much to offer including many surviving pre-quake houses. Mass tourism at its least savoury can be seen at Laganas bay where the tourist industry has dictated that bodies on sunbeds, noisy illuminated bars and permanent umbrella lugs are preferable to loggerhead turtles coming ashore on moonlit evenings to lay their eggs! The southeasterly 'appendix' beyond Mt. Skopos is by far the most attractive bit of the island with the best beaches and most unscathed countryside. Day trips to the Peloponnese can also be arranged and will be worth it especially if you can hire a car.
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Holiday company: The Greek Islands club come here Greek Islands Club or...www.sunvil.co.uk
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Museums: Museum of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art Solomos & Eminent Zakynthians Museum Monestaries: Monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos Monastery of Theotokos 'Anaphonetria' Site:
Books
Zakynthos: The Flower of the Levant: Large format guidebook to Zakynthos. 126 pages filled with colour photos
Zakynthos: Today and Yesterday: Samll format guidebook to the island of Zakynthos with 158 pages of colour photos and text.
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If you have a query about our pages or feel that it can be improved in some way let me know Stelios The Argo-Saronic islands are: Aegina (Aigina) Hydra (Idra or occasionally Ydra) Kythera Poros Salamina Spetsei (Spetses)The Argo-Saronic islands are the closest group to Athens; Aegina and Salamina are within the commuter-belt.
A very nice island within easy reach of Pireaus and consequently ideal for day trips from the capital or vice- versa. When I first came to this island in the early '70s I was assured that it was one of only two places in the world where the Pistachio nut (Aegines in Greek) was grown - clearly not the case any more. Aegina is not the most beautiful of the Greek islands, but is well worth visiting. If you're based on the island there is enough to do and see - the 5th century BC temple of Aphaias, for example - without having to leave, though day trips to Athens and Hydra are well worth making. Ayia Marina has become the most popular resort as it has the best beach on the island (which isn't saying much as this is definitely not a beach island). The main town is appealing, with a neoclassical waterfront and fine marketplace. There's decent walking on trails in the far south around the flanks of Mt. Oros (the silhouette of which is plainly visible from beaches in the Athens suburbs. The satellite islet of Angistri has more attractive scenery (pine forests) and beaches, with its small, attractive village-capital of Mylos.
Books: Nothing specific springs to mind. If you can think of anything let me know by e-mailing me Stelios
A very useful site to Aegina area is that of
United-Hellas, with information on the hotels as well as practical information on Aegina
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Holiday company The Greek Islands Club come here: Greek Islands Club Books: Nothing specific springs to mind. If you can think of anything let me know by e-mailing me Stelios
Link:
A nice site to the island of Hydra can be found here
Another one of those islands that falls between two groups, I always feel that I'm on an Ionian island when I visit Kythera but it is officially a Saronic island. Minoan remains, churches dating back to the 6th century and the main town with its castle perched upon an acropolis, all make Kythera a fascinating island to visit. Holiday company: The Greek Islands Club have accommodation here. Greek Islands club Museums: Archaeological MuseumCollection of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art Books: Nothing specific springs to mind. If you can think of anything let me know by e-mailing me Stelios Map
Museum: Books: Nothing specific springs to mind. If you can think of anything let me know by e-mailing me Stelios
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Famous for the battle of Salamis in 480 BC when the Athenian triremes destroyed Xerxes' fleet. As far as I'm concerned, the Persians are welcome to it. Not as ugly as it initially appears if you can be bothered to explore inland, it is, however, an industrial extension of Athens and pretends to be nothing other than that. Books: Nothing specific springs to mind. If you can think of anything let me know by e-mailing me stelios Museums: There is an archaeological museum in Salamis but I have no link for it. e-mail us
Known to some as the setting for John Fowles' 'The Magus', set in 1950 when Fowles taught at the now closed Anaryiros college, Spetses is, like Hydra, recovering from a spell of 1980's tattiness and is now an increasingly exclusive retreat for both Athenian weekenders and foreigners. An island that, until a series of forest fires recently, was extensively wooded and plans were under way when I was last there in 1993 to replant some of these areas. Lovely fine-pebble and sand beaches are better here than at Hydra, and amazingly little developed; the best are at Ayia Anaryiri and Ayia Paraskevi. The only real settlement is at Spetses town, on the north side facing the Peloponnese, where massive mansions line the shore from Baltiza harbour west to Dapia. The Greek national heroine and scourge of the Turks, Bouboulina Laskarina, who was said to have seduced her lovers at pistol point, hailed from here and her mansion is now a museum (the travel company that have taken her name have accomodation here). As at Hydra, the seafaring Albano-Greeks of Spetses contributed their vast merchant fleet to the war (of independence) effort, with significant results Holiday company: Laskarina come here, as you'd expect Laskarina Museum: Spetses Museum Books:
A nice site to the island of Spetses can be found here
Flora and Fauna
books can be found by clicking on the triffid |
