Ionian Islands

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Traditional Greek fishing boat on the sea in Assos village.

©Pawel Kazmierczak/Shutterstock

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Overview

With their cooler climate, abundant olive and cypress trees, and forested mountains, the Ionians are a lighter, greener variation on the Greek template. Venetian, French and British occupiers have all helped to shape the islands’ architecture, culture and (excellent) cuisine, and contributed to the unique feel of Ionian life.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Palaio Frourio

Corfu Town

The rocky headland that juts east from Corfu Town is topped by the Venetian-built 14th-century Palaio Frourio. Before that, already enclosed within…

Achilleion Palace

Corfu Town

Set atop a steep coastal hill 12km south of Corfu Town, the Achilleion Palace was built during the 1890s as the summer palace of Austria's empress…

Corfu Museum of Asian Art

Corfu Town

Home to stunning artefacts ranging from prehistoric bronzes to works in onyx and ivory, this excellent museum occupies the central portions of the Palace…

Kastro

Kythira

Crowning the rocky headland that soars at the southern end of Hora, this tumble-down 14th-century fortress was built by Kythira’s first Venetian governor…

Myrtos Beach

Kefallonia

From the road that zigzags down to it, you'll understand why Myrtos is touted as one of the most breathtaking beaches in all of Greece. From afar it's…

Petani Beach

Kefallonia

The highlight of the Paliki Peninsula is breathtaking Petani Beach, a spectacular strand of white sand and pebble that’s enough to entice a jaded mermaid…

Byzantine Museum

Zakynthos

This magnificent museum of ecclesiastical art is housed in a beautifully restored building on the central waterfront plaza. Almost everything here was…

Myrtiotissa Beach

Corfu

Writer Lawrence Durrell hailed Myrtiotissa as arguably the best beach in the world. Now dominated by nudists, it remains relatively pristine because it’s…

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