Ionian


A revamped resort on Corfu’s east coast is a tranquil base to explore the island’s many multicultural influences, finds Katie McGonagle


idyll


DESTINATIONS CORFU | GREECE, CYPRUS & BALKANS


TRIED


& TESTED


t Valmar Corfu hotel travelweekly.co.uk 12 FEBRUARY 2026 39


he rooftop bar is buzzing with the chatter of couples enjoying an early-evening aperitif as we step out onto its sweeping terrace, tree-covered hills rising


to form a dramatic backdrop behind us while the still waters of the Ionian Sea spread out straight ahead. Just across the narrow Straits of Corfu sits the Greek mainland at its border with Albania, the shadowy ridges of these neighbouring coastlines disappearing into a pink-tinged mist as the sun sets, casting everything in a warm, soft glow. Or maybe that’s something to do with the wine tasting


we’re enjoying amid these scenic surroundings at the Tarazza Rooftop Bar in the recently reopened Valmar Corfu. Formerly the four-star Ionian Sun, this all-inclusive resort was completely refurbished and reopened last July to become part of Louis Hotels’ Elegant Collection of five-star properties. We sample a white assyrtiko from Santorini, a rosé from


the Greek island of Evia, a pouilly-fumé from France and a valpolicella from Italy, a range the waiter proudly tells us is in tribute to Corfu’s multicultural heritage. This island is a melting pot of influences from its past rulers, including Venice – which dominated the island for 400 years, leaving it outside the sphere of the Ottoman Empire – and later the French and British. It's been in the cultural spotlight thanks to popular ITV


show The Durrells, telling the story of British naturalist Gerald Durrell and his family who lived on the island in the 1930s; as the birthplace of the late Prince Philip; and more recently as the setting for Amanda & Alan’s ²


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