Welcome to BuyAssociation.co.uk

Greece: The Ionian Islands

Overview

Nearest Airports – Corfu, Kefallonia and Zakynthos (international), and Kythira (domestic).

The Ionian Islands (pop. 214,900) consist of seven main islands – Corfu, Ithaki, Kefallonia, Kythira, Lefkas, Paxos and Zakynthos – situated off the west coast of mainland Greece. Thanks to the abundant rainfall, they are the greenest and most verdant of all Greek islands, and among the most beautiful, with superb beaches. Their culture and cuisine are quite different from other parts of Greece, with a distinct Venetian character.

The Ionian climate is the wettest in Greece, particularly Corfu, and outside the summer season the weather is often unsettled with heavy rainfall. Winters can be very damp and cool, and shouldn’t be underestimated, while summers can be extremely hot, as unlike many other islands they don’t benefit from cooling winds. However, in late spring and early autumn the weather is usually perfect.

Communications are generally excellent and Corfu, Kefallonia and Zakynthos all have international airports and good connections with Athens. In the summer there are frequent ferry services between the islands and the mainland, which, although severely curtailed in winter, remain reasonable. Bus services on Corfu and Zakynthos are good, but poor on Kefallonia (although improving), and private transport is advantageous on all the islands.

Corfu (pop. 110,000) is the most popular of all the Greek islands and synonymous with package holidays; it’s over-developed in parts, although due to its size it’s easy to escape the tourist hordes. It’s the greenest of the Greek islands (dubbed the ‘emerald isle’) thanks to its abundance of ancient olive groves and fir trees, with tiny fishing villages in sheltered coves on the east coast and sandy beaches on the west. The capital, Corfu Town, is one of the country’s most charming and sophisticated island capitals, with an elegant blend of Venetian, French and Greek architecture.

Paleokastrítsa on the west coast is a picturesque, unspoilt resort, while the main family resorts tend to be on the north side. Further to the east between Kassiopi and Barbati are some favourite hideaways (the gem is San Stefano) of the expatriate population (around 11,000), mainly British, where there’s an abundance of villas. There are beautiful sandy beaches on the west coast and the Korísson Lagoon in the south is a large nature reserve and a paradise for ornithologists. Corfu also has several attractive satellite islands. It has been called ‘the bridge connecting Greece with the rest of Europe’ and is served by both international and domestic flights, plus ferries from Ancona, Brindisi and Trieste (Italy), and Patra and Igoumenitsa on the mainland.

The property market is buoyant in Corfu and has grown steadily over the last few years, helped by publicity generated from British property and relocation television programmes. Prices are reasonable by Greek standards and are currently increasing at around 5 per cent a year. Popular areas with expatriate buyers (the majority are British) include Corfu Town, San Stefano and Agios Ionnes in the north, and the villages of Gardelelades near Palaiokastritsa and Nyfes situated in the mountains in the north. Prices for a two-bedroom apartment in a resort area start at €95,000 (from €140,000 in town), €90,000 for a small renovated townhouse, €45,000 for a village house needing restoration and €30,000 for a ruin.

Ithaki (pop. 3,100) off the north-east of Kefallonia, was Odysseus’ long lost home (ancient Ithaca) and is one of the least spoilt islands in Greece. Most boats dock at the main town of Vathi, situated at the end of a deep bay, which was badly damaged in an earthquake in 1953 but has since been rebuilt in the old style.

Kefallonia (pop. 35,600) is increasingly popular as a tourist destination (mainly thanks to its Captain Corelli fame) and is the largest and most mountainous of the group, where Mount Enos is the highest peak on the islands. Much of the island’s towns and villages were destroyed in an earthquake in 1953, but have since been rebuilt. Its capital, Argostóli, is a large thriving town and Sami is its main port. The north and west coasts have excellent sandy beaches and there are several expatriate developments, particularly around Argostóli. Property is currently a good investment on the island where prices are rising because of increased foreign interest. Prices start at €75,000 for a one-bedroom apartment (€105,000 for two bedrooms) and €250,000 for a luxury villa. There’s currently plenty of new development on the island.

Kythira (pop. 3,000), around 30km (19mi) long and 18km (11mi) wide, is an island of some 600 churches. It’s essentially a bleak plateau crossed by well-watered ravines and forms part of a sunken land bridge between the Peloponnese and Crete. Geographically it’s an extension of the Peloponnese, but historically it’s part of the Ionian archipelago. Kythira Town is one of the best preserved capital towns of the Ionian, with fine medieval mansions and Venetian fortifications. Until recently Kythira was little visited by tourists and is consequently unspoilt, but is becoming more popular and property is a good investment.

Lefkas (pop. 22,500) is connected to the mainland by a long causeway through lagoons and hardly feels like an island at all. It’s reached from mainland Greece via a floating drawbridge over a canal that was dug by the Corinthians in the seventh century (historically it has always been an important strategic site). It’s a fertile island and the main industry is agriculture rather than tourism, although the resort of Vassilikí in the south is reputedly Europe’s largest windsurfing centre and Nidrhí in the east has good beaches. Property here is a good investment and has good rental potential if you cater for the Greek market.

Paxos (pop. 2,000) is the smallest of the main Ionian islands and the least developed. It has no sandy beaches or historical sites, few hotels and a serious water shortage, despite which it’s extremely popular in summer. Paxos is also a favourite stopping-off point for visiting yachts, which has helped make it one of the most expensive islands in the group.

Zakynthos (pop. 39,000), also called Zante, like Corfu, features heavily on the package tour circuit, although the island is less developed. It’s exceptionally beautiful – the Venetians called it ‘the flower of the east’ – with some of the best beaches in Greece. Main resort areas are Alykes, Argasi and Laganas.

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying a Home in Greece” 3rd Edition, Joanna Styles.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on buying a home in Greece can be found in “Buying a Home in Greece” 3rd edition, by Joanna Styles.

For extensive information about buying a property in Greece, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

More pages

Page 1: Overview

Find your perfect villa rental with Villas4You over 500 villas across 20 destinations

Reserve your overseas currency online - for a high street beating rate!

Discounted Airport Parking - available across the UK

Travel insurance from £2.99 - Columbus Direct for instant worldwide travel cover