7Millions of Olive Trees and Lush Green Landscapes
Corfu is often described as one of the greenest Greek islands. Its landscape is covered with olive groves, cypress trees, wildflowers, vineyards, wetlands and forested hills.
Many of the island’s olive trees were planted during the Venetian period, when local residents were encouraged to produce olive oil. Today, ancient olive groves can be found throughout Corfu, with some trees believed to be several centuries old.
My personal recommendation: Visit the ancient olive tree known as Evdokia, the approximately 1,200-year-old olive tree in the traditional village of Stroggili. Its enormous trunk is impressive, and the tree still produces olives today.
You can turn this into a rewarding half-day or full-day excursion. After seeing Evdokia, continue towards Agios Mattheos and visit Gardiki Castle, one of Corfu’s important Byzantine fortresses.
From Gardiki, continue to Lake Korission, a protected lagoon beside Issos and Halikounas beaches. Depending on the season and a little luck, you may see flamingos, herons, cormorants and other migratory birds.
Flamingos are not permanently present, so nobody can guarantee that they will be there during your visit. Even without them, the lake, sand dunes and surrounding beaches create one of Corfu’s most unusual natural landscapes.
Spring is particularly beautiful, when the countryside is covered with flowers and temperatures are comfortable for walking and exploring.
