Few families have captured Corfu as vividly as the Durrells. For Gerald, the island became a giant outdoor classroom of birds, insects, olive groves and hidden wetlands, while Lawrence found inspiration in its sea, light and villages.
We have ranked 10 places that still bring you close to their Corfu, from #10 to #1. And the final two are particularly special — one was a favourite family escape, while the other remains the most iconic real-life Durrell location on the island.
6Halikiopoulou Lagoon and the Chessboard Fields
For Gerald Durrell, the countryside around Halikiopoulou Lagoon was not simply scenery. It was an enormous outdoor laboratory.
Near one of the family’s later homes were wetlands and cultivated plots divided by narrow waterways. Gerald famously described part of this landscape as the “Chessboard Fields”.
The fields, ditches and waterways were filled with wildlife, giving the young naturalist endless opportunities to explore.
This area has changed dramatically since the 1930s. Corfu Airport now occupies part of the surrounding landscape and aircraft pass directly above the lagoon.
Nevertheless, looking across the remaining wetland from Kanoni or Perama makes Gerald’s descriptions easier to understand.
This is one of those places where reading My Family and Other Animals before visiting completely changes what you see.
What might otherwise appear to be marshland beside an airport suddenly becomes part of the outdoor classroom where Gerald developed his extraordinary ability to observe wildlife.
Combine the lagoon with nearby Kanoni and Perama.
