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.
10Kouloura – A Glimpse of Lawrence Durrell’s Northeast Corfu
Tiny Kouloura is one of the most beautiful little harbours on Corfu’s northeast coast and a fitting place to begin our countdown.
Lawrence and Nancy Durrell travelled extensively along this coastline during their years in nearby Kalami. The small harbour, cypress-covered headland and views across the Corfu Channel towards Albania still capture something of the old northeast Corfu that Lawrence described in Prospero’s Cell.
Kouloura later gained another Durrell connection when the area was used during filming of The Durrells television series, including scenes connected with Lawrence’s story.
It is important, however, not to confuse television locations with the real history. Lawrence’s famous White House is around the coast at Kalami.
Kouloura does not need a museum or large attraction to justify a visit. Its appeal is the landscape itself.
Walk down towards the tiny harbour, look across the water towards Albania and imagine how isolated this coastline must have felt in the 1930s.
If you explore northeast Corfu by boat, Kouloura is even more impressive from the sea.
