Last September we made our way to the beautiful Greek island of Corfu for our annual wedding anniversary holiday. We don’t normally book through travel agents but Simpson Travel had come highly recommended to us as had one of their beautiful properties, The Rou Estate.
We arrived in the afternoon and embarked on our adventure, following our detailed instructions to find the estate. It took about an hour, going up some steep roads, which was a challenge at first but came with rewardingly stunning views.
At our destination, we were met by the lovely Gaynor who showed us to our beautiful holiday villa high up on the hill in the middle of the countryside. Our fridge was full of lots of local produce such as humous, tzatziki, bread, milk and cheese to keep us going for the first day. We dumped our bags, went for a walk and ended up at the onsite restaurant for a wind down drink and an arrival dinner.
On the second day we made the most of the infinity pool before heading to the local harbour town Kassiopi for dinner, where we ate at Chill & Grill. For those who love authentic Greek meat and want the local, relaxed restaurant vibes then this is the place to go.
The following day we made our way to Corfu Town which is definitely a must see. It feels almost Italian, full of old stone buildings, different coloured window shutters and small windy roads. We stopped at Piccolo Espresso bar on arrival, where we stayed cool on their lovely terrace sipping our fresh orange juice and frappes.
Next, we headed over to the Old Venetian Fortress which we explored for over an hour followed by the Municipal Gallery on our way to lunch which has amazing views of the sea. I couldn’t help thinking where you could squeeze in a wedding archway and an aisle.
For lunch we stopped at En Plo, a gorgeous taverna by the water’s edge. It was in the city but felt secluded, with people swimming off a tiny beach just by the city walls.
On the fourth day we decided to head back down to Kassiopi to rent a boat for the day. This is a must do because a lot of restaurants and bay areas are difficult to get to in Corfu unless you go on water. We first stopped at the sea caves with crystal clear water and had a late morning snack, before spending time exploring different bays and ending up in Taverna Agni – a beautiful seaside taverna perfect for lunch.
Day 5 was designated a beach day so we headed down to Bataria Beach, which was a small beach with clear azure water, a few sunbeds and a market stall of fresh island fruits. After a few hours on the beach we headed up the hills to cool down. We ended up in Palea Perithia which was an old village, abandoned in the 60s but recently re-inhabited. It is full of stunning empty buildings but is slowly being redeveloped in line with eco-tourism and is in such a beautiful location, nestled between the hills of Northern Corfu. From there we watched the sunset and had a wonderful traditional meal at Ognistra Taverna.
The next evening we visited Lucciola Garden, which is a small family ran restaurant offering fresh home cooked food in an intimate peaceful setting with plenty of string lighting. Would strongly recommend.
For our last evening we booked a table at the White House which was owned by the famous Durrells. I’d highly recommend booking before you go and asking for a table with a view as we couldn’t have had a better table.
Disclaimer – If you’re a cat lover then be ready to get attached. Corfu is full of lots of stray cats and not always in the best situations which broke my heart. We had a little kitten called Fred and his mum who visited us everyday at the Rou Estate (they do look after the cats here which makes a huge difference and the cats look so happy and well.) When it came to going home I felt so sad to say goodbye. Needless to say my rescue cat at home wouldn’t have been particular happy with new family members otherwise pet passports would have been organised before I left the country.
Wedding venues in Corfu
Of course, as a Destination Wedding Planner I can’t go anywhere without looking at beautiful places for wedding venues and there are many in Corfu. If you are looking to get married in Greece then bear in mind the islands are all so different. Corfu is the perfect place to get married if you like a little Italian twist and history. It doesn’t have the white chic feels such as Mykonos or Santorini but beautiful stone buildings with rustic vibes.
Danilia a unique replica of a traditional Corfiot village, the perfect setting for your next celebration. Authentic, colourful and private this picture perfect village nestled in the verdant greenery of Corfu. The venue boasts two open air village squares, a beautiful church, a traditional café and a large open air tavern.
The White House Restaurant quite literally sits on the water’s edge overlooking Kalami Bay on the north east coast of Corfu. Filled with Greek dishes, made with fresh ingredients, throughout the summer season. Seafood is the house specialty as they bring in fresh produce every day. This is somewhere that I could imagine you could decorate absolutely beautifully and you can even arrive by boat if you want to!
Luxury Villas area a great way to really have the flexibility of making a venue yours with the use of wedding styling and decorations. I particularly love the Cavo Alkyoni villas as they are situated next door to each other which means you can host more of your guests in the accommodation and also utilise both villas for ceremony and your reception dinner around the gorgeous swimming pools with views of the sea and surrounded by olive trees.
Find us on www.wonderlustevents.co.uk if you would like any information on planning your Greek Island wedding.
Comments