Albania: a number of local tour agents in Corfu Town provide day trips by boat to Albania and this makes for an interesting trip and the chance to get a glimpse of a country that few travellers visit. Boats depart each morning from Kerkyra and take about two to three hours to reach Sarande on Albania’s southwest coast. There is plenty of interest to see here with the excellent Roman ruins of a village at Buthrint among the most popular. The highlight though is the superb Venetian Castle, from which you can get some stunning views of the surrounding area. There is a narrow winding road to reach the top, which goes via Strinilas, the highest village here and a good place to stop for lunch. When you reach the top you’ll find a cafe as well as a monastery, which dates from the late 17th century, although the facade was built in the 19th century. Old Perithia: the deserted village of Perithia is a fascinating place for a day trip. The village was established when people fled the coast in fear of pirates and became a relatively thriving village with 1,500 inhabitants. Today however there are only a handful of people living here. There are two small tavernas in the village square and it’s a great spot to enjoy some traditional Greek cuisine. Island Hopping: while holidaying on Corfu, you might want to take a day trip to some of the other islands in the area. The upmarket Paxi is the closest and is a nice place to spend a day walking and exploring. Lefkada is a good getaway, with much less in the way of tourism and the rugged beauty of Ithaki also makes it a popular place to spend some time. | 
