As summer comes to a close in the UK and the cold sets in, it’s the perfect time to look abroad for a final gasp of summer – and travel expert Simon Calder has just the place where you can enjoy the last of the season in style.
The beautiful Greek island of Corfu is located opposite the heel of Italy, in the Ioanian sea and just a stone’s throw away from the shores of Albania.
This island is surrounded by the azure ocean, which in September is actually the perfect temperature for a dip. In October, the average temperature in Corfu is 23C making it the perfect autumn getaway.
Calder revealed this is because it’s the warmest it will be all year as it’s been “cooking” all summer. Not only is Corfu ocean-swim friendly but it’s wallet-friendly too.
TUI is currently offering an all-inclusive package holiday to Corfu which includes all flights, luggage and transfers for a week.
You’ll stay in self-catered accommodation and incredibly, it will only cost you £182, which works out to approximately a pound per hour that you’re away.
If you decide to take up this incredible offer, Corfu has a lot more than just a warm sea to swim in.
Once you touch down, the best way to get your bearings is a visit to Corfu Old Town which is a dynamic combination of Byzantine and Venetian-styled buildings.
This historical town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts a number of stunning churches, museums and shops to explore.
Corfu is also perfect for cyclists of every level of fitness.
For the adrenalin junkies you can hire mountain bikes and head up to the mountain village of Episkepsi or Mount Pantokrator, but the more sedate cyclist can grab a push bike and casually pedal around the lower lying towns.
Once you tire of that you could maybe stop for a delicious lunch made up of all the Greek favourites – seafood, salads or moussaka.
If you fancy a day at sea away from Corfu, then Paxos is the perfect island to sail around. Just south of Corfu, it’s easily reached by boat and you can stop for swims along the way before enjoying a leisurely lunch in Gaios, Paxos’s main town.