Your first visit to corfu

[lilly]

I was thinking about our first visit to Corfu in 2003[not the best experience] due to the hotel and yet we were drawn back again to Corfu. It was one of those last minute allocated on arrival[something we had never done before]. The hotels were Thomas Bay, a Thomson Gold in AG South or Yalliskari palace[now Ambience palace] in Pelakas. We just knew that we would end up at the Yalliskari and in the middle of nowhere. Watered down drinks and dismal staff. We forgot to pay for our water at the evening meal one night and the manager actually ran after us shouting and we were made to feel like thieves, he could have just asked us at breakfast the next day for the money. The beach was nice though but the whole resort[if you can call it that] consisted of the hotel, 2 shops and 2 bars. Still it did'nt put us off and we returned to Corfu in 2006 staying at AG North at Costas Golden beach[happy memories of this hotel],2008 we discovered SS and are returning to SS this year. Corfu is indeed a magical place and SS is in my opinion is the best resort. Friendly locals,beautiful beach and so many good restaurants. Pure relaxation.

[Rod]

Lilly,

My wife and I were once in Costa Teguise in Lanzarote and had booked a lovely restaurant a little out of the way.  We had some time to kill, so went into this hotel for a cheeky one.  Oh dear!  As I was waiting to be served a quite respectful looking family asked the barmaid what the cocktails were.  Her reply was........wait for it..................... "Blue or Green".  Not a word of a lie.  Yes it was an "all inclusive" hotel and it was a sh*t hole.  We had a half and legged it.

[Jules]

Our first visit was 2000 and we stayed at Belle Vue (now no more) and we couldn't believe our luck at being so close to the beach and the fantastic sunsets. We arrived in the dark and from our room we could hear the sea lapping to the shore. It just seemed so peaceful. We have been hooked ever since and have since stayed at Teresa every year.

[tonyco1]

Our first time in Corfu was in 1983, we didn't have lots of money in those days, skint in fact, but had been saving up and decided at the last minute we could afford a holiday.
We saw an ad in the Sunday Mail by Greek Connection Holidays in Fleet, for a cheapie in Corfu, a cancellation for a couple at around 60% of the price.
I drove to Fleet and paid and we were off two days later, Mum-in-law looked after Marcia  (14) and Mark (3).
It was a night flight, we arrived in San Stefanos NW, at 05:00 in the morning, just as dawn had broken.

Previously we had holidays in Majorca and Tenerife (Porta de la Cruz - no southern resorts then), which were a bit busy!!

I looked out of the coach window outside the Golden Beach Hotel, and said to Linda "We've made a terrible mistake -this is  awful, nothing here at all".
We were shown into the Nikos Apts, over the old harbour and went to sleep. Got up at midday, Brunch at the Golden Beach and then onto the beach - but not sure at all.

No sunloungers then, and just an old VW converted into a snack bar, which drove down onto the beach each day (Capt. Nikos).
There was also windsurfers and peddaloes for hire.

That evening in the Golden beach we had a great meal and the Waiter, Stefanos, now owner of the Condor, (brother of Nikos and Manthos),
borrowed our cassette tape and we danced to an impromptu home made disco, a brilliant night.
We went to pay around 02:00 am and Stefanos said - "Pay tomorrow". (This was most nights in those days!!).
This was the start of our love affair with San Stefanos, and we've come back every year since.

In those days just two Hotels, the Golden Beach and Nafsika hotels, Manthos, Sunset and Barras (different name then) and Waves were the only Tavernas,
plus Margaritas Bar and the Mini-Market was all that was there.
We had the best holiday ever, and have seen S S steadily grow to how it is now - still find the local people are the best anywhere overall, and make it what it is!
We have lots of stories, and the kids came the next year and ever since. Mark is 30 now and still goes - taking his kids!
A place that people of all ages love, yet no yobs or snobs, just nice like-minded people who enjoy the place as intended.
Yammas
PS.
We went to Costa Tegise as well - Linda said never again!!

[Gavlah1973]

On a past visit to Costa Teguise I ventured to the big sports bar as Leeds were playing Man Yoo. I was accompanied by a lad from our apartments who decided to wear his Leeds shirt. The bar steadily filled up and before we knew it we were surrounded by around 50 Man Yoo fans, just me and him.

A very uncomfortable afternoon ending in a 1 - 1 draw. Whilst I was also in Teguise, Jill Dando got shot dead (in London not Lanza!). When I go away there's always a chance of some major disaster/terrorist event happening!!

1st Gulf War Starts - Majorca
Princess Di gets killed - Turkey
Concorde crashes - Fuerteventura
9/11 - Fuerteventura
Bloke tries to blow up Glasgow Airport - Majorca


That was very strange having to fly back the day after 9/11. Took 2 hours from landing at Manchester to finally getting our bags! I'm not the best in a plane as it is without being surround by people reading papers with pictures of disasters in them!

I was also in Ibiza when that bloke jumped out of his window in Crete with his 2 kids.....that kinda ruined the atmosphere in the hotel that week.

I'm more jinxed than Don!!

[Richard/Jackie/Nathan]

Mine was 1991 with my ex wife. Wasn't much there then and it was at the start of the season. Back then used to spend my time eating and drinking in the Casablanca (now a supermarket). Had some great nights when the power went out and we had to drink by candlelight.

I now keep returning with my new wife and son and they are totally in love with the place too.

We spent our honeymoon at the hotel in Crete that the guy jumped from. In bad taste I know but if the food and drink was as bad as when we went I'm not suprised he jumped!

[YANNIS26]

I made my first visit to Corfu and Greece in the early nineties after many years visiting the Spanish islands.
Since then I have visited the vast majority of Greek Islands including at least one trip a year to corfu.
I started by visiting the Costas Golden Beach in St George North.It was B&B then which is the type of accommodation we like .As a major part of our holiday is eating out in the local Tavernas .We went there for 2 years running and then it went Half Board.Time to move on.We had found San Stefanos during a days sightseeing and thought lets try there.We picked the Thomas Bay as it was B&B in those days.This lasted for 3 year and it went Half Board.Time to move again. Next stop the Romanza.We had discovered this one day when we walked up from the beach and stopped for refreshments.We have visited the Romanza every year since and tomorrow will be our 10th visit and hopefully many more to come.That is unless it goes half board.
Yammas
Yannis.

[Gillywoo]

Our first visit to Corfu was to Gouvia in 2002, straight away we loved the place and the wonderful Taverna Nights, we went to Gouvia 3 years running then decided to try other Greek Islands.

Compared to Corfu all the other Greek Islands seemed a bit of a disappointment, between 2004-2007 we went to Kos, Rhodes, Samos, Crete, Lefkas and Parga but none could quite match that Corfu magic.

In 2008 we decided to go back to Corfu and Gill started reading things about this place called San Steph on the North West coast, it sounded like Gouvia so we booked it.

The rest as they say is history!

Andy

[stressed0506]

First visit was to Sidari when I was 25! (ie 30 years ago!)
It was a lovely peaceful, quiet village and I couldn't believe it when I visited it again ten years ago when I went to Pelekas and stayed at the Yaliscari Palace, mentioned earlier..
We hired a scooter for the day and drove up to Sidari.
The following year we found SS and have been there every year since. Kids went every summer and daughter still comes with us to this day.
Two years ago we went to Kos and soooooooo regretted it. Only five weeks til I get back!

[H A S]

Our first visit to Corfu was 1986 to the park hotel Gouvia.
On arrival at airport you got of the plane and walked into airport only one carasel but it was faster then than now as not many planes went to corfu.
Spent first night drinking in taverna we were three couples and each time we ordered a round of drinks we say pay now they say no pay later at the end of the night we say how much we owe they say some silly figure that did not seam nowhere neer enough so we payed up very happy.
Next day went down into gouvia looked in shops if you picked anything up to look at they would say you like you take come back and pay tommorow.
Gouvia in them days had oppen sewers and all the rubbish was just put out on the streets there were no footpaths.and it was very smelly all over we say not coming to corfu again.
On departure we got into deprture at corfu airport in them days it was only a tin shed with one or two bench seats that looked like some one had thrown out.
we had a delay of a few hours and at night time in corfu airport there was nothing to eat or drink.
we had to walk out to the plane we say not coming to corfu again and then we found san stef a few years later and have gone back there six or seven times stayed at athina or beech appartments and enjoyed every minute of it especialy our meals at two stars mostly
Harry and Olga

[tonyco1]

Mine was 1991 with my ex wife. Wasn't much there then and it was at the start of the season. Back then used to spend my time eating and drinking in the Casablanca (now a supermarket). Had some great nights when the power went out and we had to drink by candlelight.
I now keep returning with my new wife and son and they are totally in love with the place too.
We spent our honeymoon at the hotel in Crete that the guy jumped from. In bad taste I know but if the food and drink was as bad as when we went I'm not suprised he jumped!

We have great memories of the Casablanca, remember those power cuts as well!!
What a great restaurant, (now a supermarket), run by Sam and his dad. (Dad was the chef).
Brilliant meals, international menu, Sam would describe the food and we would all be dribbling by the time he finished.
Sam used to be on the boxing circuit in the UK in the winter in those days, now he runs the kick-boxing in S S when not in his shop!
Great days!!

[Jimbo]

After many years going to Greece, about ten years ago we wanted to grab a quick week away, and I went into a tiny travel agent down the road. They were really an airport mini-bus company.

I said "What have you got going in the next few days?" and the nice lady said "We've got Kavos, on Corfu."

"Is that a quiet place?" I asked. "Oh yes," she said "I think it's right sleepy."

So we get the night flight to Corfu, and the bus passes through Kavos at about 6 in the morning, and they were still dancing more less naked in the main street.

Quiet? Oh dear.

Still, we had a good holiday. Huge beach deserted until about 2pm, and an equally deserted taverna, where we and a couple of nice young Lesbians seemed to be the only people eating, ever, and the owner's grandfather played his guitar and sang soulful songs for us.

"What are we doing wrong?" they asked us. "Not serving burgers" was the obvious answer.

I went with my son to Sidari when he was about 15. Nice beach. Could not find anywhere serving decent Greek food, though the Indian was absolutely superb. Sidari is Clacton with ultra violet lamps on.

Last year we went to SS for a week, and enjoyed its rather odd Anglo-Greek atmosphere, so we're going back for three weeks this year.

Holidays are what you make of them. We had a good time in Laganas, for example. Sometimes you just have to chill out and laugh.

[Rod]

Tony,

It sounds like I was in San Stef roughly the sam time as you describe.  It was approx 22 years ago and your description sounds familiar.  I do seem to recall a pizza place/bar that I think was up passed where Ossie Oils is now.  It may even have been the building that is derelict now, but I'm not certain.  We stayed in a tiny bungalow (dont know the name) that was, if you were passing the Peros Hotel going out of San Stef, on the first bad bend. There are about four small bungalows and still there, but not sure if they are still used for tourists.

[valley girl]

we first visited S S in 2004 we had been to crete previously and had enjoyed it but fancied a change. told the local travel agent we wanted somewhere quiet & relaxing she recommened S S as her in-laws had been going there for several years staying at thomas bay. we looked at quite a few places nafsica,athena but they were full so she suggested little prince as they had just added the apartments sio thats where we booked and we have never regretted it. decided to try kefalonia 2 years ago as soon as we got to the hotel steffan turned to me and said 'corfu next year then'  so i booked it as soon as we got home

[tonyco1]

Tony,

It sounds like I was in San Stef roughly the sam time as you describe.  It was approx 22 years ago and your description sounds familiar.  I do seem to recall a pizza place/bar that I think was up passed where Ossie Oils is now.  It may even have been the building that is derelict now, but I'm not certain.  We stayed in a tiny bungalow (dont know the name) that was, if you were passing the Peros Hotel going out of San Stef, on the first bad bend. There are about four small bungalows and still there, but not sure if they are still used for tourists.

They were used for the Bulgarian? workers the year before last, and still there.
Do you remember the old Disco Club just past Town Pizza, roughly where or next to where Ozzie Oils is now.
That used to be the Hot spot at night!! LOL