Gouvia lies on the east coast of Corfu, nine kilometres north of Corfu Town and benefits from a transfer time of only twenty minutes. Originally Gouvia, lying in a deep sheltered bay, was a Venetian naval base. Now its mariner holds many luxury yachts. Its shingle beach offers safe bathing and a wide variety of water sports. Gouvia has an excellent range of shops and restaurants catering for every need. Its proximity to Corfu Town, with its fascinating old quarter, only adds to the popularity of a Gouvia holiday.
Gouvia is an attractive town on the east coast of Corfu, situated on a deep bay that it shares with neighbouring Kontakali. The shingle beach offers a wide range of activities and there are tavernas and restaurants catering for every taste. Gouvia makes an ideal base from which to explore the north of the island as well as Corfu Town.
A Gouvia holiday has widespread appeal. Beaches with safe bathing for families with small children, water sports with varying degrees of excitement for adults, tavernas and restaurants catering for all tastes and a great selection of shops, as well as the proximity of Corfu Town, are just some of the reasons why British holidaymakers choose a Gouvia holiday year after year.
Gouvia’s holiday season extends from Easter to October, the most popular time being in the summer when the temperatures rise from the low twenties to the mid thirties.
Gouvia lies in a rural area surrounded by olive groves and cypress trees. It overlooks a large bay and is sheltered by verdant headlands. The shingle beach offers safe bathing for children and weak swimmers as well as a variety of water sports from banana boats to jet skiing. The marina overlooks Kommeno Bay and it is always a hive of activity with luxury yachts forever on the move.
Gouvia is one of the busiest resorts on the east coast and is very popular British tourists as well as other Europeans, giving it a cosmopolitan air.
The shops provide a good variety of goods and there are restaurants and tavernas catering for all tastes. Although the nightlife is lively and enjoyed by many, it is not in the same league as Kavos and Ipsos.
Gouvia is well placed for exploring the north of the island with its charming inland villages, as well as the fascinating capital, Corfu Town. On the west of the island is the Aqualand water park offering an exciting day out for young and old alike.
A Gouvia holiday offers sun, sea and sand in equal measures, a wide variety of leisure pursuits and tavernas and restaurants galore.
Gouvia has a fairly lively nightlife with a good selection of bars and discos especially along the waterfront and a few open air dance clubs in the centre. There are also sports bars where British sporting events are broadcast. The area around the harbour offers relative peace where you can relax under the stars while enjoying a meal and a glass or two of wine.
Gouvia has a good number of well-stocked mini-markets where self-caterers can find a range of familiar foods. There are also clothing stores and good leather and jewellery shops as well as the usual array of gifts and souvenirs.
A bus ride to Corfu town with its old quarter filled with shops of every description will provide for more avid shoppers. Popular buys are leather goods, items made from olive wood, handmade lace, embroidered linens and jewellery. Brightly painted ceramics are also in demand.
Gouvia is well endowed with tavernas, bars and restaurants serving a wide variety of food from traditional Greek to international cuisine. If you wish to sample local cuisine, try a plate of tapas, where you are given small portions of a variety of dishes.
Fast food stalls such as Souvlatzidiki, serve tempting snacks in the form of souvlakis, a type of kebab. For a more substantial snack these are sometimes wrapped in pita bread and called gyros.
Being an island, fish dishes abound in Corfu with small fried fish and shellfish being firm favourites. Prawn saganaki is a popular dish which is rich and creamy with king prawns, garlic tomato and feta cheese. Kalamari is another firm favourite.
Local wines are easy on the palate as well as the purse.
Eating in Corfu is meant to be a pleasure and is not to be rushed. Waiters will not hover over you waiting to remove plates. Don’t mistake this for tardy service.
