The island of Corfu with an area of 593 sq km is the largest and northernmost of the Ionian Islands also known as Eptanisa (Seven Islands), Corfu is located in the Ionian Sea, very close to Epirus in the mainland from the port of Igoumenitsa there is daily connection with ferries to Corfu .The length of the island is 85 km, with an average width of 18 km. The topography is very rugged, but can be divided in two areas: the northern, much more abrupt, with highest summit: the mount Pandokratoras with an elevation of 966. The southern zone is considerably less rugged possess some small plains.
The prefecture of Corfu covers an area of 641 sq km and consists of the island of Corfu, which contains 12 of the 16 municipalities as well as other smaller islands: Paxi and Antipaxi south, the north Mathraki and Erikousa and several islets.
In many places, there are olive groves that is why during the Venetian time was given a premium to residents who planted olive trees. This was referred to the big Venetian need for oil. The residents have therefore on any free piece of land planted olive trees. Even today constitutes an important product olive oil in Corfu, and the advent of mass tourism was the price of the land at the island mainly determined by the number of olive trees. The Venetian influence in Corfu is very great. The island was occupied by the French and the British, very important is that Corfu, unlike other major parts of Greece never been occupied by the Turks.
One of the main tourist attractions of Corfu is the Achilleion, a palace that was build between 1890 and 1892 by the Austrian Empress Elizabeth. The neoclassical building was named by the empress after her classic hero Achilles.
