North of Ipsos and Dassia, the coastal road clings to the slopes of Mount Pantokrator, winding through cypress and olive groves on its way towards Sidari. Mountain greenery tumbles steeply down the hillside to the sparkling blue sea below, and occasionally at a bend in the road you'll catch a tantalising glimpse of a cove of cream-coloured shingle, with a cluster of red-roofs houses and a taverna or two. Of course, these little snapshots of paradise are not meant for the tourist hordes. They hark back to a bygone Corfu immortalised in the book and TV series 'My Family and Other Animals' by Gerald Durrell, whose family once lived in the White House on the water's edge at Kalami, nowadays a popular taverna.
Today's visitors may enjoy comfortable modern accommodation - Nissaki even boasts a smart hotel - and watersports more strenuous than pootling about in a home-made boat, but they still come here mainly in search of relaxation and the quiet life. Kalami's fantastic walking country, and you can wander through olive groves from bay to bay - Kaminaki, Agni, Kouloura - stopping off for a swim in the warm, clear turquoise waters, or lunch in a beachside taverna, with magnificent views across to Albania on the horizon. Of course, the high-life of Greece's most popular "green goddess" of an island is all out there waiting for you, whenever you fancy an expedition to watch the real tourists at play. But our money's on you spending most of your holiday in this postcard-perfect world of lazy, hazy summer days, and romantic nights with the moon reflecting on the water, in the company of new-found friends. Enjoy Kalami Corfu!