Agios Ioannis Peristeron Holidays

This place rolls back the years with its holiday set-up. The ratios lean in favour of natural over manmade, with a hillside plot that’s dominated by greenery. In fact, the only modern bits are a smattering of dice-like villas and hotels that edge out from the trees. One or two tavernas pipe up down by the waterfront, with cuisine that’s as Greek as it gets.

With a sleepy scene over its shoulder, the beach here steps up to the plate, and hits a home run. Its sandy sections are as unspoiled as the surrounding countryside, thanks to the town’s away-from-it-all setting on the east coast. Freshly tanned visitors aren’t the only ones giving its ego a boost, either. Sun, sea and sand experts from Blue Flag have given the official nod to this stretch – one of only three in the entire bottom half of Corfu to make the cut.

Five minutes’ drive along the coast gets you to somewhere with a little more get-up-and-go about it. Moraitika’s a bit of a wild child when you compare it to its chilled-out neighbours, with watersports livening up the beach scene and watering holes that suit families and active types alike. If you’re happy to hop behind the wheel for a little longer, the island’s big boss enters the field of play. The half-hour drive to Corfu Town ends with attention-grabbing Venetian architecture, a buzzy shopping scene and enough museums to fill two daytrips.