Early birds come to Arillas

Those who know Corfu and have witnessed spring on the island will know that March and April are the most beautiful months as far as flowers and vegetation are concerned. The whole island is waking up from the winter and bursting alive in bright, fresh greens, dazzling yellows, sparkling reds, whites, purples and many other colours in between (sorry, I am a man limited to a palette of under 12 colours… 🙂 . It is the perfect time to walk in Nature and enjoy the Corfiot landscape. So, we should exploit this and get more people on the island to participate in this beauty and have the holiday of their lives!

And that’s not so hard to realize. The last years, low-cost airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair have been offering very cheap flights to Corfu early and late in the season. This year, just as last year, flights from Britain and Germany are starting in late March / early April. Combine a cheap flight with a cheap apartment and you can offer nature lovers, walker and hikers an ideal combination!

But the problem is that most of Corfu does not open until May, or at least after Easter! Most Corfiots are still working with the old mentality of “Why should I open my shop/restaurant/cafe/whatever if there are no people to come and buy?” As a result, it is common in April to spot groups of poor tourists wandering around closed resorts, looking for a place to eat, have a coffee, or even buy basic groceries. Most resorts look deserted and derelict, as most owners don’t even start painting and taking care of their businesses until after Easter. Do you think these travellers will go back home with a good experience to share with their friends? In the best case scenario they will praise the beauty of the island but I doubt if they would advise their friends to come, if they have had to walk kilometers each day just to get some decent food.

So, the thing to do is to turn the odds around and make sure you are open before the tourists come. And that’s what the business owners of Arillas decided to do. At least 5 restaurants and a cafe in Arillas will be open 12 April, most of them a week before that. Before April the people of Arillas will also create at least another footpath to complement the already famous Arillas Trail!

So, if you love Corfu and want your friends to experience spring on this magical island, you can tell them Arillas will be open for business early and we will be waiting to take care of them, with true Greek hospitality and local Corfu Beer! For more info on Arillas and for the best accommodation, go to Green Corfu.