Aghios Ioannis Holidays

Located right in the middle of Corfu, Aghios Ioannis is an ideal spot for anyone looking for a dash of traditional Greece. It’s all stone cottages, churches and lush olive groves. It’s the sort of place you can while away the mornings sipping coffee with the locals in the quaint old square. And you’ve got a choice of beaches on the east or west coasts.

Aghios Ioannis is inland, but a 10-minute drive takes you to the golden Kontogialos Beach at Pelekas. Once a renowned backpacker’s paradise, it’s now a family-friendly Blue Flag beach, with several restaurants along the shoreline. Sunloungers and umbrellas are available to hire, as are canoes if you wish to explore the bay. It’s worth hanging around as the heat fades to watch the breathtaking sunset, too.

A huge draw is the waterpark here. Aqualand pretty much covers all the classics with the Black Hole, Kamikaze, Multi Slides and Free Fall. The place is huge and comes with free sunloungers, and mini-waterslides and an adventure playground for younger visitors. It’s free for the under-4s, and you’ll get discounts if you turn up after 3pm.

The free shuttle bus whisks you to the capital, Corfu Town, in about 20 minutes. There’s lots in the way of history here, with the Old Fortress, the red-domed Saint Spirydon Church and Mon Repos Palace, birthplace of Prince Philip. It’s also got one of Europe’s largest squares, the Esplanade – come here for the gardens, and the café-bars of the elegant Liston colonnade.