1. The Red House (sleeps six)
For real Durrell fans, the Red House is on the same private estate as the house where the BBC filmed the adaptation of Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals. Just before Barbati, and complete with terraces and verandas, it lies in idyllic surroundings. The private pool looks out over the sea and a pathway leads down the garden to a small beach. At night, the lights of Corfu Town can be seen twinkling across the bay. There are two double beds in the main house and another in a separate annexe.
A week in August costs £640pp, based on six sharing. Prices include flights, transfers and daily maid service and are with CV Travel (0870 606 0013).
2. The White House (sleeps eight)
Lawrence Durrell, Gerald's brother, lived in The White House in 1939; descriptions of the house and its views of Albania are included in his book Prospero's Cell. The four double-bedroom apartment still boasts the desk on which he wrote as well as his old dining table. Not that you need do your own cooking here as the ground floor comprises a Greek taverna for traditional local dishes that can be eaten on the terrace with its views over the water. Boat hire and watersports are available and the beach is just three minutes away. Stroll a little further along the coast and you reach the coves of Agni and Kouloura, both with tavernas.
A week in August costs £430pp based on eight sharing with CV Travel (as above).
3. Villa Spanopoulos (sleeps 10)
This restored farmhouse in its own olive grove features in Emma Tennant's book A House in Corfu . Surrounded on three sides by verandas and perched atop a ridge, it has views of the Ionian Sea and the Ropa Valley. Within its thick stone walls are lofty rooms with beamed ceilings, open fireplaces and stone-flagged floors. The dining room, with a table that seats 16, opens on to two verandas for al fresco meals. There are three double bedrooms and two more in an attached annexe. There is also a large pool.
One week's rental of the whole villa in July and August, which includes daily cleaning, costs £2,800 with Travel à la carte (01635 863030), which can arrange flights for about £250.
4. The Kopani Mansion (sleeps six)
You'll have to raid your savings to stay here, but you get a fabulous eighteenth-century property in 20 acres of parkland just a short drive from Corfu Town. Originally a convent, this beautiful country house has its own chapel and an amphitheatre, built when Kopani was the site of the first Corfu Festival three decades ago. The mansion was featured in Greek Style, an art book about fine Greek houses. The three double-bedroom property with private pool is stuffed full of interesting ornaments and has lots of character.
Villas of Distinction (0870 166 4959) has one week in August for £3,639 for the whole villa, including car rental and daily cleaning but excluding flights, which cost about £250.
5. The Old Bakery (sleeps two)
This romantic hideaway lies at the end of an alley between old fishermen's cottages and behind Agios Stephanos harbour. Until 20 years ago, all the village's bread was baked here; the oven on the covered veranda is still in working order. The small, open-plan interior has plenty of character, with stone-flagged floors, whitewashed walls, a gabled pine ceiling and an open fireplace. The shingle beach is just a minute's walk away.
Simply Travel (020 8541 2202) has one week in August for £500pp, or two weeks for £655, with flights and transfers.
6. Barbati Olive Press (sleeps six)
As its name suggests, this old house, on the shore of Barbati beach and screened from the view of everyone except passing boats, was once where olive oil was made. There are panoramic views to the Ionian Sea, probably best enjoyed from the shady veranda, from which steps lead to the sea. The mountains of the mainland rise behind the white shingle shore and nearby is the little hamlet of Glyfa, with its two tavernas. The Olive Press has a modern kitchen, sitting/dining room and three double bedrooms.
Travel à la carte (01635 863030) has one week in August for £619pp based on six people sharing. The cost, which includes flights from Gatwick and transfers, rises to £829 for two weeks.
