In recent years, many tourists who visit Kerkyra (Corfu for the non Greek) island end up in buying some kind of property on the area. Some of them become permanent residents, while others use their new home as a basis for their family holidays, once or twice a year. But why choose this kind of tourism?
Nick, an Englishman, was one of the first to built a small cottage in Korakiana Village, on Kerkyra island. He first visited Kerkyra many years ago with his family, but it was much later when he found out that he could actually get a permanent place on the island he loved.
“At first I thought that I would need a fortune to buy a decent house in a village,” he says. “But a friend of mine, who had already bought a ready cottage in Korakiana village , kept me informed bout the properties sold over there, and soon he spotted a bargain.”
Nick has got a family of five, and they were all delighted at the prospect of a holiday house on Kerkyra. Nick was able to get a small stone house with a yard in front at a very low cost, and he built a two-floored cottage in a year.
“When I first saw it,” he admits, “ it was a kind of ruined store room with nothing much to attract the buyer, but the scenery all around was fantastic, and that was the basic point. We would live in the nature, breathe fresh mountain air and see a wonderful view every day.”
Nick filled the small yard with numerous flower pots with mountain herbs and flowers , and he made big windows to let the sun come into the cottage. “This will be our permanent house when we retire,” he adds. “Meanwhile, we visit Kerkyra 2-3 times a year and our kids come over in between their holidays too. We also let some close relatives to use it and some friends.”
Nick is just one of the four other residents of the village neighborhood. A few meters further on, a couple from Holland have rebuilt their own house and visit it every summer. The neighbors keep an eye on it when they are away, and they even take care of their small vegetable garden.
Some of the benefits of this kind of tourism, can be listed below:
1.Save on rents of hotels, apartments etc.
2.Save on meals of restaurants
3.Carry no baggage
4.Make new friends
5.Ideal for retired people
6.Ideal for relaxing in a natural environment
7.Learn new lifestyle
8.Try new food
Permanent tourism is nevertheless a new trend that will stay!
About the Author
Liana Metal is a writer living in Greece. Contact her at lianamet20@yahoo.co.uk
http://lianametal.tripod.com