Hortus goes to Corfu: Contemporary gardens of the Ionian Sea

5  days | £3890 per person with flights | 13 - 17 April 2026

Contemporary gardens of the Ionian Sea

From Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ across the centuries to the Durrell family’s stay of the island in the early 20^th century, writers, poets, artists, gardeners, travellers, statesmen and royalty have all been bewitched by the magical beauty of Corfu with its lush vegetation, wildflowers and silver olive groves punctuated by cypresses, with stunning views of the Ionian Sea.  Corfu is indeed one of the most garden-friendly of all Greek islands, sometimes known as ‘The Garden Isle’ as the greenest of Aegean islands with a higher annual rainfall than London. Due to Corfu’s vivid past, British, French, Venetian and Greek influences in architecture, agriculture and gardening are clear to see. This tour is focused on the work of a new wave of contemporary garden designers sensitive to Mediterranean style, using many native plants as well as those adapted to tolerate the hotter, dry summers. We will see the work of some rising stars in the world of Garden Design who are finding a niche in Corfu, creating exciting plant-filled creations. We have chosen the luxurious Daphnila Bay Hotel set in majestic terrain, filled with olive and cypress trees overlooking the Bay of Dassia. All reserved rooms are deeply comfortable with views of the Ionian Sea.

Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

Fly from London to Corfu Airport. We then travel together by coach the short journey from the airport to the Daphnila Bay Hotel for a warm welcome and with time to settle in before dining together in the hotel restaurant.

Day 2

Three exceptional private hillside gardens today: Nissaki with a strong underlying structure of architectural elements and evergreen planting gives this garden appeal all year around. Designer, Thomas Doxiadis was requested to create a drought resistant garden with native plantings, as well as an area with Brazilian flora. The strikingly confident design takes one from the house down to the sea through progressively freer planting using native mediterranean shrubs. Kouloura is a charming 16^th century fortified Venetian house with a 20^th century garden, containing 21^st century updated planting schemes. Flights of stone steps link the terraces from which you can view the harbour. At Villa Agnos, the designer, Jennifer Gay, was given full rein to develop the existing site to create a more intricate and accessible garden with more sea views. She also made full use of her knowledge of Mediterranean planting to create some exquisite planting schemes. Lunch is included today at a local restaurant. In the late afternoon we will return to the Daphnila Bay Hotel before dining together.

Day 3

Rachel Weaving’s book ‘The Gardens of Corfu’, has done much to promote the magic of Corfiot gardens. We are invited by Rachel to view her own small, terraced garden at Villa Zetouna with views across the infinity pool to the arid mountains of Albania. We are privileged to visit another, very private garden described in Rachel’s book, designed by Alithea Johns of Skopos Design. This garden sits on a steep hillside with its well-established planting blending into the surrounding wild landscape. We then return to Daphnila Bay Hotel before dining together.

Day 4

A morning visit to Old Perithea, Corfu’s oldest village, of Venetian design, sitting beneath the highest mountain Mount Pantokrator, it is the oldest permanently inhabited settlement in Corfu with records dating back to the 14^th century.  Following lunch in a taverna in the village we will visit a beautiful private estate on the peninsula of Strongilo & Kanonas. Nurtured by three generations of the family, it skilfully embraces the wild landscape with more intense planting in courtyards, potager and around the beautiful pools. This evening, we dine together in Corfu town returning later to the hotel. 

The Daphnila Bay Hotel

The Daphnila Bay Hotel is an upscale, luxury all-inclusive resort tumbling down the green hillside overlooking the bay and Ionian Sea. Guests staying at Daphnila Bay can explore several different restaurants, bars and private beaches, all hidden amongst the mature gardens. Each room offers stunning sea views and is designed with a blend of contemporary comfort and tradition Greek charm. Soft, neutral tones and natural materials create a calming atmosphere to unwind in.

With Flights:   £3890

Join Direct: £3740

Single Supp:   £455

Deposit:   £450

Departure Dates:

13 - 17 April 2026

Duration:

4 nights / 5 days

Your Holiday Includes:

• Return flights (Economy class) from London to Corfu
• Four nights' at The Daphnila Bay Hotel on an all-inclusive basis
• Private coach transfers and excursions
• Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
• Services of the Tour Host and Tour Leader
• Detailed programme and garden notes
• All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff

Tour Host & Leader

Christina Lambert

Christina was born and grew up in London. She moved to Greece more than thirty years ago and for the last four years has been living on the island of Corfu. Whilst living in Athens she spent four and a half years working part time at Sparoza - the garden of the Mediterranean Garden Society. She was also head of the Attica branch of the MGS for five years. On Corfu she works as a professional gardener; she is one of the organisers of the Corfu Garden Festival which takes place over nine days every spring and is joint branch head of the MGS on Corfu.

Sophie Piebenga

Born in The Netherlands and based in the Cotswolds, our expert Sophie Piebenga has lived most of her life in the UK. Trained with the National Trust and qualified at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, all whilst working as head gardener of a private estate, Sophie quickly developed a particular interest in the conservation of historic gardens. This eventually led to a doctoral study at the University of York, researching the work of the early Victorian landscape gardener, William Sawrey Gilpin. Sophie has since worked freelance, mostly in the field of historic landscape conservation, and, for the last 25 years, has regularly led Boxwood tours around the UK and to Ireland, France, Spain and The Netherlands.

Travel Information

The price does not include extras at the hotels or travel insurance.

Please note that Boxwood Tours use hotels of character featuring a variety of rooms & styles.

Stamina

Please note that some of our tours can involve a fair amount of walking, sometimes across uneven

ground. We ask that clients inform us if they have difficulties before booking to avoid any issues whilst on tour.