The idyllic Corfu hideaway that lured Aristotle Onassis

I had a slightly anxious start to a short break in Corfu a few weeks ago. After flying down the coast of Croatia, which glittered under a clear sky, the captain announced that, unfortunately, there was “a bit of weather around”. We would be landing in the rain. Perhaps I was pushing my luck this late in the season? 

In fact, after a wet first afternoon, the skies cleared and I woke up to the sun shimmering on the Mediterranean. The temperature edged up to 26C and – after a long, hot summer – the sea itself was at its absolute balmiest.

But I hadn’t just come to reassure myself that autumn is when Greece is at its best – not too hot, not too crowded, not too expensive. I had several reasons for…