by My three-year-old daughter and I crumble on the edge of the bridge in Corfu on the Ionian Sea and crumble sesame seeds to the Ionian Sea.
It is dazzling, it reflects the blue sky at the top and sparkles with the sunshine late morning.
After one or two minutes, the empty ocean spot suddenly lives with fish, quicksilver gray and decorative black, jumps on top of each other and out of the water to steal the best pieces.
I am afraid whether you should feed fish gluten, let alone sesame. My fingers reach for my phone to type “Can Fish have allergies”. I stop, look at my daughter: she is enthusiastic, delighted. You are an idiot, I tell myself. You are on vacation. I am considering throwing my phone into the water.
If my brain still hadn’t quite hit with the fact that it could get out, it was not the fault of our beautiful hotel, the five-star Marbella, Mar-Bella, Corfu. It was our first all-inclusive trip, and I had some of the school canteen buffet, but from the moment I was picked up from the moment when we were picked up by the driver of the hotels at the airport, which navigated the 20-minute drive along the coast along the coast, with such a practiced lightness that I felt like my daughter, faded and I felt like me (a one a little). Someone else had taken responsibility.
The feeling of being cared for for our entire stay took. On arrival when our luggage was unpacked from the car and was torn into our room, the friendly and charming reception in the Belvedere bar, with a view of the sea, my husband and me with a delicious Aperol moral shoes, market-leading signature cocktail, which gave my daughter a Juice version that asked her for ice. At least she had no problems believing that she was on vacation.
Marbella was founded five decades ago and offers family -friendly, affordable luxury. It is now the oldest sibling in the Mar-Bella collection, a small group of chic resorts, with three on Corfu itself and one on the Greece on the mainland. The 362 rooms and suites are arranged above a hill in the village of Agios Ioannis Peristeron in the southeast of the island and roams through lush, beautiful gardens from olive groves to the sea. It takes a while for you to be besieged, but every way is lined with fragrant rosemary, lavender and verbena, and there is a spectacular view in almost every corner, so it is hardly a annoying task.
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The resort has a slightly confusing selection of room categories, ranging from standard double to six six numbers and private whirlpools or pools. Our Bungalow-Junior Suite with a panoramic view was a huge room, all cool, tiled floors and chic neutral tones, which opened on a huge double balcony, on which our daughter in the morning the finches were greeted with a bottle Bathrob of small children.
With three pools, a gym, a spa, five restaurants and six bars, the hotel is an independent village. So if it is a pure relaxation, you don’t have to go. All meals and drinks are included and the cocktails are made to order, with real spirits in correct measures. There are also unlimited ice cream for children and adults.
The main buffet restaurant La Terrazza was far from the school canteen of my fears and offered in addition to classics such as slowly cooked pig belly, all types of delicious fresh salads and a pudding bar of the dreams of Corfiot specialties and local lamb. In a seven-day stay at the buffet at the buffet at no cost, Celeste, an elegant brasserie in French style, and the deck bar & grill on the beach for fresh seafood and pasta.
We fell into a simple routine and started breakfast in the Mediterranean Restaurant Kuzina, a smaller, more relaxed option than the main restaurant. We were sitting on the terrace, next to one of the old olive trees, and, even with everything, from eggs, Benedict and pastries to Spanakopita and luxurious thick yogurt with homemade fruit compot. Then we meandered on the Anemelia Waterpark on the top of the hill. First of all, in the morning, in April, we almost had it for ourselves -our daughter loved the gentler films and we loved to swim to the edge of the Infinity pool for a moment of calm before ordering a cocktail from the pool.
As soon as the water park became busy, we went to our favorite place, the private beach, where our daughter played in the sand, with the local cat with the fish with these smuggled buffet -bread bars fed friends while we enjoyed looking over the Ionian sea on the mainland. Snacks – pizza, souvlaki, fresh fruit – were available from the bar, and when they started to get their sun too tired, they could stroll along the beach and rent a canoe or pedalo for half an hour. All contained again.
If the thought of doing nothing else, feeling something other than relaxed, there is yoga, tennis and snorkeling or for a dose of culture, the hotel can arrange a boat trip to the city of Corfu, where you can explore its paved streets and its old beauty. A crib and a babysitter service are available for younger children, while older people can spend the day in the children’s club before they go to dinner – facial color optional but encouraged.
Chic rooms, beautiful terrain, dozens of activities, the perfect blue sea and the possibility of eliminating the logistics and catering page of your brain – Marbella is an ideal goal for families who need a break. And did I mention the unlimited ice?
Arrive there
British Airways Holidays offers seven nights in the 5-star collection Marbella, Mar-Bella Collection All-Inclusive, from £ 1239 pp + € 52.50 PPP environmental fee (to pay locally) based on two parts of adults that are on the road between October 1 to October 31, 2025 including selected data. Includes Economy (Euro Traveler) return flights from London Gatwick Airport, a checked bag for 23 kgper person and accommodation on all-inclusive board. Book until July 13, 2025. Britishairways.com
