They are the words which strike fear into the heart of any driver. "I know a shortcut," I said to my friend as I turned the map around to face the direction of travel. Much eyerolling from my (male) friend as he negotiated the hairpin bends around the north-east coast of Corfu. There were two main roads from the capital, Corfu Town, back to our hotel on the north coast - we could either hug the east coast in a huge arc, or sweep around inland.
But there were myriad smaller squiggles cutting straight through the middle. "Let's try one of these roads," I said. "It'll be a lot quicker." Needless to say, it wasn't. An hour later - round about the time we would have been cracking open a cold one at the hotel bar if we had stuck to the main roads - we had advanced a mere centimetre on the map. This was because we were travelling almost vertically. My map neglected to mention the mountain. My ears were starting to pop and the drop was getting steeper by the minute. But we eventually made it to the top and, as we unglued our eyes from the road, we were rewarded with stupendous views.

The olive groves plunged down the valleys to the bays and inlets of the east coast glittering far (very far!) below us, vivid turquoise in the baking sun. Corfu Town was a mere speck, but we could just make out the two hulking forts which glower at each other across the Old Town. This was worth the drive! Well, almost - we still had to get back down the other side... But this was about as adventurous as life got during our week on this laid-back Greek isle. Most people come here to chill out & enjoy the beaches, the friendly locals & the food. Oh, the food!

In a week we managed to work our way through the entire repertoire of Greek cuisine, ticking off each speciality as we went from one taverna to the next, washing them down with ice-cold Mythos or Alpha lager. In fact, we planned each day's activity around a restaurant recommended by the locals. Detours up insane mountain roads notwithstanding, hiring a car to explore this gorgeous Ionian Greek island is a good idea.

Although our hotel did make it quite hard to get going in the mornings. We stayed at the brandnew Restia Suites, which is strictly adults only. While this may conjure up images of keys-in-the-bowl shenanigans, what it actually means is a sophisticated, relaxed place for couples. The suites have a 9ft-wide bed, sofas, plasma TV, wi-fi and an enormous bathroom with a spa bath and monsoon shower (which doubles as a steam room). Some rooms have balconies with sea views, others have private pools. It's a tough call.

And while there is a great restaurant which serves food all day, they don't do all-inclusive. So you have no excuse but to venture out and try the local tavernas. We found one of our favourites on our first day, just a few miles down the (winding) olive-tree-lined road from the hotel. We were on our way back after a day exploring the villages along the north-east coast - Agios Spiridonas, Kassiopi, Kouloura, Kalami (Laurence Durrell's house is here) via a delicious prawn platter at Taverna Agni (in Agni) followed by flaky baklava dessert, which the chalkboard boasted was "made by grandmother, extra nutty" We'd only stopped for a drink in Ta Fagopotion in the little seaside village of San Stefano Sinion, when we were collared by Christos Vlachos, the owner of this relatively new spot right on the tiny marina. Disappointed to discover we'd already had lunch, he insisted we return on Saturday night for his signature lamb dish... one that he promised he would spend seven hours slaving over. We signed up on the spot. But there was a lot of island to discover before then.

The beaches on the east coast are pretty but pebbly, so it's to the west coast that beach bums flock - especially the bustling resort of Paleokastritsa, where the massive cliffs give way to startlingly blue bays with bobbing fishing boats, overlooked by an 18th Century monastery. Hop on a taxi-boat for a 30-minute cruise around the inlets and caves (10 euros from the harbour), before lunch at a café on the beach. We wound our way back up from the coast to the village we had seen from below clinging to the cliffs in a rather perilous fashion.

Lakones is a pretty little place with bougainvillea and roses cascading down the honey - coloured buildings
and has unrivalled views. Take a detour to the hilltop ruins of Angelokastro, an old 12th Century monastery, before stopping in Makrades to buy hand-pressed olive oil from enthusiastic locals at roadside stalls. Double back to one of my favourite little villages, Doukades. Stop off at Elizabeth's in the pretty square for a Greek salad, complete with juicy tomatoes and fat chunks of crumbly feta. The next day we headed off to the countryside surrounding the capital. First stop was Achilleion Palace, a 19th Century stately home set in lavish gardens about six miles south of the city. Marvel at the 1890 interior and the statues of Achilles in the grounds.

There are plenty of traditional villages to visit in the area, like Vinos and Kinopiastis, before lunch on the promenade in Benitses. We headed back for an afternoon snooze by the pool at our hotel. It had been a hard day. Luckily, we didn't have to go far to find a good meal- the restaurant at the hotel has wonderful dishes and there's a huge choice of tavernas at Acharavi, just a £5 cab ride away. At the Lemon Garden we sat under the trees and enjoyed grilled haloumi cheese and -souvlak(shish kebabs). At the Pumphouse on another night we had sofrito (beef in white sauce) and moussaka on the terrace. And at Falioraki we tried cheap but delicious gyros - roasted flaked pork with tsatsiki in pitta. I'm amazed we found time to sightsee!

But we did - and Corfu Town is worth a day trip. It's not big, so park at the Old Fort and set out on foot. Explore the rambling 16th Century fort and climb the 236ft (72m) tower for views across the city to Mount Pandokrator, the island's highest point (at 2,972ft/906m) looming in the distance. Between the two massive brick edifices of the Old and New Forts lies the Old Town, or Campiello. Lose yourself in the twisting alleyways, catching a glimpse of local life in the washing strung high between the buildings and people going about their business in darkened shops and sun-drenched squares. Stroll along the Liston, the French-inspired esplanade, to the neoclassical Palace of St Michael and St George, built in the early 1800s when Corfu was a British protectorate. A delightful colonial hangover is the cricket played on the lawn out front on Sunday afternoons.

There are plenty of smaller islands to explore from the harbour if you have the time. But we had a date with Christos and his lamb at Ta Fagopotion, so we headed back up the coast to San Stefano. We a feast and arrived hungry. We weren't disappointed. Various starters appeared before us: wilted spinach from the garden", pork in tomato sauce, cheese pies and courgette fritters, all freshly prepared by chef Frideriki. polished off the lot, and requested a break before the event. Which was a good Christos' lamb arrived without frills - at first glance a simple plate of meat and potatoes. But the lamb fell off the and melted in the mouth the spuds were out of this Worth waiting a week - seven hours - for. And just when you think you eat any more, Christos arrives with orange cake and creamy Greek yoghurt drizzled local honey. And a recommendation - well, more of an "I've booked you a table" - at his friend's place up in the mountains for the following evening.

With just 24 hours to recover, we headed to Old Perithia... only nine miles from our hotel, but up one of those infamous winding roads. This 16th Century ghost town was abandoned in the 1950s. Only two families remain among the crumbling buildings. One of which is headed by Alkinoos Kassaris, whose family have owned the Old Perithia Taverna for 140 years. By now we were used to doing as we were told, and quietly submitted as platters of baked feta, local sausage and courgettes were followed by rabbit stifado (bunny in red wine) and pastitsado (beef with tomatoes and red pepper and pasta)... and, despite our protestations, Grandma's warm walnut cake and Alkinoos' homemade wine. These Corfiots know all about hospitality.