Mild summer heat, peace away from the tourist crowds of Mykonos or Santorini, greenery, emerald beaches and beautiful natural landscapes are the reasons why ionian islands attract more and more foreign property buyers, reports the Financial Times in a report.

Unlike American buyers who prefer the Aegean, Europeans, especially from the UK and Scandinavia, are investing in the Ionian Islands.

Charles Norwood and his wife, selling the house they built ten years ago in Corfu, thought that their circle with the island was complete. However, when they learned that there was an old property for sale on a nearby property that they had always “missed”, their interest was revived and the sale is now nearing completion.

“There is something special about this place that we cannot leave,” he says.

For those looking for a holiday home in the sun, the Ionian Islands offer idyllic options with year-round mild weather, great architecture and a rich local culture.

“There are no crowds of tourists, day trippers or vacationers here,” says Ileana von Hirsch of Ithaca, where she and her family own property, including a villa for rent.

In Corfu, prices vary by region. According to Markus Gandolo-Gordon of Property Vision, a real estate agency specializing in Greece, buying a house in Kommeno can cost up to 4 million euros, with the value of a property by the sea doubling. “And your neighbors could be Greek shipping billionaires or Russian oligarchs mooring their yachts in nearby Gouvian Pier,” he says.

“Summer with less wind favors those who have boats. In places like Mykonos, there is a coastal culture where guests move from boat to tavern and from tavern to calm coves, not fancy restaurants and vibrant nightlife,” says Gandolo-Gordon.

Centuries of Venetian rule protected the Ionian Islands from the Ottoman Empire, leaving their mark on architecture. “You see the streets and imagine Venice,” Norgun says of the old town of Corfu.

Source: Financial Times.