The sun was definitely over the yardarm as the Greek waiter guided our motorboat and its thirsty occupants into a mooring space on the simple wooden jetty.

It is the way they do things on this steep-sided stretch of Corfu's coastline, where the tavernas cater for as many arrivals from the sparkling waters of the Ionian Sea as they do from the challenging lanes leading down from the main road.

Islands come in many shapes and sizes, and rarely do they offer beauty unmatched by blemish. It is certainly the case with Corfu. Cast like a gnarled shepherd's crook in the Ionian, the disfigurement caused by mass tourism is all too evident on some parts of its 135-mile coastline.

But thanks mainly to the efforts of Briton Patricia Cookson in the 1970s, one expanse has resisted the developers and retained its rustic character. She fell in love with this north-east corner of Corfu and began convincing owners to let her rent their properties out as holiday villas.

Soon the company she formed, Corfu Villas, had built up an enviable collection and, by turning the area into a haven full of high-end properties delivering good revenue for the locals, Cookson removed any threat of descent into tackiness.

Now named CV Travel, it is still responsible for the best holiday villas in the vicinity, scattered across the hillsides an hour's drive from the airport in Corfu Town.

Arriving in the harbour town of Kassiopi, our hired car nosed down the drive of our stunning villa, Lithari. Set among the classic landscape of olive, fig and pomegranate trees, the villa is raised above its 10-metre infinity pool and enjoys spectacular views across green countryside and blue sea to the mountains of Albania.

Yes, Albania. If you check your atlas, you will see the northern half of Corfu lies not next to the mother ship of Greece but to its former Communist neighbour. At their closest, Corfu and Albania are just three kilometres apart.

Lithari's long covered verandah gives entry to a spacious sitting/dining room and kitchen, with a tiled floor and high-raftered ceiling. Two ground floor bedrooms also open on to the verandah, while on the first floor, the master bedroom has its own balcony.

Outside there's an excellent barbecue and a delightful dining pergola to one side of the house, while broad steps lead down to the pool with its sunbeds and covered seating area on wooden decking.

Kassiopi, a kilometre away down the hill, is a bustling little port with a fine selection of shops and restaurants. Kassiopi was fortified by the Romans and the remains of the Roman fort, recently renovated and beautifully floodlit at night, look down on the harbour and can be reached by a ramshackle path.

The town comes alive at night, when the restaurants clustered around the harbour attract visitors from the surrounding area. There are also some lively bars that keep going until the small hours.

The best way to really appreciate this stretch of coast is by going afloat and boat hire companies will rent you a decent little motorised craft for a day.

It's a veritable K-club in these parts: Kerasia, with its quiet beach and rustic taverna; Kouloura, with its pretty harbour and excellent fish restaurant; and Kalami, where the White House once inhabited by poet and novelist Lawrence Durrell is now holiday accommodation and a thriving restaurant.

But we kept returning to Agni, which basically consists of three tavernas clustered together in a small bay. They serve some of the best traditional Greek food in the area.

In this unspoilt area of Corfu and the locals give a warm welcome.

Travel facts

n Graham was a guest of CV Villas (0207 5637901; www.cvvillas.com) who offer a week's stay at Villa Lithari from £1020 to £4020 (equivalent to £170-£670pp for six sharing), including maid service, car hire and a welcome pack.

n Prices for flights from regional airports to Corfu are available on request.