Venetian rule in the Ionian Islands 1809, Great Britain took possession of all the islands with the exception of Corfu and Paxos, which was only surrendered in 1814. In 1815, the Ionian Islands became a British protectorate under the name United States of the Ionian Islands. The civil and military governor of the Ionian Islands was the "Provveditore generale da Mar", who lived on Corfu and had the supreme peacetime command of the Venetian navy. In wartime, due to his absence at the head of the fleet, he was sometimes replaced by a "Provveditore generale delle Tre Isole" ("Superintendent general of the Three Islands"), referring to
Albanian Ionian Sea Coast sandy and rocky beaches to contrasting mountainous interior. The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast has a great cultural and architectural heritage, expressed in the region's churches, monasteries, mosques, citadels, castles, villages and so on, found in the main cities but also in smaller villages scattered alongside the region. The sunny, hot climate, landscape scenery, delicious cuisine, vast history and the diverse architecture attract many tourists from Albania and other countries. The tourist season peaks in the summer months, although people visit the region all year round. The Albanian Riviera has been repeatedly recognized as the country's best and popular coast by