Corfu

A lush green island in the Ionian Sea, with a Venetian-style World Heritage old town, Empress Sisi's Achilleion palace and the bays of Paleokastritsa.

Corfu (Kerkyra in Greek) lies in the Ionian Sea off northwest Greece, facing Albania across the water. It covers about 590 km² and takes around 2 hours to drive from north to south. Long ruled by Venice and later by the French and British, the island was never occupied by the Ottomans, so its old town is full of Venetian arcades, fortresses and an English-style cricket ground; it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2007. The climate is Mediterranean but wetter than the Aegean islands, with lush vegetation and olive groves everywhere. The best season is May–Oct: May–Jun and Sep–Oct offer pleasant weather and reasonable prices, while Jul–Aug is the hottest and busiest. Easter brings the unique pot-throwing tradition and processions of the saint's relics; Nov–Mar is rainy and many resort hotels close. Key areas: Corfu Old Town and the Kanoni peninsula (old town, fortresses, museums, Mouse Island); the south, with the Achilleion and west-coast beaches such as Pelekas and Glyfada; the northwest, with Paleokastritsa, Angelokastro and Porto Timoni; the north coast, with Sidari's Canal d'Amour and Cape Drastis; and the northeast, with Kassiopi, Kalami and Mount Pantokrator. Getting there: Corfu Airport is right next to the old town, with many direct flights from Europe in summer, or connect via Athens (about 1 hour). Ferries also run from Italy and Igoumenitsa. The island has blue suburban buses and green intercity buses, but services are limited, so driving is most convenient – mountain roads are narrow and winding. Allow 4–6 days: 2 for the old town and 1–2 each for the west coast and the north. Tips: book cars and rooms early for Jul–Aug; the old town gets crowded on cruise-ship days; cover shoulders and knees in churches and monasteries.

Top sights

• Old Town of Corfu – A UNESCO World Heritage site of Venetian-era stone lanes, arcades and laundry lines, the most Italian-flavoured district in Greece.
• Old Fortress of Corfu – A fortress the Venetians built on a twin-peaked headland by cutting a moat. Climb the lighthouse hill for panoramic views over the Old Town.
• Church of Saint Spyridon – The church of Corfu's patron saint. Its red-roofed bell tower is the tallest building in the Old Town, and the church holds the saint's rel…
• Kanoni & Vlacherna Monastery – A white monastery on a small island, linked by a causeway. Together with Mouse Island behind it, it forms Corfu's postcard view, best photo…
• Achilleion – A hilltop palace built by Empress Sisi in memory of Achilles. Its garden holds a giant bronze statue of Achilles, overlooking the Ionian Se…
• Paleokastritsa – A resort surrounded by six small bays on the west coast, with emerald water and sea caves. It is Corfu's most classic seascape.
• Spianada Square – One of the largest squares in the Balkans, with a lawn where English-style cricket is played, the Liston arcade on one side and the old for…
• Liston – A French-era arcade modelled on Paris's Rue de Rivoli, lined with cafés, where Corfiots have long gathered for coffee and people-watching.
• New Fortress of Corfu – A Venetian bastion on the hill north-west of the Old Town; from its walls you can see the old harbour, the Old Town rooftops and the old fo…
• Museum of Asian Art of Corfu – A neoclassical palace from the British period housing Greece's only Asian art museum, with Chinese porcelain and Japanese prints.
• Archaeological Museum of Corfu – Holds one of the earliest carved stone pediments in Greece: the 6th-century BC Gorgon Medusa pediment from the Temple of Artemis.
• Antivouniotissa Museum – A Byzantine museum housed in a 15th-century church on the Old Town's north seafront, showing Cretan school icons and an elaborate gilded wo…
• Mon Repos – A seaside villa built for the British Commissioner, birthplace of Prince Philip, with ancient Greek temple ruins scattered through its wood…
• Pontikonisi – A small cypress-covered island off Kanoni with a Byzantine chapel; legend says it is the petrified form of Odysseus' ship.
• Paleokastritsa Monastery – A 13th-century monastery of the Virgin on a headland, with white walls, arcades and gardens overlooking the bay, and a small icon museum.
• Angelokastro – The ruins of a Byzantine castle on a 300-metre cliff on the west coast, which withstood several sieges; from the top you can overlook Paleo…
• Porto Timoni – A 'two-sided beach' on the Afionas peninsula, where a sandbar separates two bays; seen from the hilltop it looks like a green ribbon.
• Canal d'Amour – A sandstone sea-carved channel at Sidari on the north coast; legend says couples who swim through it together will stay together forever, a…
• Cape Drastis – White sandstone sea cliffs and islets at Corfu's north-west corner; the clifftop overlooks blue bays, making it the island's most spectacul…
• Mount Pantokrator – Corfu's highest peak (906 m), where a summit monastery offers views over the whole island, Albania and mainland Greece.
• Old Perithia – An abandoned Venetian mountain village on the north slope of Pantokrator, with stone houses and eight churches scattered across the valley…
• Kassiopi – A fishing village with a small harbour on the north-east coast, featuring Byzantine castle ruins, a coastal path around the cape and severa…
• Kalami Bay & White House – A quiet bay on the north-east coast; the White House, where writer Lawrence Durrell once lived, is now a seaside restaurant and the setting…
• Glyfada Beach – One of the most popular long sandy beaches on the west coast, with fine golden sand and a cliff backdrop, well equipped for a full day of s…
• Kaiser's Throne (Pelekas) – A hilltop viewpoint above Pelekas village where Kaiser Wilhelm II once watched sunsets, with sea views on both coasts of Corfu.
• Agios Gordios Beach – A sandy beach on the west coast ringed by green cliffs, with a huge sea stack at its southern end; a good spot for watching the sunset.
• Korission Lagoon – A natural reserve of dunes and lagoon on the south coast, with cedar woods and wild beaches, where flamingos can seasonally be seen.
• Vido Island – A small island opposite the Old Town with pine-wooded paths and clear coves, ideal for a half-day trip; it is also a memorial site for Serb…
• Aqualand Corfu – One of Greece's largest water parks, with dozens of slides and a lazy river, ideal for a full summer day with the kids.
• Butrint – A UNESCO World Heritage ancient city just across the water in Albania, with layers of Greek, Roman and Venetian ruins. It's an easy cross-b…

Where to eat

• Rex Restaurant – An established restaurant next to the Liston, dating back to 1932, making it a classic choice for tasting sofrito and r…
• Etrusco – Chef Botrini's creative dining restaurant in the village of Kato Korakiana, famous for its multi-course tasting menus a…
• The Venetian Well – An exquisite restaurant next to the historic well in the Old Town's Kremasti Square, transforming traditional Corfiot f…
• Klimataria (Bellos) – An 11-table family-run fish tavern in the fishing village of Benitses, opened in 1997 and highly praised for its bourde…
• Ninos Taverna Grill – A family-run grill house on Sevastianou Street in Corfu Town, offering affordable souvlaki, pita wraps, and sofrito.
• Bikolis Taverna – A family-run country tavern in the northern village of Peroulades, loved by locals and tourists alike for its spit-roas…