Overview
Corfu is located in Northwest Greece, surrounded by the waters of the Ionian Sea. The island is typical Mediterranean with olive terraces, Ionian beaches, and buildings from Venetian style in Old Town Corfu. In general, Corfu is a beach destination for Europeans but not only. During our trip, we visited Corfu Old Town and it was great. Typically, most days are at the coastline but the town deserves a half day from your time. The Travel Guide to Corfu is a helpful tool for everyone wishing to enjoy the island.
This Travel Guide to Corfu will inform you of everything you need to know about travelling to this Mediterranean island.
Here is summarized some general information about this travel destination. Corfu Town is the capital of the island and lies on the east coastline of it. The official language is Greek but since it is a popular tourist destination, English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. The currency is Euro (€), like any other island in Greece. Delicious and fresh seafood can be eaten anywhere on the island. Apart from that, Souvlaki and Tzatziki, traditional Greek food, is part of the dishes of Corfu.
The best time to visit Corfu is during the shoulder seasons, May-June, and September-October.
Try to avoid the main season, July-August, which saves you some money and the high temperatures of summer. The average cost per day in Corfu is 65 € for a backpacker, 150 € for a mid-range traveller, and 300 € or more for a luxury traveller.
Corfu is easily reachable from Corfu International Airport “Ioannis Kapodistrias”. Close to the island are two ports, Port of Saranda, Albania, and Port of Igoumenitsa, Greece. Both have ferry lines to Corfu Port for people and vehicles. The best way to move around the island is by car because it gives access everywhere. Buses are a cheaper option and the only mean of public transportation. The official bus lines in Corfu are green buses that run almost all over the island. Other good options are boats at city ports. They usually make daily trips to the least reachable beaches on the island.
Northeast Corfu is the best part of the island to accommodate yourself. There are gorgeous beaches, not crowded spots, and great restaurants.
Below is the list of our recommended places to visit in Corfu. Apart from Corfu Old Town, the other suggestions are great beaches, chosen carefully to have the best memories of Corfu. In total the list includes 8 places, giving the freedom to make it from 1 week to 2 week vacation, depending on your time.
- Corfu Old Town
- Avlaki Beach
- Akoli Beach
- Chomi or Paradise Beach
- Rovinia Beach
- Canal d’Amour
- Logas the Sunset Beach
- Porto Timoni Beach
Corfu Old Town
Corfu Old Town is a great city to visit when in Corfu, with beautiful buildings, influenced by Venetian architecture. Strolling randomly through the narrow streets of Corfu is quite nice. This way you get to know the city and enjoy the atmosphere. In the old quarter are many restaurants and shops. Whether eating seafood or shopping, you will have a great time. The views from the port are quite charming, with the ships sailing in the Ionian Sea. If you are limited on time, half day would be enough time to explore the city.
Below, in this Travel Guide to Corfu are our best beach recommendations for you. All the beaches in Corfu are public and a good part of them with pebbles.
Avlaki Beach
Avlaki and Akoli Beach are some of the most east-north beaches of Corfu and are only 3 km from the coast of Albania. The area is our favorite on the island and definitely will be the place to stay when going back to Corfu. Avlaki Beach is quite a gem because it has it all. There was quiet, even in August, different water sports opportunities, facilities, easy accessibility, and most importantly, a pretty beach to lay all day long.
Akoli Beach
This one is part of the many beaches in this area. You can reach Akoli Beach by hiking for about less than an hour from Avlaki Beach. The path goes through olive tree terraces, serving also as a sun protector. Take with you the necessary beach accessories because the beach is completely remote. A lot of ships stop here for one to two hours and then many people hang out at the beach, but it should not bother you because there is plenty of space. Akoli Beach is a great choice for exercising a bit and sunbathing.
Chomi or Paradise Beach
Chomi or Paradise Beach deserves its name completely. Look at the first photo above! That is not edited at all! The water is perfect and the cliffs are just beautiful. Altogether make Paradise Beach a highlight of this Travel Guide to Corfu. The common way to reach Chomi Beach is from Palaiokastritsa Port. There are plenty of small boats to take you to this destination. Just pay 20 Euros and for a short time, you will find yourself in this magical place.
The boat trip to Paradise Beach takes you to hidden caves, where their waters are filled with full of colorful fishes.
The driver leaves you at Chomi Beach for three to four hours and comes back to send you back to the port. Enjoy your time at this little paradise as much as you can because it flies pretty fast. Be aware of the stones above, because they are unstable. As you can imagine there is no shadow so take your umbrella with you. Visiting Paradise Beach is a unique experience and we can not recommend it enough.
Rovinia Beach
Definitely, this part of Corfu has incredible watercolor, and Rovinia Beach is an example of it. The beach is close to Palaiokastritsa and a parking place is near the beach. The bus stop is on the main road, in Liapades and from there the beach is about 30 minutes walk. Rovinia Beach is quite astonishing. It is in the middle of the Mediterranean green trees and together with the fantastic watercolor, creates a typical view that is found only in Southern Europe.
Canal d’Amour
This one in Corfu is an interesting place to visit in Sidari, north of Corfu. The sea has formed a unique formation on the cliffs and now the location attracts a lot of tourists. Wandering there and taking some photos is quite an experience. At Canal d’Amour are many sand beaches but for us not the best on the island. Sidari town offers a lot of facilities from hotels to restaurants and bars for its visitors. Arriving at Sidari by public transportation is quite easy since it is one of the most important cities of Corfu.
Logas the Sunset Beach
Logas the Sunset Beach offers the most wonderful view of sunset in all of Corfu. The high cliffs make the place even more dramatic. In addition, there is a platform to fully enjoy the sunset at this epic spot. Close are bars and restaurants, while you wait for the perfect time of the day at this place.
Porto Timoni Beach
The most epic place we visit in Corfu is, without a doubt, Porto Timoni Beach. To enjoy the view as in the first photo is not so easy though. Porto Timoni is northwest of Corfu and is located on a small peninsula.
The scenic viewpoint of Porto Timoni is along the trail of Porto Timoni Beach.
Porto Timoni Beach is reachable by hiking or by boat from Agios Georgios Beach. The starting point of the trail is Porto Timoni Parking and then you descend for about half an hour to this great beach. It is advisable to start the trail in the morning because later it becomes very uncomfortable from the heat. Bring with you the beach accessories and enjoy the place for the rest of the day.
In conclusion, Corfu is a great option in Meditterean, if you are looking for an affordable and great beach destination. This Travel Guide to Corfu is a good material to start planning your trip to one of the most surprising islands of Greece.
