|| Corfu, Kerkyra - Greece: A guide with our top 9 things to do ||
Corfu island, a truly pittoresk island, with a unique rock formation and breath taking views. A pristine coastline, a romantic capital city and clear blue ocean filled with beautiful corals and fishes. An island that's known for its delightful architecture as this features colourful buildings with ancient history of the Venetian period. Also, Corfu's historic town is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site and is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and elegant ones. At first we planned to do a 4 day trip to Corfu, but ended up extending our trip for 3,5 weeks.
Written by: Stephanie Gabriella
Our Story
Corfu, our first reaction to the island was: wow! We didn't know what to expect before we visited the island, because this trip was directed a little bit different than the other ones we did before. We decided not to schedule our 6 week trip and 'just go with the flow'. Our initial plan was to do a road trip around Albania and stay for less than a week on the island of Corfu, since it's so close by boat to the Albanian coast. If we are being honest, we didn't have a nice experience there and ended up liking Corfu island a lot more. Therefore, we decided to stay in Corfu. We fell in love with the food, the weather, the people, the culture and there are so many things to do and discover!It marks a perfect summer holiday destination for those who want to have vibrant, sunny and relaxed vacation. It is a great base for exploring the Ionian islands and nearby areas such as Paxos and Antipaxos. There are so many options to discover the island and its surrounding areas. Many buses, ferries and flights that can bring you to the other places and that is why we decided to share our top 10 favourite things to do in Corfu, in order for you to have the great experience we have had on the island. One thing is sure: you will never be bored on the island!
1. Visit Corfu town
The moment we checked into our first stay: Corfu Sky loft our host told us one thing about Corfu town: 'May I give you one advice? Just go, wander around in town without a map and just let the city guide you through its beauty. You will see that you will find your way back, but in this way you will see more unexpected things.' This exactly what we did and it reminded us a lot of Italy as well. This is mainly, because it was under the Venetian rule from the 14th of Century until the late 18th Century. The architecture is in one word: amazing! There are many narrow little lanes, two fortresses and various restaurants. Make sure to also visit both the New and Old Fortress, and of course the The Royal Palace: Museum of Asian Art.
There is so much choice when it comes to food and countless places to enjoy a coffee! Wander by the pastel coloured homes and make sure to pause and sit at one of our favourite coffee stores, make sure to try out the traditional Greek coffee: Freddo cappuccino. A coffee that's designed to drink on a slow pace!
2. Visit Church of St. Spyridon
Located in the heart of Corfu town, the St. Spyridon Church. It is built in 1589 and as can be seen on the photo above: its red-domed bell tower, dominates the skyline from afar and can't be missed. A silver sarcophagus adorned with stones, encloses the remains of St. Spyridon. Which is the name of Corfu's patron saint: St. Spyridon. The silver casket contains the relics of St. Spyridon and are around town to mark important religious festivals, to tribute him.
Location: Agios Spiridon, 49100 Corfu Town (Kérkyra)
Opening hours: 7 AM - 8 PM
3. Visit Paxos and Antipaxos
Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to do this ourselves, because we decided to do this by the end of the season and were too late. However, it is one of the top things to do when visiting Corfu. As earlier, mentioned the island marks a great base to explore the nearby areas: Paxos and Antipaxos. The islands are well known for their breathtaking white beaches, gorgeous turquoise coloured clear blue waters and serene landscapes. It is about 30 miles South of Corfu and just across the opposite of Antipaxos. We recommend to do a boat trip from a couple of days and make sure to do this within June - September.
Our tip: Ask your local hotel or Airbnb host for more information about this trip and let them connect you to one of the local services. As you can get a better price for great services.
4. Rent a boat
Did you know that you can rent your own private boat? In this way you can visit every beach that's only accessible by boat. You will witness the bluest waters that ranges from brilliant navy blues to the lightest and clearest turquoises. You willl come across hidden beaches. It is one of the most romantic dates you can have, because you will be with only the of you or one of the greatest experiences with a group of friends. You can rent a boat on several coasts. However, we preferred the coast of Paleokastritsa as we asked several locals to name their favorite beach to do a private boat trip and all of them said: Paleokastrista.
A few important notes:
- We paid €80,- for the boat during off season. In high season this would be around €120,-
- Gas to the boat cost us €40,- for a whole day
- Take a snorkelling set with you, because it's worth it!
- Make sure to bring enough food and drinks, especially water
5. See breathtaking views from Angelocastro Castle
From Paleokastritsa you can do a 2 hours hike to the top of the Angelokastro castle or you can rent a scooter, quad or a car that takes you there in 30 minutes. No matter which option you choose: Every single bit of it will be worth your time. Why? You will discover a magnificent view over the Adriatic ocean, surrounded by beautiful mountains.
Location: Paleokastrites 490 83, Greece
Opening hours: 10 AM - 5:30 PM
6. Explore Paleokastritsa
If there is one area we can mark as our favorite, it would definitely be Paleokastritsa (and Corfu Town). We absolutely loved it here. We actually liked it so much, that we went back here for more than 4 times. There are many things to do here, such as renting a scooter to discover the area, enjoying tasty foods at their restaurants, visiting the Monastery, staying at their beautiful beaches, renting a boat and many other things.
Our tip: visit Paleokastritsa by bus, a one way ticket is only 2,30 EUR
The bus schedule: https://greenbuses.gr/routes-en?rt=A9
7. Visit Sidari
Make sure to visit the beautiful Sidari. It is one of the pretty coasts of Corfu. However, the waves here can be quite wild. When you are in Sidari you have to visit the Canal d'Amour, with it's beautiful rocks formation. You can find people laying on the beach or jumping off the cliffs into the waters. The canal here, leads under the cliff and they say that if you swim through the canal you will get married soon or if you swim with your loved one, you will get married with them soon. You won't be fully submerged in water, so you don't have to worry.
Please note that however Sidare is a stunning place, it's also known as very dangerous. Yes, you can swim in the sea and around the canals, but.... there is a particular part of the canal that has cost lives and several accidents. Please be careful and ask around if it's safe to swim during your stay. What most people don't know is that there are loads of rocks under the surface and you have to jump further to be completely in the ocean.
8. Visit Pontikonisi (Mouse Island)
When you are in Corfu town you have to take a taxi or bus to Kanoni, which is across Pontikonisi. Where you also can visit the Monastery of Vlacherna. Fun fact: A scene from The James Bond film For Your Eyes Only is filmed here. It was a functioning Monastery until 1980, but today it is used for celebrations, and serves as a tourist attraction.
Mouse island (Pontikonisi) is crowned by a white Byzantine chapel and a set of cypress trees. If you want a peaceful escape from the crowds? than Pontikonisi is a great option. You can catch a boat from Kanoni harbor to visit Mouse island. From Kanoni you can also watch the planes flying over your head from a very near distance.
9. Relax at Imabari & enjoy Faliraki beach
Imabari is one of the most relaxing lounge bar restaurants of the island. As we partnered up with different hotels in Corfu Town, we also wanted to have quick dives in the ocean and didn't want to travel everyday to Paleokastritsa or other beaches. Faliraki beach is such a relaxing city beach and not that crowded. A perfect solution for a daily swim!
More on Corfu
Are you visiting Corfu anytime soon? Than make sure to read our other dedicated 'travel' and 'beautiful stays' posts and content:
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