Corfu

Corfu has a rich history that weaves a bewildering number of influences, with the Venetians, English, French and Russians all flourishing here and leaving their mark on the island.

In the Old Town, you’ll feel like an aristocrat walking along Liston Arcade and in Spianada Square and gazing up at the Venetian forts and churches. And you’ll adore the romance of the labyrinth-like alleyways of Campiello (the medieval quarter of the Old Town) as well as the beat of the marching bands, particularly on festival days. 

Holidays on Corfu are also famous for the food – with the many cultural influences expressed in dishes that show off Italian touches and the island’s sun-kissed Mediterranean produce.

And don’t forget the beaches and swimming spots dotted around the island – not least the legendary Canal d'Amour, where legend has it you’ll find your soulmate. Corfu island (or Kerkyra as it’s known in Greek) certainly knows how to seduce you.
 

Things to do on Corfu

Feel like a classic film star in the Old Town

Unesco has declared Corfu’s Old Town a world heritage site. Who couldn’t be impressed by the stately buildings, with neoclassical influences, or fail to be moved by the likes of the Palace of St Michael and St George, Liston Arcade, Reading Society, the Catholic Cathedral, Maitland Rotunda, Ionian Parliament and the Kapodistrias family’s mansion? In the famous alleyways of Campiello, you will feel like a star in a period movie.

Admire the Venetian forts and towers

On the eastern side of town, the rocky shore crowned by two low peaks gave the name Koryfo (or peak) to the island. You enter the Old Fort (Palio Frourio), built in the 13th century, via a bridge over a seawater moat. It includes the Porta Sopranza, the British barracks, two winged lions of St Mark, the Madonna del Carmine, the Savorgnan Bastion, the Tower of Sea and the Tower of the Land (Castel del Mar, Castel della Terra) and the British-built church of St George resembling a Doric temple.

Corfu’s Old Town is often characterised as an open-air museum and each sight is a journey through time. Towering above the northwest border of the capital, the other guardian, the Neo Frourio (New Fort), is a masterpiece of military architecture built by the Venetians between 1572 and 1645. It is a fortress with planes and angles reminiscent of Picasso and Braque’s Cubist periods.

Take a walking tour through Corfu’s atmospheric Old Town

Get your camera ready for Cannon and Mouse islands

Two trademark views on Corfu are actually other islands – the diminutive Pontikonisi, which translates as Mouse Island, just large enough to hold the Pantokrator Monastery, and right next to it, the famous Vlacherna islet, with its 17th-century monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary, connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. Mass is held here on Easter Monday.
 

Go for a swim with a difference at Canal d'Amour and Sidari

Corfu is known for its beaches but you can’t miss the Canal d'Amour, where a natural passage created by the smooth rocks forms a tunnel to swim down. Let us know if you find your soulmate at the end of it, as legend promises. Meanwhile, at Sidari you’ll enjoy spectacular sandy beaches with sandstone formations. 

Discover more sandy beaches with amazing waters

Glyfada, Dasia, Ermones, Paleokastritsa, Sidari, Kavos (famous for loud parties), Kontokali, Benitses, Halikounas... The list of beaches is endless, from secluded picturesque coves to large, vibrant stretches of sand with beach bars, tavernas, shops and water sports.

Take a boat trip to Paradise Beach in Corfu

Delve deeper into the many attractions of Corfu

By the village of Paleokastritsa, a lush blanket of green drapes across six rocky coves, with some scholars maintaining that this is the site of the mythical palace of King Alkinoos, where Odysseus stayed. Another highlight is the Monastery of Panagias, founded here in 1225. It reaches as far as the famous Angelokastro, built early in the 12th century, with its church of Agia Kyriaki hidden in a small cave.
 

Celebrate Easter with a difference

Easter celebrations on Corfu are like no other. The island’s Philharmonic Society accompanies the procession of Christ’s epitaph on Good Friday and crowds follow the remains of the island’s patron, St Spyridon, the following morning. And then, on Holy Saturday, it rains botides – clay jars thrown into the streets from people’s balconies. Just make sure you keep looking up! 
 

Feel like an aristocrat in Empress Elizabeth’s Achillion Palace

Corfu’s imperial past is one of the reasons it is considered one of the most glamorous destinations in Greece. Empress Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary, the legendary Sissi, chose the island to build her palace, a place where she found consolation after her son Rudolph’s suicide. It is an elegant Pompeian-style building with luxurious, neoclassical living rooms. In the beautiful gardens, you’ll admire the famous statue of Achilles in his death throes.
 

Tour Mon Repos, the aristocrat’s choice 

British High Commissioner Frederick Adam built this summer residence for his Corfiot wife, Nina Palatianou. Situated in a landscape of rare beauty, it occupies the site of ancient Corcyra, as the city was then called. The villa houses the Palaiopolis Museum and botanical gardens with more than 2,000 plant species that came from the British colonies.

Hidden gems of Corfu island
 

Culinary miracles

Pastitsada (beef in a rich tomato sauce with pasta), sofrito (battered beef cooked in olive oil and wine) and bourdeto (fish stew) are among the regional delicacies you can enjoy in kitchens, traditional tavernas and restaurants of Corfu. They will enrich your holidays with the aromas and flavours of the Ionian.

Enjoy a culinary tour of Corfu

Exploring inland

Get to know the island’s rich flora and fauna and old settlements on foot or by bicycle. Among the hidden gems are Pantokratoras, a lovely spot next to the saltwater lake of Korission in the south and the area around the northern saltwater lake of Antinioti, where you can find wonderful routes that will fill your holidays with unique moments.
 

The Diapontia islands

A favourite destination for sailors, the uninhabited Diapontia islands north of Corfu are ideal for all those who enjoy diving and fishing.

FAQs about Corfu, Greece

• What is Corfu known for?

  The island of Corfu is known for its spectacular beaches and the Venetian aura of its Old Town. It has a unique cuisine that is a product of its many cultural influences, particularly Italian.

• What is the best time to visit Corfu?

  Most travellers prefer to visit Corfu in the summer but spring months, such as April and May, and early and late summer and autumn months (June and September-October) are also popular when it is not as hot, prices are lower and there are fewer tourists.

• What is Corfu like in winter?

  Like the rest of Greece, Corfu is colder in winter. There are rainy days and the average temperature is 10°C. If you have your heart set on swimming in the sea, then spring to autumn are preferable.