What are the best things to do in Corfu? When I think back to our Corfu trip, I immediately think of the wonderful blue sea and the beautiful hilly landscape. The most beautiful Corfu sight is definitely the nature. But what else is there to discover and what are the highlights of the island? What are the best Corfu tips, you will learn in our report about the best things to do on Corfu.
Where is Corfu located?
Corfu is an island on the northwest coast of Greece, which is characterized by the rugged mountains, the sand and pebble bays with crystal clear water and the many small towns in between. It Is definitely on of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Although the island is quite manageable, it is the seventh largest in Greece.
Corfu is one of the greenest islands in Greece, as it rains quite a bit in the winter and on and off during the remaining months. The hilly landscape is thus covered with forests and olive trees, offering many beautiful views.
If you’re looking more for a beach holiday in Greece you should consider the island of Kos as is has beautiful sandy beaches. There are just a lot of amazing things to do in Kos in Greece.
What is the Climate on Corfu?
On Corfu you can expect sunshine and warm temperatures almost all year round. In summer the temperatures are about 30 degrees and in winter about 15 degrees. You have to expect rain especially in the months from December to April.
Where should I Stay on Corfu?
Our starting point was Paleokastritsa in the northwest of the island. The place is quite touristy, which is especially noticeable when visiting the main beaches. Nevertheless, we felt very comfortable in Paleokastritsa, because you can do a lot even without a vehicle. There are several bays with crystal clear water to discover, viewpoints on the rocky west coast, a charming little monastery and lots of water sports. Also stores for strolling, restaurant and supermarkets can be found more than enough.
For families with small children Agios Stefanos is the best place. Here you find a good tourist infrastructure without the place being too crowded. There is also a several hundred meters long beach that slopes gently. If you like it a bit quieter you should look for an accommodation in the south of the island. This is not yet so much developed for tourism. Here you can still find authentic places such as the small fishing village of Boukari.
How to Travel Around Corfu?
Since the individual destinations on Corfu are sometimes quite far apart, you should get a vehicle. On Corfu the following ways are offered to discover the island:
Discover Corfu by Bus
Corfu offers a well-developed bus network, so that you can explore the island without renting a car. There are two bus lines on Corfu, the blue and white buses operate in Corfu town, while the green buses travel all over the island. Information about bus times can be found here:
- Corfu Town bus schedule: https://www.astikoktelkerkyras.gr/indexge.php
- Bus schedule for the whole island: https://greenbuses.gr
Rental Car
Usually we rent our car on one of the big car rental platforms. Since especially for the high season the prices for rental cars on Corfu were very high, we tried a small local provider this time and were not disappointed. Price / performance was absolutely right and everything went smoothly. We rented the car at driveCORFU. The rental runs completely without a credit card, which made me a little suspicious.
You make a deposit by bank transfer and pay the rest in cash when you get the car at the airport. Sounds strange… but everything worked fine. The prices for rental cars incl. comprehensive insurance are on Corfu in the high season at about 60 Euro per day. Therefore, it is best to plan in advance to what extent you really need a car every day or perhaps choose another vehicle.
Scooter
If you plan only occasional excursions, you can easily rent a scooter on site. On the partly narrow streets it can be worthwhile to be on the way with a small scooter. Also, in many areas a maximum speed of 50 kmh is possible, so you can’t go any faster by car. Another big advantage of the scooter is that you don’t need a big parking lot. Especially at the hotspots, parking spaces are sometimes scarce, so you can not park there with a car. The cost of a scooter is about 20-25 Euro per day.
Quad
If you prefer to travel on 4 instead of 2 wheels and still want to have a small vehicle you can also rent a quad. For day trips these are also a good alternative to the car and can be rented especially in the tourist places, such as Paleokastritsa. Renting a quad is unfortunately not much cheaper than renting a car. But you have the advantage that you get a better parking place and of course it is a lot of fun.
Hotel Recommendation on Corfu
Angels Pools Studio and Apartments on Corfu
In this charming accommodation* in Paleokastritsa you will stay in beautiful apartments with a great pool and view of the mountains.
Even though the town of Paleokastritsa is rather touristy, you have your peace and quiet here and do not get much of the hustle and bustle on the main beaches. Nevertheless, the accommodation is super central and restaurants, supermarkets and the many beautiful bays of the place are within walking distance.
- cozy apartments
- great pool with view to the mountains
- restaurant and bar
- central location
Things To Do In Corfu
Traveling to Corfu is one of the best things to do in northern Greece. The island of Corfu offers a variety of sights and activities, so that you will have a lot of fun. What are the best things to do on Corfu you will learn in the following list.
If you don’t have a rental car you can also easily discover the island with Sightseeing Hop-On-Hop-Off- Bus*. This is a great alternative to explore the island.
Corfu Sightseeing Tour | Check Availability*
Kerkyra Old Town
When you arrive on Corfu, we would recommend you to take a trip to the old town. It is located very close to the airport and can be reached in a few minutes. In the vicinity of the old town there are some paid parking lots. You can also simply park on the side of the road (parking is prohibited with yellow lines).
Once you have arrived in the old town, you can stroll through the small streets and discover the many great souvenirs that you can buy here. In the narrow streets you can also find some restaurants where you can eat before visiting the old fortress, which borders directly on the old town.
Old Venetian Fortress
The old Venetian fortress is located on a promontory, so at the entrance you have to cross a small bridge over the moat. Afterwards, you have the option of viewing some exhibits in small museum rooms or continuing to walk around the extensive grounds.
We especially liked the Greek Orthodox church, as well as the climb to the top of the headland from where you have a great view of the surrounding area. However, since it gets very hot at lunchtime and there is little shade, we recommend you visit the old fortress in the early morning or from the afternoon.
Entrance fee: 6,00 Euro pP
Opening hours: Daily from 8.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m
Vlacherna Monastery
Very close to the old town and even closer to the airport is the Vlacherna Monastery and Mouse Island. We would recommend that after arriving in Corfu you plan not only a detour in the old town but also a detour to the monastery Vlacherna.
The monastery of Vlacherna is located on the peninsula of Kanoni and can be reached directly by foot via a stone pier. In front of the peninsula there is a large parking lot, so that the approach with a rental car is no problem.
Landing of the Airplanes
The visit to the monastery actually takes only a few minutes, as it is very small. You will probably spend more time photographing the beautiful motif or waiting for one of the planes. Because right next to the monastery is the runway of the airport. If you stand on the small wall opposite the runway, the planes will even fly directly over you on their approach.
Mice Island
If you still have time, you can take a boat within 5 minutes for 2,50 Euro to the small island of mice in front of the airport. There you will find the small church Sotiros and a kiosk. In the bushes of the small island you can also find turtles and peacocks. So look carefully!
Paleokastritsa
The small coastal village of Paleokastritsa is one of the most beautiful places on Corfu. Even if it is rather touristy here, it is worth it to book a hotel here, because you can do a lot in the town itself but also in the surrounding area.
In Paleokastritsa you can discover several small bays and beaches within walking distance, go snorkeling, rent a SUP or pedal boats and just spend the whole day at the blue sparkling sea.
Paleokastritsa Monastery
If you have spent enough time at the sea and need a little change you can visit the small monastery on the hill. We didn’t really know what to expect there and were totally surprised how beautiful it is.
The small monastery is incredibly beautifully landscaped and colorful flowers bloom everywhere. At every corner there is a beautiful photo motif to discover here.
Admission: free of charge
Opening hours: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 p.m.-8 p.m. daily
Viewpoints
When you visit the monastery on the hill in Paleokastritsa, you should also visit the viewpoints. You can get to the first viewpoint by going through a small metal gate to the right of the monastery. The gate is a bit overgrown and at first we were not sure if the way is right. Then just follow the path to the end.
The second viewpoint is a bit behind the restaurant. Follow the path to the right of the restaurant. At the end of the path there is a small trail that you have to follow. At the end you will come to a point with a view of the beautiful cliffs and bays. Both paths are also listed in the app maps.me.
Day Trip by Motorboat
One of our absolute highlights on Corfu was a day trip by motorboat. In Greece, you are allowed to rent a motorboat with up to 30 km/h even without a boating license. The whole thing is expensive but also fun, a unique experience and worth every penny. We paid for the boat in the high season 120 Euro for the whole day (9.00-18.00 clock) plus 25 Euro for gasoline.
With the boat you can go to different beaches and bays, drop anchor and just relax on the boat or jump into the water again and again. We found the day just gorgeous and do not want to miss this great experience. 
Canal D’Amour
Canal D’Amour is one of the most famous places in the north of Corfu in the village of Sidari. Especially if you have spent the days before in Paleokastritsa you will find here again a completely different natural scenery and discover how diverse Corfu actually is.
The coast around the Canal D’Amour is characterized by terraced cliffs into which the water has made its way over centuries. Here you can walk around on the cliffs and discover what nature has created beautiful. The beaches between the cliffs are very small, so it gets crowded quickly. Alternatively, you can spend the day at the big beach of Sidari.
Achilleion – Sisi’s Palace
The former empress Sisi was also a frequently seen guest on the beautiful island of Corfu. The summer residence of the empress is nowadays one of the most visited sights on Corfu. You can discover the magnificent palace and the beautifully landscaped park. Since the palace is currently (July 2022) renovated, we could not visit this beautiful Corfu highlight.
Porto Timoni
One of the most photographed motifs on Corfu is definitely the butterfly bay Porto Timoni on Corfu. We found the viewpoint, the bay and the small hike starting from the bay totally beautiful and would recommend the visit to everyone. However, the hike down to the bay is very strenuous. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes and take enough to drink.
We were already at the parking lot of the small town of Afionas at 8:30 in the morning. However, the parking lot does not open until 9:00, so we just parked on the road. Then it was about 30 minutes downhill to the bay of Porto Timoni. The viewpoint of the bay is reached after about 20-25 minutes.
In the morning, shortly after 9 o’clock, we had the Timoni bay all to ourselves. We could take a few pictures with the drone and swim a little in the cool water. From about 11 o’clock it was then slowly full. More and more people arrived via the hiking trail or were driven directly to Butterfly Bay by boat cab.
Hiking at the Butterfly Bay
For us, this was the time to leave and explore the hiking trails some more. Here you hardly meet other people and can enjoy the beautiful nature all alone. There is also another beach here, which you will probably have all to yourself, while in the distance you can watch the hustle and bustle at Porto Timoni.
Unfortunately many people use exactly these trails as a toilet. Everywhere you can find handkerchiefs and garbage to the left and right of the paths, which spoil the otherwise beautiful picture of nature.
Pantokrater
The Pantokrater is the highest mountain of the island and is located in the northeast of Corfu. In good weather you have a panoramic view of Corfu and can see as far as the coast of Albania. However, the summit itself is not particularly worth seeing. There are only a few small taverns, radio masts and a monastery.
The view is all the more spectacular and the approach is quite adventurous. On the way you can also take a short detour to the waterfall Nymfes. Note, however, that the waterfall has little or no water, especially in the dry summer months.
Angelokastro
Angelokastro used to be one of the most important defensive fortresses of the island of Corfu. The ruins of the old fortress are located high on a cliff in the northwest of the island and offer breathtaking views of the surrounding area. You can see the whole village of Paleokastritsa from a bird’s eye view while the wind whistles around you.
Since the parking lot at Angelokastro is very small and the old fortress is often well visited, it is recommended to plan your visit either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Entrance fee: 3 Euro pP
Opening hours: 10.00-18.00 (Last admission 17.30)
Day Trip Paxos and Antipaxos
Another highlight is the visit to the islands of Paxos and Antipaxos. Since we were unfortunately only one week on Corfu we did not manage to make this day trip. The organized tours usually start early in the morning and last the whole day. During the trip you will not only visit the most beautiful beaches and places of the small islands, but also the caves along the rocky coast.
We would have loved to do such a day trip, because the pictures of the excursions are very promising and the islands have a lot to offer. Excursions to Paxos and Antipaxos can be booked e.g. at GetYourGuide`.
Day Trip to Paxos & Antipaxos | Check Availability*
We hope you liked our report about the most beautiful Corfu sights and tips. If you have any questions, please write us a comment.