When to go to Corfu?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: May to June and September to October
At a glance
Why go to Corfu?
Corfu was never Ottoman, and it shows. Four centuries of Venetian rule, from 1386 to 1797, left two fortresses, a UNESCO-listed old town of alleys and bell towers, and four million olive trees planted on the orders of the Serene Republic. The French added the Liston and its arcades, the British a palace, a cricket pitch and ginger beer. The result is a Greek town that looks like Naples or Venice, where you drink coffee under the arcades before climbing to the citadel's lighthouse.
The island is the greenest in Greece, with nearly a metre of rain a year, concentrated in winter. The landscape is nothing like the Cyclades: hills of centuries-old olive trees and cypresses, stone villages such as Old Perithia, a mountain rising to 906 metres from which you can see Albania and Italy, and a west coast of cliffs and green bays, Paleokastritsa, Porto Timoni, Cape Drastis. The Corfu Trail crosses it all over 220 km. The Durrells wrote about it in the 1930s, and the north-east coast still bears their name.
It is also an easy island. The airport is 3 km from the old town, green buses cover the beaches and villages, a car costs €30 a day out of season, and in a week you can combine the town, two or three beaches, Sissi's palace and a day on Paxos. Prices stay below those of Santorini or Mykonos, the cuisine has dishes of its own, sofrito, pastitsada, bourdeto, and the sea is warm enough for swimming from May to October.
Map of Corfu: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Corfu Town
- Achilleion and Gastouri
- Paleokastritsa and west coast
- North-east and Kassiopi
- Pantokrator and interior
- Sidari and the north
How much does a trip to Corfu cost?
Corfu costs less than the famous Cyclades: rooms in the old town at €70, tavernas at €20, buses at €3, fortresses at €6. The villas of the north-east coast, the Kommeno resorts and the restaurants of the Liston push the bill up, but nothing obliges you to go there.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €55-75/day | Room or hostel in town, green buses, souvlaki and the market, free beaches, one paid site a day |
| Comfort | €110-160/day | Boutique hotel or coastal apartment, hire car, tavernas in the evening, one boat trip |
| Premium | €300+/day | Kommeno resort or villa with a pool, car, private boat to Paxos, chef's tables |
The euro, with no exchange and no surprises. Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants, petrol stations and supermarkets, but many village tavernas, sunbed renters and boat hirers take cash only. ATMs everywhere in town and in the resorts, scarcer in the mountain villages.
Is Corfu safe?
Corfu is a safe island, with no crime beyond pickpocketing in the crowded alleys of the old town in summer and a few break-ins at car parks by isolated beaches. The risks lie elsewhere. The roads, first of all: narrow hairpins, missing crash barriers, scooters and quads hired by inexperienced riders, drivers in a hurry, with a high number of accidents every summer. Then the sun, and the sea: sea urchins on the rocks of the east coast, currents on the west coast beaches when the north-westerly blows, and the Canal d'Amour, where cliff jumping has caused injuries. Forest fires are a threat in July and August, so respect fire bans. Corfu General Hospital, in Kontokali, handles emergencies, the European Health Insurance Card is accepted in the public system, and private clinics require insurance.
What to see and do in Corfu
- Corfu old town and the Liston
- Old Fortress
- Achilleion
- Paleokastritsa and its monastery
- Kanoni and Pontikonisi
- Angelokastro
- Mount Pantokrator and Old Perithia
- Canal d'Amour at Sidari
Corfu Town
The capital is wedged between its two fortresses, the old one on the eastern promontory and the new one on the hill above the port. In between lie the old town and its kantounia, the Spianada and the Liston, the Palace of St Michael and St George with its Museum of Asian Art, the church of St Spyridon, the Jewish quarter of Campiello and the market near the new fortress. Garitsa Bay to the south offers a waterfront stroll as far as Mon Repos. You sleep well here, you eat well here, and the rest of the island is within an hour by bus or car.
Achilleion and Gastouri
Sissi's palace, 10 km south on the hills of Gastouri, blends Pompeian, neoclassical and imperial taste. People come for the statues of Achilles, the Terrace of the Muses and the view over the town and the sea, but also for the village of Gastouri, its tavernas and olive-shaded lanes. The coast below, at Benitses, was the island's first tourist village in the 1970s and is regaining a little calm. Direct green bus from town, or drive. The visit combines with Kanoni and Pontikonisi in half a day.
Paleokastritsa and the west coast
The west coast is the most spectacular: six bays at Paleokastritsa with the monastery on its headland, the fortress of Angelokastro on its rock, the village of Lakones and its Bella Vista terrace, then further north Afionas and the double beach of Porto Timoni, reached by a 25-minute path, and Cape Drastis with its white cliffs. The water is cooler than on the east coast because of the springs, and clearer. The beaches of Glyfada, Myrtiotissa and Agios Gordios, further south, line up their sand beneath the cliffs for those who prefer comfort.
The north-east and Kassiopi
From Barbati to Kassiopi, the road skirts pebble coves beneath the olive trees, facing Albania 2 km away. This is the Durrells' coast, with the White House at Kalami where Lawrence wrote, and the coast of villas rented by the week, from Nissaki to Agios Stefanos. Kassiopi, a fishing port with a Byzantine castle and coves within walking distance, is the right village for a base. From Kerasia or Agios Stefanos, boats that need no licence to hire explore coves the road can't reach. Pantokrator rises just above.
Pantokrator and the interior
The island's interior means Mount Pantokrator and its villages: Strinilas and its tavernas under the elms, Old Perithia, abandoned then revived, Sokraki and its hairpin bends. The Corfu Trail, 220 km from south to north, passes through here on its final stages. The Venetian olive groves, never pruned, form a forest of twisted trunks where you walk in the shade. Spring brings flowers, autumn the scent of the olive harvest gathered in nets. This is Corfu without the tourists, 30 minutes from town.
Sidari and the north
The north coast alternates long sandy beaches with sandstone cliffs. Sidari is a lively resort with the Canal d'Amour and its carved coves, then comes Cape Drastis with its white cliffs and islets, and Agios Stefanos Avliotes for long beaches and sunsets over the Diapontia Islands. Boats to Erikoussa, Othoni and Mathraki, the three offshore islands, leave from Sidari and Agios Stefanos. The beaches of Acharavi and Roda, further east, are flat and family-friendly, with miles of sand and tavernas.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Three days are enough for the town, the Achilleion and a bay on the west coast. A week lets you add Pantokrator, the north-east coast and a day on Paxos. Ten days give you time for two bases, town then village, and a proper beach rhythm.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Corfu guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Greece
Corfu in 3 days
Day 1: the old town on foot, the Liston, St Spyridon, the Museum of Asian Art, the old fortress in the late afternoon, pastitsada for dinner in a Campiello taverna. Day 2: the Achilleion at opening time, Kanoni and Pontikonisi, a swim at Mon Repos, sunset facing the planes. Day 3: bus or car to Paleokastritsa, the monastery in the morning, a boat to the caves, Angelokastro and lunch in Lakones, a swim at Agia Triada. Base in town, no car for the first two days.
Round the island (1 week)
Three days in town following the short programme, then a hire car and four days of coastline. Day 4: Pantokrator in the morning, Old Perithia at midday, Kassiopi and its coves in the afternoon. Day 5: Sidari and the Canal d'Amour early, Cape Drastis, Afionas and the double beach of Porto Timoni. Day 6: west coast beaches, Glyfada or Agios Gordios, with a detour via Pelekas and the Kaiser's Throne for sunset. Day 7: a boat day to Paxos and Antipaxos, or a lazy day on Halikounas beach near Lake Korission.
Two bases and Paxos (10 days)
Four nights in town for the old town, the Achilleion, Kanoni and Paleokastritsa by bus. Then five nights in a north-east village, Kassiopi or Agios Stefanos, in an apartment or villa, with a car: the Durrells' coves, a licence-free boat for the coves you can't reach by road, Pantokrator, Old Perithia, Sidari. A day on Paxos and at Voutoumi beach on Antipaxos, on a tour from town or by ferry from Lefkimmi. Last night in town for the morning flight.
Getting there and getting around
The airport is 3 km from the old town: the blue city bus takes 15 minutes for about €2, a taxi costs €15 to 20. Direct flights from many European cities run from April to October; otherwise there is a year-round connection via Athens followed by a one-hour flight.
Green KTEL buses leave from the bus station near the new fortress for Paleokastritsa, Sidari, Kassiopi, the Achilleion and the beaches, at €2 to 5 a journey, several times a day in season, far less in winter. Blue buses cover the town and Kanoni.
A hire car costs €30 to 50 a day out of season and is essential for Pantokrator, the north-east coast and the west coast beaches. The roads are narrow and winding, with no crash barriers in places. Parking in town is difficult, so use the old port.
Ferries link Corfu with Igoumenitsa in 1h30, with Paxos in an hour, with Italy (Bari, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice) and with Saranda in Albania in 30 minutes by hydrofoil, a good day trip to Butrint with your passport or ID card.
Where to stay in Corfu?
Hotels and rooms in the old town: €60 to 120 out of season, in restored Venetian houses, with the noise of the alleys as the trade-off. The best choice for sightseeing on foot and catching buses, especially without a car.
Seafront hotels in Garitsa, Kanoni or Kontokali: €90 to 180, with a pool and a view, 10 minutes by bus or taxi from the centre. The big resorts of Kommeno and Dassia are in this area, 10 km to the north.
Coastal villages with apartments and small hotels, Kassiopi, Paleokastritsa, Agios Gordios: €50 to 100 per apartment, often with a kitchen and terrace, for the second part of your stay. Book early for July and August.
Villas on the north-east coast, from Nissaki to Agios Stefanos, rented by the week for €1,500 to 5,000, with a pool and sea access. The format for families and groups of friends, to be booked in winter for the summer.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in Corfu?
Corfiot cuisine is Venetian: pastitsada, beef or rooster stewed with tomato and spices and served over thick pasta, sofrito, veal with garlic and white wine, bourdeto, scorpion fish in a red chilli sauce, and bianco, fish with garlic and lemon. Allow €12 to 18 a dish.
The kumquat, brought from China by the British in 1860, is turned into an orange liqueur, jam and candied fruit, sold all over the old town. Ginger beer, tsitsibira, another English legacy, is drunk chilled at the cafés of the Liston.
Village tavernas in Lakones, Strinilas and Old Perithia serve full meals with house wine for €15 to 20: noumboulo, a local smoked cured meat, cheeses, vegetable pies, oven-baked lamb. On Sundays they fill up with Corfiot families.
In town, the street below the new fortress hosts the morning market, with fish, vegetables, olives and oil. Mandolato, an almond nougat, and sykomaida, a dried fig cake with ouzo, make good things to take home. Dinner in a taverna comes to €20 to 30 per person with wine.
Entry requirements
Schengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Corfu
When is the best time to visit Corfu?
May to June and September to October: 24 to 29°C, sea at 21-24°C, flowers in spring, the olive harvest in autumn, prices a third lower than in summer. July and August are hot, crowded and expensive. From November to March the island is very rainy and many beach hotels close, but the town stays lively.
Do you need a car in Corfu?
Not for the town, the Achilleion, Kanoni and Paleokastritsa, all served by the blue and green buses. It becomes useful for Pantokrator, the north-east coast, the west coast beaches and for stringing several sites together in a day. Allow €30 to 50 a day out of season, on narrow, winding roads.
How many days should I allow?
Three days for the town, the Achilleion and a bay. A week to tour the island by car, with Pantokrator, the north-east and a day on Paxos. Ten days for two bases, town then a coastal village, with a proper beach rhythm and hikes on the Corfu Trail.
Can you go to Albania from Corfu?
Yes, in 30 minutes by hydrofoil to Saranda, several times a day in season, for around €25 to 40 return. The UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Butrint is 20 km from Saranda by bus or taxi. Bring a valid ID card or passport: Albania is not in the Schengen area.
Is Corfu a good island for families?
Yes, probably one of the best suited in Greece: gently sloping sandy beaches at Acharavi, Roda, Agios Gordios and Halikounas, calm water on the east coast, welcoming tavernas, a nearby airport and a hospital in town. The villas with pools in the north-east and the village apartments let you cook and keep to your own rhythm.
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