Corfu is lush and green, with a UNESCO-listed old town that feels more Venetian than Greek. Combine arcaded streets and fortresses with cliff-backed beaches and hillside villages.
Highlights
- UNESCO-listed Corfu Old Town and the Liston arcades
- Old and New Venetian fortresses
- Paleokastritsa's bays and monastery
- Achilleion palace, built for Empress Elisabeth of Austria
- The north-east coast around Kassiopi and Agios Stefanos
- Kumquat liqueur and pastitsada
Corfu spent centuries under Venetian, French and British rule, and the old town shows it: tall pastel buildings, narrow alleys called kantounia, and the Liston arcade modelled on Paris' Rue de Rivoli. Cricket is still played on the Spianada square.
Beaches
The west coast has the dramatic beaches — Paleokastritsa, Glyfada, Myrtiotissa — while the north-east looks across to Albania with small pebbly coves and clear water. The north has the sandstone formations of Sidari.
Inland
Drive the hill roads through olive groves to villages such as Old Perithia and climb Mount Pantokrator for views across to the mainland.
☀️ Best time to visit
May–June and September–early October. Corfu is greener than the Aegean islands because it gets more rain, mainly from November to March.
🧭 Getting there & around
Corfu Airport (CFU) is right next to town, with many direct flights from Europe in summer. Ferries cross from Igoumenitsa in about 1.5 hours, and there are international ferries from Italy. Buses (green KTEL and blue town buses) connect most resorts.
Corfu guides & articles
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