The 13 best things to do in Corfu
There’s more to Corfu than its comely beaches. Dig deeper and you will uncover many centuries of history in and around the cobblestoned old town capital, dating from antiquity to the present day. One of Greece’s most lush islands, this Ionian jewel is made for hiking enthusiasts and there are marked trails everywhere you look. On the western and northern coasts strikingly sculpted cliffs, some bare and others verdant, plunge down to cerulean seas. Visit a functioning hilltop monastery that enjoys eye-wateringly beautiful sea views. In an isolated inland village see age-old olive groves and learn how to identify high quality extra virgin olive oil.
For further Corfu inspiration, see our guides to the island's best hotels, restaurants, beaches and nightlife.
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Corfu Old Town
Peel back the layers of time
Four centuries of Venetian rule mostly shaped the Old Town of Corfu into the Unesco World Heritage-listed stunner it is today. Lose yourself in the alleyways of the atmospheric Campiello neighbourhood, where laundry hangs between pastel-coloured dwellings; pay your respects to the isle’s patron saint at Agios Spyridon church; and linger in the shade of trees at a café in the elegant Liston Arcade.
Insider’s tip: Go for a sunset stroll along the coastal road from the old port past the Mouragia area and see neoclassical buildings bathed in golden light. Conclude your walk at sprawling Spianada Square, which comes alive with youthful laughter every evening.
Scale a fortress for unrivalled views
Built by the Venetians in the 14th century and expanded by the British, the Old Fortress is strategically situated on a peninsula with twin craggy peaks at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea. Not only does it represent notable military engineering, but the views of the surrounding sea and Old Town from the taller of its two towers are spectacular.
Insider’s tip: When the weather is warm, join locals taking a dip at tiny Limanaki beach at the foot of the monument. Afterwards, enjoy a cool beer or juice at the nearby Corfu Sailing Club and admire the sailboats moored at Mandraki port.
Contact: odysseus.culture.gr
Prices: ￡
Unearth a rich culinary heritage
For an in-depth exploration of Corfu’s Venetian-influenced culinary heritage, look to island-born and -raised siblings Ariti and Nausica Katsarou, who run engaging small group and private food tours of the Old Town. Down tiny backstreets you’ll meet gastronomic vanguards who explain how delicacies like cold cut nouboulo, a nod to Italian prosciutto, are produced. Reserve room for tasty meze and sweet delights from an old-school dairy.
Insider’s tip: If you visit during Easter, the Katsarou sisters will go into detail on the traditions involved in the island’s colourful celebrations, such as pot-smashing. While you’re there, pick up fogatsa or kolombina, two types of local brioche made for the annual holiday.
Contact: corfuwalkingtours.com
Prices: ￡￡
Visit a palace built atop an ancient city
British Lord High Commissioner Sir Frederick Adam built a palace, later named Mon Repos, in 1831 as a summer residence for his Corfiot wife, Diamantina Palatianou. Today, the neoclassical villa functions as a museum comprising 14 halls, whose key attraction is a bounty of rare finds from the 8th century BC city of Paleopolis, the remnants of which are evident throughout the densely-vegetated estate.
Insider’s tip: With tall trees for shade, this is the perfect spot for a picnic on a hot summer’s day. Don’t miss the Doric temple of Kardaki, one of Corfu’s best preserved ancient sites, and seek out the eponymous hidden beach nearby.
Contact: odysseus.culture.gr
Prices: ￡
North-east Corfu
Drop anchor in a secluded bay
No visit to Corfu is complete without hiring a motorboat to explore the coastline at your own speed – San Stefano Boats is one pick amongst many. The northeastern coast in particular is blessed with endless sheltered beaches, bays and coves, some of which are – gloriously – only accessible by sea. Find a tranquil location where you can dive into emerald waters before heading for lunch at a waterfront taverna.
Insider’s tip: Head north to the little-visited, thickly-forested Erimitis headland, an area of outstanding natural beauty. There you’ll come across a sextet of serene beaches and three small lakes. Keep an eye out for the Kaparelli lighthouse, built on a rocky islet.
Contact: sanstefanoboats.com
Prices: ￡￡
Hike the Corfu Trail
Hilary Paipeti is something of a local legend. In 2001, she established the Corfu Trail, the island’s 137-mile (220km) waymarked route, after years spent exploring and discovering the diversity of the island's countryside and coastline. The trail, painstakingly documented in a book, extends from Arkoudilas in the south to Cape Agia Ekaterini in the north. Spring is ideal hiking season in Corfu.
Insider’s tip: Expert guides Alexandros Gogas and Dimitris Ionas, of Corfu Sea Land Activities, offer varied hiking experiences for all fitness levels. They’ll lead you through olive groves, past chapels, beneath mighty Mount Pantokrator and along cobbled footpaths.
Contact: corfuactivities.com
Prices: The Companion Guide to the Corfu Trail, ￡; Corfu Sea Land Activities, ￡
North-west Corfu
Take in heavenly views from a monastery
Wherever you stay in Corfu, the leafy resort town of Paleokastritsa is a must-see. Visit its hilltop monastery, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was built in the 13th century. From there, take in jaw-dropping views of sweeping bays, coves and fertile bluffs that rise up from a turquoise Ionian Sea. There is a museum displaying rare Byzantine icons and relics, and a shop on-site too.
Insider’s tip: Morning mass, open to the public, is held 7am-8.30am and offers a moment for quiet contemplation before the cruise crowds show up. Wait until the monastery closes at 1pm to access the two main viewpoints, reached by a dirt path.
Contact: imcorfu.gr
Prices: Free
Uncover a hidden lake
Take a break from driving the island’s winding roads and let Yiannis and Sakis, the guides behind X Adventure Club, show you around the Corfu they know and love on a six-hour jeep tour. Pick the northwest option, which takes in the villages of Lakones and Afionas, views of Paleokastritsa and Porto Timoni’s twin beaches, along with the dramatic spires of Cape Drastis.
Insider’s tip: You’ll make a brief stop at Kavourolimni (Crab Lake), little known even among Corfiots. Surrounded by tall oak trees, this watering hole for local wildlife is home to freshwater crabs. In Spring the lake’s shores are ablaze with wildflowers.
Contact: jeepsafaricorfu.com
Prices: ￡￡￡
Dive into living colour
Corfu offers some of Greece’s most spectacular scuba diving. Newbie and experienced divers will enjoy inspecting various dive sites with operatators such as Achilleon Diving, particularly on the western coast, offering visibility of up to 30 metres. Expect vibrant reefs, soft corals, caverns, caves, canyons, arches, steep drops, shipwrecks and narrow passages. You’re likely to encounter barracuda, moray eels, octopus, shrimp, grouper, crayfish and sea bream.
Insider’s tip: Don’t miss out on Colovri islet with its two remarkable outer reefs teeming with marine life such as tuna, jacks, anthia and nudibranch. There is a precipitous drop, a swim-through and a coral-covered plateau at a depth of 40m.
Contact: diving-corfu.com
Prices: Varies between dive centres
Northern Corfu
Witness the beauty of a natural sculpture
A 12-minute drive west of Sidari is Cape Drastis, a striking, untouched landscape of sheer sandstone cliffs shaped by the wind and aquamarine waters. It’s more impressive than the tourist-clogged Canal d’Amour and fewer people know of it or make the trek. Park your car and walk down a rough road to capture this incredible location, which is particularly worth viewing at sunset.
Insider’s tip: At the end of the road is minuscule Grava Cove, from where you can dive into cool, translucent waters from flat rocks. Alternatively, book a private boat tour with Sidari-based Fortuna Sea Tours, involving swim stops at Cape Drastis and Grava.
Contact: fortunaseatours.com
Prices: ￡
Ride a horse on mountain trails and beaches
When it comes to horse riding in Greece, Corfu ticks all the boxes. Routes wind through olive groves, cypress, oak and pine forests and traditional villages down to beaches with sapphire waters. Choose from trail and beach rides, lessons and even swimming with horses. Whether you’re a novice or experienced, Arena Horse Riding has a trusty steed at the ready, with names like Hermes and Dias (Zeus). Based near Perithia village, Katerina Maliaki and Ilias Siriotis lovingly maintain a herd of 21 horses, many of them rescues. The couple offers rides of between 10 minutes for young children and a full day.
Insider’s tip: Five-day horse riding holidays encompass natural horsemanship seminars and, for the advanced, show jumping and cross-country jumping.
Contact: horseridingcorfu.com
Prices: ￡-￡￡
Southern Corfu
Learn the secrets of olive oil
Brothers Spyros and George Dafnis have single-handedly put Corfu and its Lianolia olive variety on the extra virgin olive oil map. Book a tasting tour of their estate, The Governor, and see how the third-generation olive oil producers have married tradition and technology to create premium EVOO. You’ll visit olive groves, see a 15th-century mill and sample the exquisite golden elixir.
Insider’s tip: After learning how to recognise great olive oil, you can buy a limited edition early harvest oil, also available from The Olive House in Corfu Town, certified for its health-enhancing properties.
Contact: thegovernor.gr
Prices: ￡￡
East Corfu
Follow in the footsteps of the Durrells
The Durrells devotees shouldn’t miss the opportunity to take in the illustrious filming locations of the much-loved series on a cinematic tour offered on private-basis only by The Corfu Experience. From the Kanoni peninsula, you’ll see the 17th-century Vlacherna Monastery and Mouse Island. Visualise Countess Mavrodaki strolling around Mon Repos Palace and a young Gerry examining the plant and bird species of Antiniotissa Lake.
Insider’s tip: Lunch is on the water at the White House in Kalami, where Lawrence Durrell and his wife Nancy resided in the 1930s. Peruse the faded photographs and treasured memorabilia gracing the elegant restaurant’s indoor section.
Contact: thecorfuexperience.com
Prices: ￡￡￡
Nearby islands
Sail off into the sunset
With its protected anchorages and calm waters, the Ionian Sea has long been a magnet for sailing enthusiasts. Schedule a day charter or week-long skippered sailing trip aboard 50-foot Icarus with Celebration Charters, run by Scottish couple Robert and Veronica Queen, and see what it’s like to cast across the big blue, powered by Aeolus.
Insider’s tip: The diminutive, lesser-known Diapontia islets of Erikoussa, Othoni and Mathraki, which lie north of Corfu, are a dream sailing destination. Sandy umbrella-free beaches, sleepy villages, herb-scented hills and an exotic aquamarine playground await.
Contact: celebrationcharters.co.uk
Prices: ￡￡￡
