Is Corfu Town a good base for exploring the island?

Yes — it is the best central base for first-time visitors. From Corfu Town you can reach most of the island's highlights by bus or short taxi. It has the best concentration of restaurants, the Venetian Old Town, and both fortresses. The trade-off is that Corfu Town is on the east coast, so beaches on the north and west require 30–60 minutes of travel.

Which part of Corfu has the best beaches?

The northwest coast, particularly Paleokastritsa (multiple coves with turquoise water) and Agios Georgios Pagon, has the most scenic beaches. The north coast near Sidari and Kassiopi has good sand beaches. The east coast near Corfu Town has calmer, shallower water but is less dramatic.

Is Corfu good for families?

Yes, particularly Sidari and the north coast resorts. Sidari has shallow calm water suited to young children, a long sandy beach, and plenty of family accommodation. Paleokastritsa has calmer coves and boat trips. Corfu Town is manageable for older children with its Old Town walking and fortress visits.

How do I get around Corfu?

The blue urban buses cover Corfu Town and its suburbs; green long-distance KTEL buses connect the main resorts from the bus station in San Rocco Square (approximately €1.80–3.50 per journey as of 2026). Renting a car (from approximately €35–55/day) or scooter is the most practical way to reach remote beaches and villages. Taxis are available from Corfu Town centre.

When is the best time to visit Corfu?

May and June are excellent — warm, green (Corfu is the most naturally vegetated Greek island), manageable crowds, and lower hotel prices than July-August. September and early October remain warm with far fewer tourists. July and August are peak season; Paleokastritsa and north coast resorts fill quickly and prices are highest.

Where to Stay in Corfu | The Greece Guides

Corfu is one of the greenest and most historically layered of the Greek islands — a place where Venetian, French, and British colonial architecture sits alongside Byzantine fortresses, olive groves, and some of the clearest water in the Ionian Sea. The choice of where to stay shapes the experience considerably: Corfu Town offers history and dining; the west coast offers dramatic scenery; the north coast has sandy beach resorts; and Kassiopi in the northeast is a more refined alternative.

Prices listed are approximate as of 2026 and vary by season and room type.

Corfu Town (Kerkyra)

The capital of Corfu is one of the most architecturally distinguished towns in Greece. The Venetian Old Town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 — has arcaded streets, Venetian campaniles, and the Liston arcade modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. The two Venetian fortresses (Old Fort on the eastern promontory, New Fort on the north side) define the town’s skyline. The central Spianada (Esplanade) is one of the largest squares in Greece and hosts cricket matches — a legacy of British rule.

Budget (€45–90/night): Several guesthouses and family-run hotels in the Old Town’s residential streets. Bella Venezia Hotel (N. Zambeli Street) occupies a neoclassical mansion and offers well-reviewed rooms from approximately €70/night in shoulder season. Hermes Hotel, close to the New Port, has clean modern rooms from approximately €55/night.

Mid-range (€100–220/night): The Old Town’s mid-range market is strong. Cavalieri Hotel (4 Kapodistriou Street) occupies a 17th-century building on the Liston with a rooftop bar, from approximately €130/night in June. Arcadion Hotel faces the Esplanade directly and has been renovated from a Venetian-era palazzo, from approximately €150/night in July. Siorra Vittoria Boutique Hotel, set in a 19th-century mansion, has individually designed rooms from approximately €170/night.

Luxury (€250–600+/night): Corfu Imperial (Kommeno peninsula, 8km north of town) is the island’s flagship luxury address — a peninsula-set resort with private beach, multiple pools, and panoramic sea views, from approximately €350/night in August. For in-town luxury, Corfu Palace Hotel has classically styled rooms overlooking the sea from approximately €280/night in peak season.

Best for: First-time visitors, architecture and history enthusiasts, and anyone who wants the best restaurant access. Corfu Town’s Old Town is walkable, and the ferry port connects to mainland Greece and Albania easily.

Paleokastritsa

Paleokastritsa, on the northwest coast about 26km from Corfu Town, is the island’s most celebrated scenic spot — a series of deeply indented bays backed by cliffs, olive groves, and a hilltop monastery. The water here is famously clear and turquoise. Homer identified this area as the kingdom of Alcinous, where Odysseus was welcomed. It is one of the most photographed places in the Ionian Sea.

Most accommodation is spread across the hillside villages above the bays, with varying levels of sea-view access.

Budget (€50–90/night): Simple studios and apartments throughout the village. Oasis Studios has well-kept self-catering units from approximately €60/night in June. Alexandros Hotel offers basic rooms with pool from approximately €70/night.

Mid-range (€110–220/night): Paleokastritsa Hotel (directly above the main beach) has sea-view rooms from approximately €140/night in July. Akrotiri Beach Hotel, positioned on its own small peninsula above the water, from approximately €160/night in June. Grecian Castle Hotel has well-equipped rooms with pool from approximately €130/night.

Luxury (€280–600/night): Ikos Odisia (formerly Marbella Corfu) on the Barbati stretch of the northeast coast — not Paleokastritsa itself, but frequently compared — offers an all-inclusive luxury resort from approximately €420/night in peak season. For Paleokastritsa specifically, the better boutique options are mid-range. Villa de Loulia in nearby Peroulades (north coast) is a restored 17th-century manor with six individually furnished rooms, from approximately €280/night.

Best for: Scenic-beauty seekers, snorkellers, boat trip enthusiasts (glass-bottom boat tours of the caves run from the main beach), and those who want Corfu’s most dramatic natural landscape as their base.

Sidari

Sidari is the main beach resort on Corfu’s north coast, approximately 37km from Corfu Town. The beach is sandy, the water calm and shallow — among the safest swimming conditions on the island. The famous Canal d’Amour (a series of narrow channels carved into sandstone cliffs) is a 10-minute walk along the coast. Sidari is squarely focused on the package holiday market: restaurants, bars, shops, and water sports all concentrated along the main strip.

Budget (€35–70/night): Numerous studios, apartments, and small hotels near the beach. Golden Sunset Hotel is a long-established small hotel with pool from approximately €45/night in May. Studios Kanakis offers self-catering apartments from approximately €50/night.

Mid-range (€80–160/night): Corfu Sidari Aquis Sandy Beach Hotel is the largest established resort in the area with pool and beach access, from approximately €100/night in June. Alkyon Hotel has comfortable modern rooms from approximately €90/night in July.

Luxury (€200–350/night): The north coast’s luxury offering is more limited than the southeast. Kontokali Bay Resort & Spa near Corfu Town (20 minutes from Sidari by car) is a better option for visitors wanting the north coast beaches with luxury accommodation — from approximately €250/night in August.

Best for: Budget and mid-range travellers, families with young children, and those who want a traditional Greek beach resort atmosphere. Not suited to visitors seeking cultural depth or exclusivity.

Kassiopi

Kassiopi is a small fishing village on the northeastern tip of the island, 36km from Corfu Town. It has a genuine village character that most Corfu resorts lack — a working harbour, Byzantine castle ruins on the headland, a main square with tavernas, and four small pebble beaches within walking distance. Historically it was an important Roman settlement; Cicero stayed here, as did Nero.

Kassiopi attracts a mix of independent travellers, sailing charter visitors, and returning guests who value its quieter character.

Budget (€55–100/night): A handful of studios and small guesthouses in and around the village. Studios Pantelis has simple self-catering accommodation from approximately €60/night in June. Castello Studios has clean rooms with partial sea views from approximately €70/night.

Mid-range (€110–240/night): Kassiopi’s boutique mid-range market is compact but good. Kastellino Boutique Hotel has well-appointed rooms near the castle ruins from approximately €140/night in July. Oasis Hotel is a family-run property with pool and garden from approximately €120/night in June.

Luxury (€280–700/night): Kassiopi Estate (a private villa compound available for weekly rental) is the most exclusive option in the area — multiple bedrooms, private pool, and harbour view, from approximately €3,500/week in peak season. For hotel-style luxury nearby, Kalypso Cretan Village & Spa in Haraki (this is actually Crete - let me correct) — Ionian Blue in Lefkada offers a comparable experience. Within Kassiopi specifically, Evi Hotel has the best mid-luxury offering from approximately €200/night.

Best for: Couples, sailors, and returning visitors to Corfu who find the major resorts too commercial. The village feels genuinely Greek in a way that Sidari and Ipsos do not.

Getting between areas

Corfu’s bus network radiates from San Rocco Square in Corfu Town. Green long-distance buses serve Paleokastritsa (€1.80, 45 min), Sidari (€3.50, 1 hr 15 min), and Kassiopi (€3.50, 1 hr 10 min) several times daily as of 2026. Services are less frequent after 18:00. A rental car significantly expands access to the island’s interior villages, mountain roads, and quieter coastal spots.

Water taxis run between the main harbours in summer — check at Corfu Town’s Old Port.

Where to eat near your accommodation

In Corfu Town: La Famiglia (Maniarizi Arlioti 30) is one of the island’s best restaurants, combining Venetian Corfiot cooking with local produce from approximately €35–50 per person. Salto Wine Bar & Bistro (near Guilford Street) does exceptional modern Greek wine pairings. Rex Restaurant, established 1932 near the Liston, serves classic Corfiot dishes (sofrito, pastitsada) from approximately €25–40 per person.

In Paleokastritsa: Vrahos Taverna on the cliff above the main beach has excellent mezedes and grilled fish from approximately €20–35 per person. Akrotiri Restaurant (at Akrotiri Beach Hotel) is reliable for local specialties with sea views.

In Kassiopi: Porto Restaurant at the harbour is a reliable choice for grilled fish and Ionian mezedes from approximately €20–30 per person. Three Brothers Taverna at the main square does solid traditional Greek food at good value.

Where to Stay in Corfu: Best Areas and Hotels