Things to do
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Achilleion
In the hill village of Gastouri, you walk the gardens of the palace Empress Elisabeth of Austria built as a retreat and dedicated to the Greek hero Achilles, with his statues on every level.
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Angelokastro
Climbing up to this Byzantine castle takes you to the highest point of Corfu's north-west coast, 300 metres up on a cliff edge, with the sea far below its walls.
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Corfu Easter
Be in Corfu Town at 11am on Holy Saturday, 1 May 2027, when the church bells ring and residents drop clay pots full of water from their balconies onto the lanes below.
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Pontikonisi
A small islet off the tip of the Kanoni peninsula, crowded with cypress trees around a Byzantine chapel. Small boats run out to it in summer from the causeway beside Vlacherna Monastery, the white convent on its own islet. Planes landing at the airport pass low overhead, so the Kanoni terrace above doubles as a spotting point.
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Archaeological Museum
A modern building south of the old town holds finds from ancient Kerkyra. The centrepiece is the Gorgon pediment from the temple of Artemis, a stone Medusa flanked by panthers, among the oldest surviving stone pediments in Greece. Another room holds the crouching lion from the tomb of Menecrates, and an hour covers the ticketed galleries.
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Bella Venezia Hotel
An old-town base a few minutes' walk from the Spianada, so the late processions and the walk home need no car or taxi.
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Campiello
Campiello is the tight knot of narrow lanes and small squares behind the Spianada, a different walk from the open promenade in front of it. The lanes turn often, so the quarter is one to wander without a fixed route. Many of its cafés and side-street places keep shorter hours outside the summer.
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Canal d'Amour
Canal d'Amour is the beach at Sidari on the island's north coast, one of Corfu's best-known swimming spots. Sidari lies across the island from Corfu Town and is hard to reach without a car or scooter. The trip works best as a full day out with a hired car or scooter.
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Domes Miramare, a Luxury Collection Resort
An adults-only resort on the shore at Moraitika, south of Corfu Town, in a hotel with Onassis family roots, now part of the Luxury Collection. Rooms and suites sit in gardens running down to a private beach, and the spa faces the sea. The resort opens from spring to autumn and closes in winter.
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Kalami
A small bay on the northeast coast, facing Albania across a narrow strait. The White House on the shore, where Lawrence Durrell lived in the 1930s, is now a taverna. Cypress slopes, a pebble beach and very clear water are the draw. The road down is narrow and parking at the bottom is tight in summer.
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Kassiopi
Kassiopi is a village on the north-east coast and a full day out from town. The green intercity bus takes about 75 minutes from the station near the port. The timetable thins out in winter, so check the last return before setting off.
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Liston
An arcaded row of tall buildings on the western edge of the Spianada, built during the brief French rule and modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Cafes fill the arches and set tables out on the pedestrian strip under the trees. The street comes alive in the evening, when the town turns out for its walk.
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Mon Repos
A wooded estate on the Kanoni peninsula, built as a summer villa for a British High Commissioner and later the birthplace of Prince Philip. The villa now houses a museum of the island's past. Shaded paths through the grounds lead to the ruins of Doric temples from ancient Kerkyra, half hidden among the trees.
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Mount Pantokrator
Mount Pantokrator rises over the north-east of the island, above the hill villages of the interior. It is a trip to make by car, combined in one day with those villages and the small beaches of the north coast. Set aside a full day from Corfu Town for the round.
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New Fortress
Built by the Venetians on St Mark's hill above the old port, the fort is a maze of ramps, tunnels and bastions with the winged lion of Venice carved over its gates. The barracks inside date from British rule. From the upper walls the view takes in the old town roofs and the ferry harbour. Opening is seasonal, and the fort is closed through the winter months.
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Old Fortress
A Venetian citadel on a rocky promontory, cut off from the old town by a sea moat called the Contrafossa. Paths climb to a lighthouse on the higher peak, with a view across the rooftops to the mountains of Albania. On the lower ground stands the church of St George, built by the British in the form of a Greek temple. Entry is ticketed, with shorter hours from November to March.
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Palace of St. Michael and St. George
Built for the British Lord High Commissioner, this neoclassical palace closes the north side of the Spianada behind a long colonnade of Maltese stone. It now holds the Museum of Asian Art, with Chinese and Japanese porcelain, bronzes and sculpture from India. The restored state rooms and throne room are on the same visit, which is ticketed.
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Paleokastritsa Monastery
A whitewashed monastery on a headland above the bays of Paleokastritsa, on the west coast. A courtyard hung with bougainvillea leads to a small church and a museum of icons, and a terrace looks straight down to the sea. Shoulders and knees must be covered. The coves below are clear and good for swimming after the visit.
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Porto Timoni
Porto Timoni is a cove in the Paleokastritsa area of the west coast, reached on foot by a rough walking trail. The path calls for proper footwear and care on the way down to the water. The cove pairs well with a day at Paleokastritsa itself, with its largest beach and short boat trips from the shore.
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Saint Spyridon Church
A single-nave church in the lanes behind the Liston, marked by the tallest bell tower in the Ionian Islands and its red cupola. The relics of Saint Spyridon, the island's patron, lie in a silver casket in a side chapel, lit by hanging lamps. Four times a year the saint is carried through the streets in procession, and covered shoulders and knees are expected inside.
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Spianada
The great open square between the old town and the Old Fortress began as a Venetian firing field, kept clear so cannon could sweep it. Cricket, left behind by the British, is still played on the lower lawn in summer. In the upper gardens stands the Maitland Rotunda, a round Ionic monument to the first British High Commissioner, with benches under the trees facing the fortress walls.
