Planning a trip to Corfu? Or just looking for ideas? Got some tips for you! We’ve spent only two days in Corfu, but it’s absolutely worth visiting for a whole week.

Our trip to Corfu was quite spontaneous, it all began with finding cheap flight tickets. So we took our chance and spent two magnificent days on this island. And it was totally worth it, the delicious food, bright blue waters, the mediterranean landscapes and more all combine to make it a must visit Greek island destination. Since we had the time only to visit the north-west side of the island, we’ll definitely come back and visit the other parts of the island as well. 

The island is located at the northern side of Greece, just a short distance from Albania, you can even see the cost of Albania. We visited Corfu early June, which can be considered as not the main season, thus we managed to avoid the big crowds and – more importantly – the mega hot summer days. The water is a little bit colder this month, but we had so much fun it didn’t really bothered us.

Here are some tips about what to do in Corfu to make the most of your visit, even if you have only a few days. 

1. Getting around

Although the island is not that big, getting around by public transport is not so easy, especially if you want to visit some hidden, lesser-known gems. They have some buses but the schedules are not so flexible and they don’t go everywhere.

We recommend to rent a car for your trip (the smaller – the better). The roads in Corfu are narrow, with lots of hairpin turns, in many cases there’s only room for one car, and the parking is not so trivial as well, in many cases you’ll have to park in narrow places or on the side of the road. So try to rent an economy car to make your visit easier, and there are not that pricey as well.

Renting a car in Corfu is easy, there are many car rentals to choose from and there are plenty of options around the airport. Most car rental companies are waiting for you at the airport, so you won’t have to find your way getting there. You can also rent motorbikes, but in my opinion cars are safer if you want to travel longer distances, especially after sunset. Corfu, although it is a small island in Greece, has many mountains, the highest point is 906 meters – Mount Pantokrator, so the roads have many ups-and-downs, with a motorbike it will be way harder to get around.

2. Explore the streets of Corfu Town

The streets of Corfu Town, also named Kerkyra, just like other towns along the Adriatic Sea, shines in Venetian style, as Corfu was under the control of the Republic of Venice for a long time. The narrow streets are beautiful to discover and they’re seemingly endless, covered with flowers. Let just try to just get with the flow, letting the streets amaze you, eventually, you might discover something new or find an absolutely stunning hidden gem. And if you get tired in the heat, stop for an Aperol Spritz in a lovely taverna. Also, this is the perfect time to visit some of the shops selling local goods and souvenirs.

Tip: For the best baklava visit Rose’s Bakery. The store is managed by a lovely lady and has a large variety of baklavas. She’ll sure recommend you some baklavas and present the local sweets, just try to eat all the goodies.

3. Visit the Old Fortress

4. Paleokastritsa

Paleokastritsa has the most stunning beaches in Korfu, this charming little town has everything that we needed for relaxation, food and fun. Our favorite beach was Rovinia Beach, what a hidden gem. The beach can only be reached on foot and there aren’t any restaurants or cafe bars, so it is calmer and more peaceful. Try to go in the early hours, to admire the bay on your own. We were lucky enough to arrive there second in the morning, so we had almost the entire beach to ourselves. 

For lunch, we visited the beach on the next bay, called Liapades Beach, and tried the famous Greek gyros in the Cafe Bar Gefyra. It was the best gyros I’ve had in years. The typical Frappe was also quite refreshing on hot days, but you can also try the local beer, Mythos, or an iced Ouzo. 

Tip: One of the things to do while here is to rent a boat on your own to cruise all around the surrounding bays, but if you want something more sporty, try SUP or kayaking.

Tip: If you have the time make sure to visit Angelokestro, a Byzantine castle located at the top of the highest peak of the shoreline, and the Monastery of Paleokastritsa.

5. Take the path to Porto Timoni

Porto Timoni peninsula can be found on the western side of the island and is a must-visit while touring around, one of my personal favorite ones. The only way to get there is by hiking a scenic, but steep and rocky path, so don’t try to get there with flip-flops and wear proper shoes, it won’t be a short walk, but at the end of this journey you’ll be sure amazed by the bright blue waters and the landscape. There are two small beaches on both sides of the peninsula, try to arrive early to avoid the crowd.

4. Cape Drastis and Canal d’Amour

Other worth to visit stunning natural landscapes in Corfu are Cape Drastis and the Canal d’Amour. Cape Drastis will surely amaze you with its picturesque white-washed cliffs and the clear turquoise blue water. Reaching Cape Drastis is not that easy, to visit you’ll need te rent a scooter or a car.

Canal d’Amour is a unique canal due to its stunning landscape formation. It’s located in Sidari, a more touristy areas of Corfu, be prepared that it is much more crowded than the other beaches. According to a local legend, couples who swim the length of the canal together will stay in love forever and those who swim to its furthest tip will find the love of their life. Worth a swim, right? 

5. Favorite sunset spot: 

For the perfect sunset spot we recommend Kaiser William II Observatory, a place that we’ve found by a happy accident. It is an incredibly charming place to visit that will wow and amaze you, having the feeling that you’re on the top of the island. The road to the observatory goes through a lovely village, build on the top of the hill with narrow streets and an absolutely cozy center. 

Final note

As we had only two (wonderful) days in Corfu, we were able to visit only the north-west part of the island, so we’ll definitely come back and visit the other side.

There are so many islands to visit in Greece, Corfu isn’t between the main touristy ones as Mykonos or Santorini, but trust me, it’s worth a visit! It’s way more cheaper and round tripping around the island you’ll have the chance to learn more about Greece and its culture, meet the locals and have a real taste of Corfu.