Where to Stay in Corfu: The Best Areas and Resorts

Best places to stay in Corfu at a glance

Best area to stay in Corfu for first-time visitors

Corfu Town

Corfu Town's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Venetian fortresses, narrow lanes and the elegant Liston arcade, built when the island was under French rule. Staying here puts you among the island's best restaurants and cafés, and close to the airport.

Within easy reach are the Old and New Fortresses, the Spianada, one of the largest squares in Greece, and the viewpoint at Kanoni, which looks over the tiny Vlacherna Monastery and Mouse Island. The Achilleion Palace, built for Empress Elisabeth of Austria, is a short drive south.

The beaches in town are small, so it suits people who want culture and food first, or a few nights before moving on to the coast.

Try local dishes such as pastitsada, a slow-cooked meat and pasta dish, and sofrito, veal in a garlic and wine sauce, both shaped by the island's Venetian past. Kumquat liqueur, made from fruit grown on the island, is the classic souvenir.

Gouvia and Dassia

Gouvia and Dassia sit just north of Corfu Town, around 15 to 25 minutes from the airport. Gouvia has a large marina and a sheltered bay, while Dassia is known for its water sports. Both have plenty of hotels, restaurants and bus links into town, which makes them easy, practical bases for a first visit.

In Gouvia, look out for the stone arches of an old Venetian shipyard by the water, a reminder of the centuries when Venice ruled the island.

Ferries from Corfu Town's port also make day trips possible to Albania, just across the water, and to the small islands of Paxos and Antipaxos to the south. Take your passport for Albania, and check the current entry rules before you go.

Best resorts in Corfu for families

Acharavi

Acharavi, on the north coast, has one of the longest beaches on the island, with shallow water that's ideal for young children. The resort is relaxed rather than lively, with a good choice of tavernas, a small water park nearby and the mountains rising behind.

Roda

Just along the coast, Roda is a former fishing village with a gently shelving beach and a friendly, low-key feel. It's smaller than Acharavi, and the two are close enough to walk between along the shore.

From either resort you can drive up Mount Pantokrator, the island's highest peak, for views across to Albania and the mainland, or explore old villages such as Old Perithia, a partly abandoned Venetian-era village on the mountain's slopes.

Sidari

Sidari, in the north-west, is livelier, with plenty of bars, restaurants and family entertainment. It's best known for the Canal d'Amour, a set of sandstone rock formations and channels that children love to swim through. It suits families with older children who want more going on.

On rainy days or for a change from the beach, the Aqualand water park near Agios Ioannis, in the centre of the island, is a big hit with children of all ages.

Just west of Sidari, the cliffs at Cape Drastis and the viewpoint above Logas beach at Peroulades are among the best sunset spots in the north of the island.

Best places to stay in Corfu for couples

The north-east coast, between Barbati and Kassiopi, is the most beautiful stretch of Corfu for a quiet holiday, with olive-covered hills dropping to small pebble coves. Our in-depth guide to Corfu's north-east coast covers it bay by bay.

Kassiopi

Kassiopi is a pretty harbour village with a ruined castle, a choice of small coves within walking distance and some of the best restaurants on the island. It has more going on in the evenings than its neighbours, without being loud. The transfer from the airport takes around an hour.

Small boats can be hired by the day in Kassiopi and the neighbouring bays, no licence needed for the smallest ones, which is a lovely way to reach coves that are hard to get to by road.

Kalami

Kalami is a small, crescent-shaped bay famous for the White House, where the writer Lawrence Durrell lived in the 1930s and which is now a restaurant and holiday let. The water is clear and calm, and there's very little nightlife, which is exactly the appeal.

Agni

Agni is even smaller, a tiny bay known for its handful of waterside tavernas. Many visitors arrive by boat for a long lunch. Staying here, or in a villa in the hills above, gives you the north-east at its quietest.

Boats run up and down this stretch of coast in summer, so you can easily hop between Kalami, Agni and Kassiopi for lunch or a swim without needing a car.

Best resorts for beaches and sunsets

Paleokastritsa

Paleokastritsa, on the west coast, is one of Corfu's most beautiful spots, with several small bays surrounded by steep green cliffs and a hilltop monastery. Boat trips run into sea caves along the coast. The beaches are small, and the water can be cooler than on the east coast.

Above the bay, the ruins of Angelokastro, a Byzantine castle perched on a cliff, make a rewarding short walk with huge views along the coast.

Agios Gordios

Agios Gordios has a wide sandy bay framed by cliffs and a laid-back resort behind it. Facing west, it's one of the best places on the island to watch the sun set over the sea.

It's a good middle ground: quieter than the busy east-coast resorts but with enough tavernas and bars for a week, and only around half an hour from the airport.

Agios Georgios

There are two resorts called Agios Georgios. Agios Georgios Pagon, in the north-west, is a large sandy bay surrounded by hills. Agios Georgios in the south-west has a very long sandy beach that runs towards the Korission Lagoon. Both are quiet, so check which one you're booking.

Where to stay in Corfu for nightlife

Kavos, at the southern tip of the island, is Corfu's party resort, with bars and clubs that stay open until the early hours through the summer. It's popular with groups aged 18 to 30 and has a long sandy beach.

It's not the place for families or anyone looking for a quiet break. If you'd like some nightlife without the party crowd, Sidari and Kassiopi both have plenty of bars and a more mixed atmosphere, and Corfu Town is lively in the evenings too.

Kavos is busiest from June to August and very quiet outside the summer season, when many of its bars close.

How to choose your Corfu base

Corfu's roads are narrow and winding, especially in the north and west, so journeys take longer than the map suggests. If you plan to explore, a small hire car is worth it. Without one, the island's buses link Corfu Town with most of the main resorts, though services to smaller villages can be infrequent. Our Corfu destination guide has more on the island's highlights and when to visit.

Hotel, villa or all-inclusive?

• Hotels are easy to find in every resort and suit shorter stays and first visits.
• Villas are a big part of Corfu's appeal, especially in the north-east and the hills above the west coast. They suit families and groups who want space and a private pool.
• All-inclusive hotels are mostly found around Gouvia, Dassia, Sidari and Acharavi, and work well with children.

If a private pool appeals, take a look at our villa holidays by style to see what suits your group. For packages with flights and hotels, compare current holiday deals to Greece that include Corfu and the other islands.