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Corfu is the greenest of the Ionian Islands and ideal for whatever holiday you might be planning: perfect for a relaxed beach break, a walking holiday amidst a spectacular and challenging backdrop, or a food-focused escape. It also offers castles and temples in impressive architectural styles, historic centres and village-charm, nightlife and chic shopping, and fascinating history. With accommodation as varied as its appeals, Corfu really is an island for everyone.

Our Guide to Corfu’s towns and centres

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Corfu Town

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Corfu Town isn’t just the capital and largest, most historic centre on Corfu, it’s also a sensible place to start your explorations of the island. It is a city of elegant, historic architecture, fascinating museums, and the possibility of lively evenings out located on the island’s eastern coastline. It’s beautiful to look at from the water, flanked by two Venetian fortresses, but the views from the town, over the Ionian Sea, are also much raved about. Corfu Town’s ancient ruins (a city named Palaiopolis), and the Archaeological Museum and Byzantine Museum are on many people’s to-do list, and there are lots of churches that are worth a look too.  The medieval centre of town — the campiello — is a lovely place for an afternoon wander. Liston is another pretty part of town for a stroll, and a shop: it’s got a very Parisian feel, with cafe-filled arcades, boutiques and bistros. After your explorations, you might like to relax in the shade at the Spianada park, one of the largest, and most elegant green spaces in Cofru Town, or amble along the promenade towards the bay of Garitsa.  There’s lots to do here, lots of places to eat and drink, and lots of accommodation.  

 Sidari

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Sidari is a resort town on Corfu’s north west coast, known for its rather magical looking geological feature: the Canal d’Amour, or Channel of Love, a naturally shaped sand bank channel, perfect for beach days.  The town spreads along a long stretch of sandy beach (a different one — Sidari has three beaches), and there are plenty of good options if you’re looking for seafront accommodation. In the peak summer season, the atmosphere is fun and relaxed, with a youthful crowd looking to have a good time, so there’s a lively vibe on the beaches, and places to go out in the evening. Sidari has transport links to Corfu Town, Roda and some of the smaller local beaches and villages, so it’s a good base for exploring. There are also plenty of places to rent transport, a good selection of places to eat, drink and shop, and a wide range of accommodation.

Acharavi

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Acharavi is a large beach resort on Corfu’s northern coast, around 35km from Corfu Town and 40km from the airport. The main reason to stay in Acharavi is its 7km long white pebble beach, which has bright blue water on one side, and a friendly row of beach bars, cafes and restaurants on the other. The town has two parts to it: the Old Village, which is the historic part of town and the working part of town, and the New Village, which is where you’ll find all the resorts and the majority of the hotel accommodation, as it has spread along the coastline outside of the original town. Acharavi is one of the main centres for Corfiots in the island’s north, so it has supermarkets and dentists, as well as bars and tavernas. These facilities make Acharavi feel less touristy; and the fact that Acharavi’s beach has pebbles rather than sand, makes this a less obvious beach resort pick and a more affordable one. It’s also open year-round. Acharavi is a good choice for families, because the beach is long and shallow, and there are plenty of creature comforts. It’s also popular with cyclists, as there are lots of good routes around, and the immediate area is nice and flat.  

Gouvia

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Just north of Corfu Town, Gouvia is a resort village with a beautiful natural harbour and Corfu’s largest marina. The harbour has been a popular spot since the Venetians ruled Corfu — they had a huge shipyard here, referred to as the Venetian Arsenal in the guide books. Gouvia’s other local landmark is its impressive Greek Orthodox Church. The beach is shingle and pretty, with bright blue water and plenty of watersports opportunities — you can rent everything from banana boats to jet-skis.  There’s a nice street filled with cafes, bars and restaurants running beside the harbour and the marina, and behind that a less charming, but very useful, street of supermarkets and tourist shops. There are some large hotels in Gouvia, but smaller-scale properties too. It’s well set up for visitors, and there’s plenty of variety when it comes to accommodation and places to eat and drink. And you’re just 15 minutes on the bus from Corfu Town.

Dassia 

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Dassia is one of Corfu's original beach resorts: 2 kilometres of beach sandwiched between the beautiful beaches of Gouvia and Ipsos, about 12km from Corfu Town. The beach was always the main attraction of Dassia, and it’s still lovely as ever, a sweep of bright blue water and soft sand that has a shallow entrance to the ocean.  Because Dassia is a long-established resort, it has a good transport system to and from Corfu Town, so it’s a good choice for families, or those who want to do a bit of exploring; you can see the sights in the morning, and relax by the sea in the afternoon. Other notable features in Dassia are its great watersports opportunities, and beach facilities, and the huge range of accommodation and places to eat and drink.  

Ipsos

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Ipsos is the largest tourist town on the west coast of Corfu. It’s got a long stretch of sandy beach, backed by a collection of hotels and resorts, and associated bars, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs. Ipsos is about half an hour from Corfu Town and the airport. This is a popular pick for value seekers, groups and younger people, a picturesque beach party destination with a long sloping sand bank and good watersports facilities.  There are family-friendly options too.

Kassiopi

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Kassiopi is a luxurious resort town on the northeast coast, which began as a pretty fishing village, but has developed into a landscape of graceful villas and spacious resorts. One of its main attractions is that it’s got a wealth of historic sights and sites, as well as a beautiful beach and bay. The headland to the north of the resort is a Byzantine fortress, one of the most impressive ruins on the island, and well worth exploring. Just below the fortress is the Old Port, a charming place for a drink, or a seafood supper — Kassiopi is still a working fishing port — but also for boat rental. The town has a number of beaches, but all of them pebbly.  The largest is Kalamionas, which has both a blue flag, and great facilities. The other beaches are smaller, including little coves and secluded stretches. Anywhere with a reputation for luxury is going to have a great selection of places to eat and drink, and Kassiopi definitely has that, as well as some fun, but low-key nightclubs and cocktail bars.

Kontogialos

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Once the favourite beach for hippies, Kontogialos is a now a popular resort. The beach, with its fine sand, and long, smoothly sloping shelf, is the big draw. There are great facilities, but not an overwhelming amount of them, so you won’t feel crowded out by pedalos or beach bars. On either end of the long stretch of beach are smaller coves and rocky headlands to explore, and on the southern end, there’s a fishing harbour.  There are just a few large resort hotels here, and then a slew of smaller properties, so a good variety. Kontogialos is only about 15km from Corfu Town, and two from Pelekas, so expect day trippers too.

Paleokastritsa

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Paleokastritsais a village with a bay, a 13th century monastery, and an impressive set of cliffs. It’s also sometimes spoken of as being the place where Odysseus landed and met Nausicaa for the first time. There are about six scoops of beach on Paleokastritsa Bay, all of them with a mix of sand and pebbles, and all of them backed by olive groves. The largest, Agios Spiridon, is also the sandiest, and has the greatest variety when it comes to watersports facilities (you can even rent a canoe here), plus beach cafes and bars, and a couple of high-end restaurants as well. This is a great choice for anyone who wants to be on the beach, but also likes a change of scene. Some of the beaches are great for snorkelling, some are better for sun bathing. There’s a good choice of bars and tavernas too.

Benitses

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Benitses is another resort town very close to Corfu Town, known for its sheltered bay and mountainous backdrop. It is a good pick for photographers and walkers, with plenty of historic charm, as well as contemporary comforts like smart restaurants and boutique shopping. Benitses has a number of different beaches making up its coastline, which allows for privacy and variety; sometimes you might fancy renting some watersports equipment, other days you might just want a nice sunbathe, or a long taverna lunch.  Benitses was Corfu’s original holiday resort town in the 1960s, but today it’s a refined place that makes the most of its traditions and charms. Expect luxurious hotels as well as a good general range. If you want a night out, you’ll need to head for Corfu Town.