Corfu sits at the top of the Ionian chain. It shows what connects to Paxos, Lefkada and the rest, how long each crossing takes, and reads the live wind so you know if the ferries will actually run.
A hillside village above Kato Korakiana, known for Venetian-style stone houses, several churches and a long musical and artistic tradition woven into its lanes.
A once-abandoned Venetian-era village in central-east Corfu, carefully restored, with historic stone mansions and two churches dating to 1075 and 1577.
A small hamlet near Kanoni, best known as the access point for the ancient Doric Temple of Kardaki and its spring, close to the ruins of the Temple of Hera.
A museum housed in Corfu Town's oldest surviving church, reached up a steep staircase, displaying one of Greece's finest collections of post-Byzantine icons dating from the fifteenth century onward.
Housed within the Palace of St Michael and St George, this museum holds one of Greece's most important collections of Asian art and artefacts drawn from across the continent.
A moving museum documenting the Serbian army's exile on Corfu and the nearby island of Vido during the First World War, with photographs and artefacts recalling that history.
The oldest quarter of Corfu Old Town, a maze of narrow Venetian lanes and hidden squares, including Kremasti with its historic well, unfolding just behind the Liston.
A ghost village on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator near Kassiopi, its stone houses long abandoned but home to a handful of restored tavernas within a hauntingly atmospheric, protected historic setting.
A traditional village clinging to a mountainside above Paleokastritsa, celebrated for arguably the island's most iconic panoramic view over the bays and coves below.
A traditional village in the hills of western Corfu, its stone houses and quiet lanes offering a glimpse of everyday island life away from the coastal resorts.
A quiet fishing hamlet on Corfu's south-eastern coast, known for its fresh seafood tavernas supplied by local fishermen and its unhurried pace, away from the busier resorts.
A small working harbour village on Corfu's southern coast, its colourful fishing boats and quiet waterside tavernas making it a favourite for an authentic, low-key evening out.
A hilltop village in southern Corfu prized for sweeping views over the surrounding countryside and coastline, popular with walkers exploring the island's quieter corners.
Corfu's Sunday-lunch signature: rooster or beef slow-cooked in a spiced tomato sauce (cinnamon, clove and the local spetseriko blend) over thick, hollow pasta.
The Tourist Police (171) handle scams, disputes and lost documents in English and other languages. For a lost or stolen passport, report to the police first, then contact your embassy, most are based in Athens.
efood is Greece's biggest delivery app, with the widest range of tavernas and souvlaki shops. Wolt often has the best English interface and a stronger brunch and specialty selection. BOX is handy for chains and frequent discount codes.
Greece uses the euro (€). Cards are widely accepted in cities and larger towns, but carry some cash for small tavernas, markets and island villages. Tipping isn't obligatory, rounding up or leaving 5-10% is appreciated.
Google Maps and Google Translate cover the basics. Ferryhopper is the easiest way to compare and book island ferries. For hire cars, check reviews carefully as availability changes fast in summer.
A few things that will save you time, money or a headache.
Rent Wheels for the North
Corfu is a big, spread-out island, the beaches and villages that make it special are a real drive apart. A rental car or scooter opens up the north and west coast in a way that taxis and buses, timed for locals, won't.
Kumquat is Corfu's signature crop, but airport gift-shop bottles are often thin and oversweetened. Look for small distillers like Mavromatis for the real thing, and try the candied kumquat sweets alongside the liqueur.
Sunbeds and umbrellas at the well-known beaches carry a markup, and at hidden coves there may be no rental setup at all. A packable mat and a keep valuables with you rather than left on a towel.
These two are the island's most photographed stretches of coast, and the coach tours arrive by mid-morning. Get there for opening or sunrise light and you'll have the view largely to yourself.
Corfu's calendar is unusually rich, from world-famous Easter to summer boat festivals. Orthodox dates move each year, so check locally.
Corfu Easter
April, dates vary (2026: around 12 April). Greece's most spectacular Easter, with philharmonic processions, the Litany of Saint Spyridon, and the famous Botides on Holy Saturday morning, when locals throw clay pots from the balconies of the Liston and Spianada.
Several dates through the year (Palm Sunday, 11 August and others). Processions of the relics of Corfu's patron saint through the Old Town, led by the island's philharmonic bands.
August (dates vary). Evening boat parades with music and fireworks along the coast, including Paleokastritsa around 10 August and Corfu Town for Saint Spyridon around 11 August.
Summer. Village food festivals such as the Benitses Sardine Festival in early August, and September wine festivals in Kavadades, Kassiopi and Moraitika.
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Corfu A–Z Travel Dictionary
A plain-English dictionary of the villages, sights, beaches, Corfiot dishes, drinks, festivals and travel words you will meet on Corfu and around the Ionian. Search it, filter it by category, or tap a letter to jump:
A low-key resort village along the north coast, with a long sand-and-shingle beach and easy access to Mount Pantokrator.
Achilleion Palace
Sight
The palace built above Gastouri for Empress Elisabeth of Austria ('Sisi') in the 1890s, with terraced gardens and statues of Achilles.
Agios Gordios
Beach
A broad west-coast bay backed by green hills and framed by tall rock stacks, popular for swimming and sunsets.
Agios Markos
Village
A once-abandoned Venetian-era village in central-east Corfu, carefully restored, with its stone mansions and two historic churches (1075 and 1577) brought back to life.
Agni Bay
Beach
A pebbly northeast cove known for its cluster of waterside fish tavernas, reached by road or boat.
Analipsi
Neighbourhood
A small hamlet near Kanoni and Anemomilos, a few minutes from town, best known as the access point for the ancient Doric Temple of Kardaki and its spring.
Angelokastro
Sight
A ruined Byzantine castle on a sheer peak above the west coast, once the island's main refuge from raiders.
Ano Korakiana
Village
A hillside village above Kato Korakiana known for Venetian-style stone houses, several churches and a long musical and artistic tradition.
Antipaxos
Beach
A tiny island south of Corfu, famous for the Voutoumi and Vrika coves — among the clearest, most turquoise water in the Ionian.
Antivouniotissa (Byzantine Museum of Corfu)
Museum
A museum housed in Corfu Town's oldest surviving church, reached up a steep staircase, displaying one of Greece's finest collections of post-Byzantine icons dating from the fifteenth century onward.
Arillas
Beach
A quiet sandy bay in the far north-west facing the Diapontia islets, known for gentle water and calm sunsets.
B
Banknote Museum of the Ionian Bank
Museum
A museum in Corfu Town tracing the history of Greek currency through banknotes issued from the nineteenth century onward, housed in a former bank building.
Benitses
Village
A former east-coast fishing village, now a relaxed resort and home to the island's benchmark bianco taverna.
Bianco
Food
Fish stewed simply in olive oil, garlic, lemon and black pepper — a pale Corfiot classic that lets the fish's freshness show.
Botides
Festival
Corfu Town's Easter custom: on Holy Saturday morning, large clay pots are dropped from balconies to smash in the street. Moves with Orthodox Easter — check local listings.
Boukari
Village
A quiet fishing hamlet on Corfu's south-eastern coast, known for its fresh seafood tavernas supplied by local fishermen and its unhurried pace, away from the busier resorts.
Bourdeto
Food
A fiery Corfiot fish stew, traditionally scorpionfish, simmered with onions, olive oil and a heavy hit of hot red pepper.
Bourou-bourou
Food
A homely village soup of small pasta and vegetables — true Corfiot comfort food.
C
Campiello
Neighbourhood
The oldest quarter of Corfu Old Town, a maze of narrow Venetian lanes and hidden squares, including Kremasti with its historic well, unfolding just behind the Liston.
Canal d'Amour
Beach
Sculpted sandstone channels and swimming spots at Sidari on the north coast; local legend promises love to those who swim through.
Chlomos
Village
A hilltop village in southern Corfu prized for sweeping views over the surrounding countryside and coastline, popular with walkers exploring the island's quieter corners.
Church of Saints Jason and Sosipater
Sight
The oldest surviving church in Corfu, an important Byzantine-era monument in Corfu Town dedicated to two of Saint Paul's earliest disciples.
Corfu Aquarium
Activity
A small aquarium near Paleokastritsa displaying local marine life and reptiles, with English-speaking guides offering an accessible introduction to the island's coastal ecosystem.
Corfu Beer Festival
Festival
A food and drink festival celebrating craft and local beer, bringing together brewers and visitors for tastings and live entertainment; dates change yearly — check listings.
Corfu Carnival
Festival
A Venetian-style carnival of parades, floats and costumed celebrations held across Corfu Town in the weeks before Lent; dates change yearly — check listings.
Corfu Museum of Asian Art
Museum
Housed within the Palace of St Michael and St George, this museum holds one of Greece's most important collections of Asian art and artefacts drawn from across the continent.
Corfu Old Town
Sight
The UNESCO-listed Venetian old town of narrow kantounia lanes, the Liston arcade and the Spianada esplanade.
Corfu Philharmonic Bands
Culture
Brass bands rooted in the island's Venetian and British heritage, performing at feast days, parades and processions from village streets right through to the Esplanade in Corfu Town.
Corfu Shell Museum
Museum
A quirky private museum in Benitses displaying an extensive collection of seashells and marine curiosities gathered from around the world.
Corfu Trail
Activity
A long-distance walking route of roughly 220 km running the length of the island, from the far south to the north.
Cricket on the Esplanade
Activity
A sporting legacy of British rule in the Ionian Islands, still played on the pitch beside the Liston, making Corfu the only place in Greece where the game thrives.
D
Dassia
Village
A green, resort-lined stretch of the north-east coast with a long pebble-and-sand beach and watersports.
Diapontia Islands
Nature
A remote archipelago off Corfu's north-west coast comprising Othonoi, Ereikoussa and Mathraki, reachable by boat trip and known for pristine, little-visited beaches.
Doukades
Village
A traditional village in the hills of western Corfu, its stone houses and quiet lanes offering a glimpse of everyday island life away from the coastal resorts.
Durrells, The
Culture
The British family - including naturalist Gerald and writer Lawrence Durrell - who lived on Corfu in the 1930s; Gerald’s memoir “My Family and Other Animals” is set here.
E
Ermones Beach
Beach
A pebbly west-coast beach set beneath green hills near a golf course, with a small river reaching the sea and a beach lift running down from the clifftop.
Esplanade (Spianada)
Sight
The vast green square between the Old Town and the Old Fortress — one of the largest in Greece — where cricket, a British-era legacy, is still played.
F
Fogatsa
Food
A brioche-style Corfiot bread scented with orange blossom, traditional at Easter.
G
Gardiki Castle
Sight
A 13th-century Byzantine fortress in the island's south, recognisable by its octagonal wall.
Glyko tou koutaliou
Food
'Spoon sweets' — fruit preserved in syrup and offered on a teaspoon with cold water, the classic gesture of Corfiot hospitality.
Gouvia
Village
A sheltered bay just north of Corfu Town, home to the island’s largest marina and the ruins of a Venetian arsenal.
Graviera
Food
A firm, nutty Greek cheese made in the island's regions, good grated over pasta or eaten with bread and olives.
H
Halikounas
Beach
A wild, dune-backed beach on the south-west coast beside the Korission Lagoon, popular with windsurfers and birdwatchers.
I
Ipsos
Village
A lively north-east coast resort with a long waterfront, a pebble beach and a busy summer nightlife strip.
Issos Beach
Beach
A wide, wild sandy beach on Corfu's south-west coast backed by dunes and reed beds near the Korission Lagoon, a favourite for windsurfing and quiet walks.
K
Kaiser's Throne
Sight
A legendary viewpoint above Pelekas village offering a 360-degree panorama across the island, said to be a favourite spot of Kaiser Wilhelm II for watching the sunset.
Kanoni
Sight
A headland viewpoint south of town looking over Pontikonisi and the Vlacherna monastery on its causeway.
Kantounia
Neighbourhood
The narrow, shaded alleyways of the Old Town, strung with laundry lines beneath Venetian shutters.
Kassiopi
Village
A pretty harbour village in the northeast below a ruined castle, with tavernas around the bay.
Kavos
Village
The island’s southernmost resort, a long sandy beach known mainly as a summer party destination for younger visitors.
Kontokali
Village
A small coastal village beside Gouvia marina, with a sheltered beach and a mix of tavernas and holiday homes.
Korission Lagoon
Nature
A large coastal lagoon separated from the sea by dunes on the south-west coast; a protected wetland rich in birdlife.
Kumquat
Drink
Corfu's emblematic citrus, introduced under 19th-century British rule and turned into a bright orange liqueur and candied spoon sweets.
Kynopiastes
Village
A small village south-west of Corfu Town, long known for family-run tavernas serving traditional Corfiot cooking such as pastitsada and sofrito.
L
Lakones
Village
A traditional village clinging to a mountainside above Paleokastritsa, celebrated for arguably the island's most iconic panoramic view over the bays and coves below.
Lefkimmi
Village
A working town in the quiet south, threaded by a canal, with an unhurried, un-touristy feel.
Liston
Sight
The elegant arcaded terrace facing the Spianada, built under French rule and modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris — the place for a coffee.
M
Mandolato
Food
A soft Corfiot nougat with almonds, a traditional festive sweet.
Mandoles
Food
Crunchy caramelised almonds, sold from street stalls and at festivals.
Messonghi
Village
A pebbled beach and village settlement on Corfu's east coast, a relaxed base with hotels strung along the shore and easy access to nearby Moraitika.
Mon Repos
Sight
A leafy 19th-century estate and villa near the town, birthplace of Prince Philip, with a small museum and swimming spots below.
Moraitika
Village
A village on Corfu's south-east coast combining an older hillside settlement with a lively modern beach strip, popular with families for its long sandy shoreline.
Municipal Theatre of Corfu
Sight
Corfu Town's theatre and opera house, opened in 1902 as successor to the island's Venetian-era opera house and destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.
Myrtiotissa
Beach
A secluded, cliff-backed west-coast beach reached by a steep path down from the road, long famed for its scenery.
N
New Fortress
Sight
The later Venetian fortress (from the 16th century) above the old port, with tunnels and wide views over the town.
Nissaki
Village
A string of small pebble coves on the green north-east coast, below the slopes of Mount Pantokrator.
The Venetian citadel on a rocky promontory guarding Corfu Town, cut off from it by the sea-filled Contrafossa moat.
Old Perithia
Village
A ghost village on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator near Kassiopi, its stone houses long abandoned but home to a handful of restored tavernas within a hauntingly atmospheric, protected historic setting.
Olive groves
Nature
Corfu is famously green, with millions of old olive trees planted under Venetian rule; the oil is a point of local pride.
P
Paleokastritsa
Beach
A cluster of dramatic west-coast coves beneath a clifftop monastery — the island's most photographed stretch of coast.
Pantokrator, Mount
Nature
Corfu's highest peak (about 900 m), topped by a monastery and, on clear days, views to Albania and Italy.
Pastitsada
Food
Corfu's Sunday-lunch signature: rooster or beef slow-cooked in a spiced tomato sauce (cinnamon, clove and the local spetseriko blend) over thick, hollow pasta.
Paxos
Beach
A small, green island south of Corfu with sea caves and gentle harbours, a popular day-trip by boat.
Pelekas
Village
A hilltop village on the west side famous for its sunset viewpoint, known as the “Kaiser’s Throne” after Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Petriti
Village
A small working harbour village on Corfu's southern coast, its colourful fishing boats and quiet waterside tavernas making it a favourite for an authentic, low-key evening out.
Pontikonisi
Sight
The tiny, photogenic 'Mouse Island' off Kanoni, crowned by a Byzantine chapel.
R
Roda
Village
A relaxed north-coast resort built around an old fishing village, with a long, shallow beach that suits families.
S
Saint Spyridon
Festival
The island's patron saint, whose relics rest in the town church; his litany processions through the year are Corfu's biggest religious events. Check local listings.
Serbian Museum of Corfu
Museum
A moving museum documenting the Serbian army's exile on Corfu and the nearby island of Vido during the First World War, with photographs and artefacts recalling that history.
Sidari
Beach
A busy north-coast resort known for the sandstone Canal d'Amour and shallow, warm water.
Sinarades Folklore Museum
Museum
A museum inside a traditional two-storey house in Sinarades village, established in 1982 to preserve everyday rural Corfiot life through furniture, costumes and household objects.
Sofrito
Food
Thin slices of veal braised in a white sauce of garlic, parsley, white wine and vinegar — pure Venetian heritage, usually served with rice or mash.
Strapatsada
Food
A simple Greek dish of soft scrambled eggs cooked with ripe tomatoes and feta, popular across Corfu as a quick breakfast or light taverna lunch.
Sykomaida
Food
A dense Corfiot sweet of pressed dried figs, spiced and often wrapped in fig or vine leaves.
T
Temple of Artemis (Corfu)
Sight
The ruins of an early-6th-century-BC temple near Mon Repos, whose huge Gorgon pediment is a highlight of the Corfu Archaeological Museum.
Tsigareli
Food
Wild greens or vegetables cooked with garlic and a good hit of hot paprika — a spicy Corfiot side.
Tsitsibira
Drink
A traditional homemade ginger beer introduced to Corfu during British rule and still brewed on the island today as a refreshing, mildly spiced non-alcoholic drink.
V
Varkarola
Festival
A late-summer sea festival at Paleokastritsa with lit boats and fireworks, usually in August. Check local listings.
Vatos & the Ropa Valley
Village
A quiet agricultural village set on one of Corfu's few large flat plains, the fertile Ropa Valley, known for farming, a golf course and expansive green scenery.
Vido
Sight
A small wooded island just off Corfu Town, reachable by boat, with quiet beaches and a Serbian First World War memorial.
Vlacherna
Sight
The little white monastery on a causeway off Kanoni, one of Corfu's most photographed sights, with Pontikonisi beyond.
Quick Index
Every place in this guide to Corfu, alphabetically.
