Τόποι · Places to See
Famous sights, quiet villages and the small local places worth the detour — from the Venetian fortresses of the old town to the salt flats of the deep south.
23 places
Fortress & Museum · Corfu Town
Παλαιό Φρούριο
A Venetian sea-fortress on a twin-peaked rock guarding the old town. Climb to the lighthouse for the best 360° view of Corfu.
Local tip · Go an hour before sunset — the light on the limestone is unreal.
Fortress & Museum · Corfu Town
Νέο Φρούριο
Quieter than its sibling, with deep stone tunnels, vaulted galleries and a rooftop that looks down over the rooftops of the old town.
Old Town · Corfu Town
Λιστόν
A French-built arcade modeled on the Rue de Rivoli, lined with cafés that spill onto the Spianada — the largest square in the Balkans.
Local tip · Sit with a freddo espresso and watch the cricket match on the green.
Old Town · Corfu Town
Καμπιέλο
The oldest part of the UNESCO old town: tall Venetian houses, laundry strung overhead, sudden squares and stairways that climb to nowhere.
Old Town · Corfu Town
Άγιος Σπυρίδων
The island's spiritual heart, home to the silver casket of Saint Spyridon. Look for the red bell tower — the tallest in the Ionian.
Fortress & Museum · Gastouri
Αχίλλειο
Empress Sissi's neoclassical retreat above the sea, built around the myth of Achilles. The garden statues are worth the trip alone.
Fortress & Museum · Kanoni
Μον Ρεπό
Birthplace of Prince Philip and a shaded park of cypress, ancient ruins and a small but excellent archaeological museum.
Nature · Kanoni
Ποντικονήσι
The postcard view: a tiny chapel on a causeway and the green islet of Mouse Island just beyond. Planes from the airport skim overhead.
Beach & Coast · Northwest coast
Παλαιοκαστρίτσα
Six small coves wrapped around a wooded headland with a 13th-century clifftop monastery looking out to the open Ionian.
Local tip · Take a small boat to the sea caves — La Grotta cove is best for a swim after.
Fortress & Museum · Krini
Αγγελόκαστρο
A Byzantine clifftop castle 1,000 feet above the sea — a steep climb rewarded with the most cinematic view on the island.
Beach & Coast · Sidari
Κανάλι του Έρωτα
Wind- and water-carved sandstone channels meeting the sea. Local lore says couples who swim through it together stay together.
Nature · Peroulades
Ακρωτήρι Δράστης
Jagged white cliffs and turquoise inlets at the island's northwest tip. Best from a viewpoint above or a small boat below.
Beach & Coast · Afionas
Πόρτο Τιμόνι
A double-bay beach reached by a 30-minute footpath from the village of Afionas. Two seas, one strip of pebbles, no road in.
Nature · North Corfu
Παντοκράτωρ
The island's highest peak (906 m). On a clear morning you can see Albania, Italy and the whole length of Corfu from the monastery at the top.
Village · Pantokrator slopes
Παλιά Περίθεια
A 14th-century stone village half-abandoned, half-revived by a few tavernas serving slow Corfiot food under walnut trees.
Local tip · Lunch at Foros — ask for whatever they cooked that morning.
Village · Northeast coast
Κασσιώπη
A working fishing harbor turned easy-going village with a ruined Angevin castle on the hill and small swimming coves a short walk away.
Local Favorite · Northeast coast
Αγνή
Three family tavernas on a pebble cove with no road behind them. Most arrive by boat for long lunches of bourdetto and cold white wine.
Local tip · Toula's is famous for prawn pilaf — book ahead in summer.
Village · Northeast coast
Καλάμι
Lawrence Durrell's 1930s home sits at one end of a quiet bay. Swim, then eat upstairs in the house where Prospero's Cell was written.
Village · South of town
Μπενίτσες
Narrow lanes climbing into a green valley behind the harbor — an older, slower Corfu of cats, fountains and grandmothers on doorsteps.
Local Favorite · South Corfu
Λευκίμμη
The unhurried south: a salt-canal running through pastel houses, working salt pans nearby and almost no tourists.
Nature · South Corfu
Αλυκές Λευκίμμης
A protected wetland of salt flats where flamingos, herons and avocets stop on migration. Take binoculars and go at dusk.
Nature · Off Corfu Town
Νήσος Βίδος
A tiny pine-covered island a 10-minute ferry from the old port. Quiet beaches, a Serbian war memorial and almost no buildings.
Local Favorite · Corfu Town
Δημοτική Αγορά
Where locals shop: fish on ice in the morning, mountains of olives, kumquat liqueur, noumboulo (smoked pork) and sour island cheese.
Local tip · Open mornings, Mon–Sat. Bring cash and small bags.