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    Corfu
    CityCulture

    Corfu

    Corfu is the northernmost of the large Ionian Islands and lies off the coast of Albania and Epirus. Corfu Town's Old Quarter, with its two Venetian fortresses, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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    9. Corfu
    Corfu is the northernmost of the large Ionian Islands and lies off the coast of Albania and Epirus. Corfu Town's Old Quarter, with its two Venetian fortresses, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Outside the city, olive groves, mountain villages, and coves along steep coasts alternate.
    Island and TownCorfu is about 60 kilometers long and has over 100,000 inhabitants, a third of whom live in Corfu Town on the east coast. The town serves as a port, administrative center, and cultural hub; its Old Town, nestled between the Old and New Fortresses, can be explored on foot in a single day.LandscapeThe north is dominated by Pantokrator, the island's highest mountain at 906 meters, with the northeast coast featuring small pebble coves directly opposite Albania. To the west, green slopes descend to sandy beaches like Glyfada and the bays of Paleokastritsa; the flat south is more sparsely populated. Olive trees, extensively planted during Venetian rule, grow across large areas.Best Time to VisitThe swimming season runs from May to October; in July and August, the island is busy and roads to the north are congested. Corfu receives more rainfall than the Aegean islands, which keeps it green even in summer. Easter is celebrated in Corfu Town with processions and brass bands, attracting many visitors from the mainland.
    Corfu is divided into the town on the east coast, the northeast coast with Agni, Kalami, and Kassiopi under Pantokrator, the west coast with Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, and Glyfada, and the flat south around Lefkimmi. The inland villages like Kynopiastes and Gastouri are only half an hour away from the town.

    Sights in Corfu

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Old Town of Corfu
    Photo: Anton Zelenov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    1Old Town of Corfu

    Corfu Old Town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2007. It was recognized for a fortified port townscape that developed under Venetian rule and was further built upon by the French and British. Between the Old and New Fortresses stand four- to five-story houses with shutters, interspersed with narrow, paved alleys which locals call kantounia.The densest district is Campiello, on the hill above the old harbor, with small squares, fountains, and churches. The Church of Agios Spyridon with its red bell tower houses the relics of the island's patron saint. The core is car-free; you best explore it on foot and in the early morning.
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    Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio)
    Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
    Historic Landmark

    2Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio)

    The Old Fortress occupies a rocky peninsula with two peaks east of the Old Town. Byzantines used the site early on as a castle, and the Venetians developed it into a sea fortress between the 14th and 18th centuries, separating it from the mainland with the Contrafossa moat. It is accessible via a bridge from the Spianada.Inside stands the Church of Agios Georgios, which the British built in 1840 as a garrison church in the form of a Doric temple. Next to it are barracks, a British military hospital, exhibition rooms, and the public library. From the higher peak, you can overlook the Old Town and the mainland coast; the ascent is short but steep and without shade.
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    New Fortress (Neo Frourio)
    Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
    Historic Landmark

    3New Fortress (Neo Frourio)

    The New Fortress is located on the hill of Agios Markos above the old port in the west of the Old Town. The Venetians built it in several stages starting in the 1570s, after the Ottoman siege of 1537, planned by the military engineer Ferrante Vitelli. For the new city walls, they then demolished the suburb of San Rocco.Most of the buildings inside date from the British period after 1815. Exhibitions and events take place in the old barracks, and a part of the area is used by the Navy. Through tunnels and galleries, you reach the two bastions, from which you can look over the rooftops of the Old Town to the Old Fortress.
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    Liston and Spianada
    Radosław Botev / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 pl
    Attraction

    4Liston and Spianada

    The Spianada is the large square between the Old Town and the Old Fortress, half square, half park. The Venetians left the area undeveloped as a clear field of fire before the fortress; the British laid out a cricket pitch there, still used today. The southern section features the bandstand and the rotunda dedicated to British High Commissioner Maitland.Along its west side runs the Liston, an arcade row approximately 150 meters long, which was built in 1807 under French administration, modelled after Paris's Rue de Rivoli. Under the arches, cafés line up one after another. At Easter, the city's philharmonic orchestras lead processions past here.
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    Achilleion
    Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
    Historic Landmark

    5Achilleion

    The Achilleion is located in the village of Gastouri, about ten kilometers south of Corfu Town, on a hillside overlooking the east coast. Empress Elisabeth of Austria had the palace built as a retreat in the late 1880s and dedicated it to the hero Achilles. After her assassination in 1898, Emperor Wilhelm II bought it in 1907 and spent his summers here until 1914.In the garden stands Ernst Herter's marble statue of the Dying Achilles; on the terrace is the larger-than-life bronze of Achilles, commissioned by Wilhelm II. Inside, living quarters furnished with furniture and paintings from the Empress's era can be seen. Today, the building is a museum, and from the garden terrace, you can gaze south over the coast.
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    Paleokastritsa and the Monastery of Panagia
    AndyScott / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
    Place of Worship

    6Paleokastritsa and the Monastery of Panagia

    Paleokastritsa, on the northwest coast, is a cluster of small bays beneath wooded slopes, about 25 kilometers from Corfu Town. Boats from the beaches offer trips to the grottoes in the surrounding limestone cliffs.On the cape above the bays stands the Monastery of Panagia. Founded in the 13th century, its present buildings, cells, and courtyard date from the 18th century. A small museum displays Byzantine icons and manuscripts, and an old olive press is also preserved. For your visit, covered shoulders and knees are required; wraps are available at the entrance.
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    Restaurants in Corfu

    1

    Rex

    The restaurant on Kapodistriou Street in Corfu Old Town has been established since 1932 and operated by the Katsaros family since 1955. The menu features Corfiot classics like Sofrito, Bourdeto, and Pastitsada, alongside risotto with island cheese.
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    2

    Taverna Trypas (Kynopiastes)

    The tavern in the village of Kynopiastes in Corfu's island interior was founded by Barba Spyros Yfantis. Food is served on large sharing platters for the entire table, with salads, Sofrito, Pastitsada, meat, and yogurt with honey.
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    3

    Toula (Agni)

    The tavern, open since 1981, sits right on the water in Agni's small bay on Corfu's northeast coast. It is known for its shrimp with rice, pine nuts, and peppers, also serving fish and island recipes.
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    4

    Klimataria (Benitses)

    The Bellos family fish tavern is located in an old Corfiot house in the fishing village of Benitses on the east coast, about twelve kilometers south of Corfu Town. Grilling is rare here; the kitchen braises and bakes fish and seafood, such as spicy Bourdeto or in a pot with tomato and celery. There are only a few tables, and it is open evenings.
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    5

    Marina's Taverna

    The small taverna is located at the corner of Velissariou and Agias Sofias in the Spilia district, the old Jewish quarter of the Old Town. Corfiot recipes are cooked with market ingredients, along with Epirote-style filo pastries. In summer, tables are placed outside in the alley.
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    Eating and Drinking on Corfu

    Corfu's cuisine is influenced by Venice: many dishes bear Italian names, are robustly spiced, and slow-cooked.
    Sofrito
    Anagoria / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Sofrito

    Thin slices of veal are briefly seared and then braised in white wine, vinegar, garlic, and parsley. It's usually served with mashed potatoes or rice. Sofrito is on the menu in almost every taverna on the island.

    Pastitsada

    Chicken or beef simmers for hours in a tomato sauce with cinnamon, cloves, and paprika and is served with thick pasta. The dish is considered the island's Sunday meal. The name derives from the Italian pasticciata.
    Bourdeto
    Anagoria / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Bourdeto

    Bourdeto is a spicy fish stew with plenty of red paprika and onions, traditionally made from scorpionfish or other rockfish. It originates from the kitchens of the fishing villages on the east coast. You can find it year-round in the taverns of Benitses and the town.
    Kumquat

    Kumquat

    These small citrus fruits were introduced from Asia in the 19th century and grow primarily in the north of the island. They are used to make liqueur, candied fruits, and jam. Shops in the old town sell them in all forms.
    Tsitsibira
    Kritzolina / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Tsitsibira

    The ginger lemonade is a legacy from the British era, derived from the English ginger beer. It is made from ginger, lemon, and sugar and served cold. Some cafés on the Spianada and small producers on the island still make it.

    History and Culture of Corfu

    Four Centuries of VeniceCorfu was under Venetian rule from 1386 to 1797 and, unlike almost all of Greece, was never permanently Ottoman. Its fortresses withstood the sieges of 1537 and 1716. From this period stem the townscape, the olive groves, and many words in the island's cuisine such as Sofrito, Pastitsada, and Bourdeto.French, British, and GreeceAfter Venice came the French, an interim Russian-Ottoman period with the Septinsular Republic, and from 1815 the British Protectorate. The Liston dates from the French era; from the British, the Palace of St. Michael and St. George, cricket on the Spianada, and ginger beer. In 1864, Corfu was united with Greece. Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first head of government of independent Greece, hailed from Corfu.Music and EasterThe city has several Philharmonic Societies, brass bands with their own music schools, which play at festivals and processions. At Easter, they march with the processions through the Old Town. On Holy Saturday, residents throw clay pots out of windows onto the street, a custom known as botides. Several times a year, the relic of the island's patron saint Spyridon is carried through the town.

    Nightlife

    1

    Bristol Café

    The bar is on Evgeniou-Voulgareos Street in the heart of the Old Town, a few steps behind the Liston. By day it's a café; in the evening, it becomes a cocktail bar with DJ music. Outdoor tables are in the alley.
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    2

    Micro Café

    This small café with a bar is on Kotardou Street in the Old Town's alleys. Coffee by day, wine, beer & cocktails evenings at outdoor tables.
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    3

    Dell'Acque

    The cocktail bar is on Evgeniou Voulgareos Street in the Old Town, diagonally opposite the Bristol. In the evenings, DJs play, and guests sit outside in the alley.
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    Getting there and around Corfu

    ArrivalIoannis Kapodistrias Airport is located just two kilometres south of the Old Town and is served by direct flights from many German cities in summer, and year-round from Athens. Ferries connect the New Port several times daily with Igoumenitsa on the mainland; the crossing takes approximately one and a half hours. Additionally, there are ferries from Italian ports such as Brindisi, Bari, Ancona, and Venice, as well as speedboats to Saranda in Albania.BusesThe blue city buses depart from San Rocco Square to the suburbs; Line 15 connects the airport, bus station, and city centre; Line 2a runs from the Liston to Kanoni; and Line 10 to Gastouri for the Achilleion. The green KTEL intercity buses depart from the bus station west of the city centre and travel to places like Paleokastritsa, Kassiopi, and the south.Rental CarFor the mountain villages and bays on the west and northeast coasts, a rental car or scooter is practical, as buses only run there a few times a day. The roads are narrow and winding, and travel times are longer than distances might suggest. You won't need a vehicle within the Old Town itself; parking is available at the edge of the centre.

    Outings from Corfu

    Paxos and Antipaxos

    South of Corfu lie the small islands of Paxos and Antipaxos, with olive groves, limestone cliffs, and coves with clear waters. Ships and excursion boats run in summer from Corfu Town port and the south of the island. On Paxos, the ports of Gaios, Lakka, and Loggos are worth visiting.

    Butrint in Albania

    From Corfu Town, speedboats travel in about half an hour to Saranda on the Albanian coast. From there, it's approximately 20 kilometers to the ancient city of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site. For entry, you need a valid ID card or passport.

    Pantokrator and Old Perithia

    A narrow road leads up to Pantokrator, at 906 metres the island's highest mountain. On the summit stands a monastery next to transmission masts. On the northern flank lies Alt-Perithia, a deserted mountain village with Venetian houses, where some taverns open in summer. From the top, on a clear day, you can see Albania and Italy.

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