Corfu Greece: The Ultimate Travel Guide

Alessandra is an expat originally from Brazil. She has traveled abroad extensively, and has also lived in several different countries.  I am so delighted I connected with her in a travel group, and thankful she agreed to share this post!

The city being featured  is Corfu, and it looks just as dreamy as many of the cities in this country. Grab your favorite  drink and let your mind be taken away to paradise!

When its summer time in Europe many of us have the urge to go somewhere by the beach, and Greece is always a good idea.  Mykonos and Santorini are one of the most popular areas, but sometimes it's good to get away from the  mainstream tourist destinations and explore something new.

Corfu seemed like  the perfect place as it is one of the most beautiful islands in the country and is still quite unknown by a lot of tourists around the world.

As some of you may not know, Corfu is the greenest and most northern of the Greek Islands and it was controlled by different countries throughout history, such as Italy, France, and Britain.  It is located in the Ionian sea and it's very close to Albania and Italy

I spent an amazing 2 weeks there and below I will describe some of the activities I did while exploring the country. I hope the pictures I took will motivate  you to visit this beautiful island.

Where to Stay

I stayed in the north part of the island, in an area called Sidari, which is popular among English tourists. It is one hour by bus to Corfu town and has, what I think, the most beautiful beaches. Corfu is quite a big island and each area has its own flare.

For example, if you are young and looking to party, a famous destination is Kavos, but if you are looking for a more quiet place I would suggest  Paleopkastritsa. Depending on the size of your group and your budget, you can also find may styles of accomodation, which varies from renting a villa/flat to all inclusive hotels. In my case, I decided to have my own self-catering villa in a resort, and explore the food and restaurants around me.

Where to Eat

Greece is famous for its Tavernas, so don't forget to check one out.  The food that I normally ate there was different types of seafood, together with Tzatziki or a Saganaki style dish(which is made with baked cheese.)  Traditional desserts are these puffy balls with honey or chocolate called Loukoumades and Baklava. The Gyros and Lamb dishes are also popular.

You can also check for the restaurants that have a Greek night, where you will experience a typical Greek celebration. This will seem like quite a touristy thing to do at first, but it is a fun way to see the plate smashing and local dancing.

What to do

There are many things you can do in Corfu, as it's one of the most developed islands in Greece. If you want to be free to explore different sights, I would suggest renting a car and drive to the different areas and beaches.  If you want to see more of your local surroundings, you can also rent a scooter or quad bike.

Apart from experiencing some the most beautiful beaches in Europe, you should take a day or two to explore Corfu city and the old town and visit Esplanade, the Old Fortress and the Royal Palace.

Going back to the beaches, it is easier to get to some of them by boat.  You can also reach a lot of them by car.  Some of the most beautiful ones are Sidari (and the Canal D'Amour), Peroulades, Paleokastristsa, Kontogialos, and Myrtiotissa.

You can take a tour boat to other nearby Ionian islands like Paxos and Antipaxos and see the Blue Caves, as well as Sivota and Blue Lagoon, or go to Parga, a city located on the Greek mainland.  Another options is to take a boat to Albania and see the city of Saranda. There you can choose to stay around and enjoy the beach or take a tour to Butrint, which is designated y Unesco as a World Heritage Sight. You can also visit the castle of Ali Pasha, built during the Ottoman Empire.

Another interesting activity is to rent your own boat on Corfu Island.  You can have it for yourself for a whole day and ride it to as many places/beaches as you want and stop for a dive. This was actually
the highlight of my trip, as it is quite affordable to rent one.  I think it's a great way to avoid the tourists and have more of a personal experience of the coast.

If you are not staying in Corfu town, you will notice that many of the villages have bars, clubs and restaurants. If you wan to lay by the beach, you can always stay in one of the restaurant's bungalows and order food or drinks..

For those of you who are more into sports, there are many hiking opportunities. Corfu has plenty of trails through the mountains. It is also a great place to do scuba diving and water sports.