Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
It is also a working monastery, which shapes the visit: modest dress, quiet, and a courtyard that is somebody’s home rather than an attraction with a turnstile.
What is there
- A courtyard heavy with bougainvillea and potted flowers, which is the image everyone photographs.
- A church with icons and hanging lamps, small and dim after the courtyard’s glare.
- A small museum of icons, manuscripts and objects, including items from the monastery’s own history.
- A terrace at the end of the point, with the coves and the wooded headlands below and the open Ionian beyond.
Entry has traditionally been free with donations welcomed, which is worth respecting.
Getting up there
The road climbs from Paleokastritsa beach to a small parking area near the top, and the last stretch is on foot. It is short but steep, and the road is narrow with tour coaches on it in season.
Go early. By mid-morning in August the coaches arrive together and the courtyard is a queue.
Where it fits
The standard west-coast day pairs the monastery with the bays below it: the boat trip to the sea caves from the beach, a swim, and the climb to the point in the late afternoon when the light is on the coast.
For the rest of the coast, best beaches in Corfu covers the options, and things to do in Corfu puts the island’s sights in order.
Last checked August 2026. Opening hours, dress rules and donations practice change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Is there a dress code at Paleokastritsa monastery?
Yes. It is a working monastery, so shoulders and knees should be covered, and quiet is expected in the church.
Is Paleokastritsa monastery free?
Entry has traditionally been free with donations welcome, and the small museum may ask a modest fee. Take the current position at the door.
How do you get to the monastery?
Up the steep narrow road from Paleokastritsa beach to a small parking area, then a short walk. Coaches use the same road in season.
What is the view like?
It looks down over the coves and wooded headlands of the west coast and out to open sea, and it is the best viewpoint on this side of the island.
When is the best time to visit?
Early morning or late afternoon. Mid-morning in summer is when the coach groups arrive together.
Next
Read things to do in Corfu, Paleokastritsa beach, or where to stay in Corfu.