Where to stay in Corfu

The decision: the town, or a coast

Corfu is a large, green, mountainous island with a proper Venetian city at one end and a long, varied coastline in every direction from it. The first choice is simply whether you want the town or a coast, and the second is which coast.

• Corfu Town is the base if you want to walk to things and do without a car. It is a genuinely good small city: arcaded streets, two fortresses, and a cricket ground left by the British.
• The west coast has the drama - cliffs, coves, sunsets, and the best-known scenery.
• The north-east, the so-called green coast, is calmer and more sheltered.
• The north, around Sidari, is the busy family-resort end.

This page names areas, not hotels. We have not stayed in Corfu’s hotels and will not rank them.

The areas at a glance

Corfu Town

Area	Best for	Feel	Beach	Car needed
Corfu Town	Walking, culture, no car	Venetian city, lively	Not really	No
Paleokastritsa	Scenery, coves, boat trips	Dramatic, busy in season	Yes, coves	Yes
Kassiopi	Calm harbour village life	Balanced, local-ish	Yes, small	Yes
Sidari	Families, facilities, nightlife	Big resort, shallow water	Yes	Not really
The south	Quieter beaches, lower prices	Low-key	Yes, long sand	Yes

The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most attractive small cities in Greece - the Liston arcade built in imitation of the Rue de Rivoli, tall Venetian houses in narrow lanes, and two fortresses bracketing it.

Staying here means:

• You can walk to everything, including dinner, and you need no car at all if you are happy taking buses or the occasional taxi to a beach.
• You get evenings in a working city rather than a resort strip.
• You do not get a beach on the doorstep. The nearest swimming is a short ride away.

It is also the arrival point for ferries from Igoumenitsa, which is worth knowing if you are coming overland.

The west coast

Paleokastritsa is the scenery postcard: a series of green headlands dropping into clear coves, with boat trips out to sea caves and a monastery on the point. It is beautiful and it is busy, and the “beaches” are small coves rather than long sand.

The wider west coast has the island’s big sunsets and its more exposed, surf-prone beaches. It is the dramatic side, and it wants a car.

The north-east and the north

Kassiopi, on the north-east coast, is a harbour village with a castle above it, calm swimming, and a better balance than most between visitor facilities and ordinary life. This coast looks across a narrow strait to Albania and is sheltered, which makes the water reliably flat.

Sidari, on the north coast, is the large family resort: shallow water, lots of facilities, plenty of bars, and the Canal d’Amour rock formation. It suits families with small children and younger crowds simultaneously, which is unusual and occasionally strange.

The south

The southern half of the island is quieter and cheaper, with long sandy beaches on the west side and lagoon scenery around Korission. It is the least developed part and the one where a car matters most.

Do you need a car?

Corfu Town: no. Almost everywhere else: yes.

Corfu is big and mountainous, the good beaches are spread around a long coastline, and the interior villages - which are the part most visitors never see - are only practical with your own wheels. Buses exist and radiate from the town, but they run on their own logic rather than yours.

See which islands need a car and renting a car in Greece.

How the areas map onto trips

• First visit, no car, want a real place: Corfu Town.
• Scenery and boat trips: Paleokastritsa.
• Calm swimming and a village: Kassiopi.
• Families wanting facilities and shallow water: Sidari.
• Quiet and cheaper, with wheels: the south.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best area to stay in Corfu?

Corfu Town if you want to walk to things and skip the car, Paleokastritsa for west-coast scenery, Kassiopi for calm swimming and village life, and Sidari for a family resort with facilities.

Do I need a car in Corfu?

Everywhere except Corfu Town, effectively yes. The island is large and mountainous and the beaches and villages are spread out. In the town itself you can manage on foot and by bus.

Is Corfu Town a good place to stay?

Yes, and it is the most distinctive base on the island - a Venetian UNESCO old town with arcades, fortresses and real evening life. The catch is that there is no beach on the doorstep.

Which part of Corfu is best for families?

Sidari in the north for shallow water and facilities, and the calmer north-east coast around Kassiopi for flat, sheltered swimming.

Which side of Corfu has the best beaches?

The west coast has the drama - coves, cliffs and sunsets - and can be surfy. The north-east is sheltered and calm. The south has the longest sand and the fewest people.

How do you get to Corfu from Athens?

Not by ferry from Piraeus - Corfu is in the Ionian and is reached from Igoumenitsa on the north-west mainland, or by a flight of about an hour. See Athens to Corfu.

Next

Read the Corfu travel guide, things to do in Corfu and Corfu beaches, or compare it in Corfu vs Kefalonia and Corfu vs Zakynthos.