Where to Stay in Corfu: Corfu Town, the North-East Coast, the West and the Best Resorts

Corfu is greener and more varied than most people expect. In a single island you get a Venetian-era capital that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, pebble coves facing the mountains of Albania, long sandy beaches on the west coast and lively family resorts in the north. The island is also bigger than it looks, and its roads are slow and winding, so choosing the right base matters more here than on many Greek islands. This guide compares the main areas so that you can decide.

Corfu areas at a glance

Area	Best for	Pros	Cons
Corfu Town	City breaks, food, culture, no car	UNESCO Old Town, restaurants, bus hub, 10–15 minutes from the airport	No real beach in the center; also busy in summer
Gouvia, Dassia and Ipsos	Families, first-timers, easy transfers	Close to town, plenty of hotels, regular buses	Narrow beaches; built-up coastal road
North-east coast (Barbati to Kassiopi)	Couples, villas, swimming in clear coves	Calm, clear water and an upmarket feel, as well as views to Albania	Pebble beaches; about an hour from the airport
North coast (Sidari, Roda, Acharavi)	Budget family holidays	Long shallow beaches, as well as lots of amenities	About an hour from the airport; busy in peak season
West coast (Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, Glyfada, Agios Gordios)	Scenery, sandy beaches, sunsets	The island’s most dramatic coastline	Hilly, so a car helps; waves on windy days
South (Benitses to Kavos)	Quiet beaches or nightlife (Kavos)	Good value, long sandy beaches near Issos	Far from the north; Kavos is very much a party resort

Corfu Town

UNESCO added the Old Town of Corfu to its World Heritage List in 2007, and walking its lanes is one of the highlights of any trip to the island. You get two Venetian fortresses and the arcaded Liston promenade beside the Spianada square, as well as the church of Saint Spyridon, the island’s patron saint. Staying in or near the Old Town suits short breaks, foodies and anyone traveling without a car, since the town is the hub for both the blue urban buses and the green KTEL buses to the resorts.

Just south of the center, Garitsa has a seafront promenade and quieter hotels, while Kanoni looks out over the Vlacherna monastery and Mouse Island and right across the airport runway. It’s great for plane-spotting, though rooms facing the runway can be noisy. The town has no proper beach, but there are small swimming spots and lidos within reach, and the beaches of the east coast are a short bus ride away.

So if this area suits you, find hotels and apartments in Corfu Town (affiliate link).

Gouvia, Dassia and Ipsos

North of Corfu Town, the east-coast resorts of Kontokali, Gouvia, Dassia and Ipsos are the most practical choice for many first-time visitors. They’re roughly 20–35 minutes from the airport, buses run along the coast road into town, and there’s a wide choice of hotels, restaurants and water sports. Gouvia sits around a large marina, and the remains of a Venetian shipyard stand near the waterfront. By contrast, Dassia and Ipsos have long, narrow beaches beside the main road. They aren’t the island’s prettiest, but they make a convenient and good-value base for exploring.

Then, if you like the sound of it, find hotels and apartments in Gouvia, Dassia and Ipsos (affiliate link).

The north-east coast: Barbati, Nissaki, Kalami and Kassiopi

Beyond Ipsos, the road climbs along the foot of Mount Pantokrator, Corfu’s highest peak, and the coast becomes a string of small pebble coves with very clear water. Barbati and Nissaki have a few hotels and villas above the sea. Kalami is famous for the White House, where Lawrence Durrell lived in the 1930s, and Agios Stefanos Sinion is a quiet bay popular with villa renters. Kassiopi, a former fishing village with a small harbor and a ruined castle, is the liveliest place on this stretch, with plenty of tavernas and bars.

This is the most upmarket part of the island, so it’s the best choice for couples and families who want calm water for swimming and snorkeling. Allow about an hour from the airport. A car, or at least a boat to rent for the day, opens up the coves you can’t reach easily by road.

Also, to compare prices here, find hotels and apartments in Kassiopi (affiliate link).

The north coast: Sidari, Roda and Acharavi

The north coast has the island’s long, shallow sandy beaches, which makes it popular for family holidays. Sidari is the busiest resort, famous for the sandstone formations of the Canal d’Amour. Roda and Acharavi are quieter than Sidari, with a long beach between them. Prices are generally lower than on the north-east coast. Further west, Arillas and Agios Stefanos (Avliotes) are calmer bases, and day boats from this coast visit the small Diapontia islands. Allow about an hour from the airport.

So if this is your pick, find hotels and apartments in Sidari (affiliate link).

The west coast: Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, Glyfada and Agios Gordios

Corfu’s west coast is where you’ll find the island’s most dramatic scenery: wooded headlands, cliffs and sandy bays facing the sunset. Paleokastritsa, about 40–45 minutes from the airport, is a cluster of coves below a hilltop monastery, with boat trips to sea caves. Pelekas is a hill village with a famous sunset viewpoint, close to the long sandy beach of Glyfada, one of the best on the island. Agios Gordios has a wide bay framed by tall rock formations, while Agios Georgios Pagon, in the north-west, is a big, quiet sandy bay.

The west particularly suits beach lovers and walkers who don’t mind hills. A car is very useful here, because bus services between the resorts are limited. On windy days the open sea can bring waves, so families with small children should check the forecast.

Then, to check availability, find hotels and apartments in Paleokastritsa (affiliate link).

The south: Benitses, Moraitika, Issos and Kavos

South of Corfu Town, Benitses, Moraitika and Messonghi are quieter, good-value resorts within easy reach of the airport. Further south, the dunes and sandy beach at Issos and the long bay of Agios Georgios (Argyrades) are excellent for a peaceful beach holiday. At the southern tip, Kavos has a reputation as a nightlife resort for young travelers. Unless that’s what you’re after, it’s best avoided in peak summer.

So if this area suits you, find hotels and apartments in Benitses and Moraitika (affiliate link).

Which area of Corfu is right for you?

• First visit, no car: Corfu Town, or Gouvia and Dassia, for the best bus links.
• Couples: the north-east coast between Barbati and Kassiopi, or Paleokastritsa.
• Families on a budget: Sidari, Roda, Acharavi or Moraitika.
• Sandy beaches: Glyfada, Agios Gordios, Issos and the north coast.
• Short break or winter trip: Corfu Town, which stays open year-round while many resort hotels close from late October.

Things to do in Corfu

The Old Town’s fortresses, the Achilleion palace built for Empress Elisabeth of Austria, boat trips along the coast and the hiking trails of the Corfu Trail are highlights of most visits. Day boats also run to the small islands of Paxos and Antipaxos. You can browse tickets and tours in advance with Corfu tickets and tours on Tiqets (affiliate link).

Good to know

• Season: the beach season runs from about May to October. Spring also brings wildflowers and green hills, ideal for walking.
• Getting around: green KTEL buses link Corfu Town with the main resorts, but services to smaller villages are limited, especially outside summer. Many visitors rent a car for at least part of their stay.
• Currency: euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for small tavernas and beach sunbeds.
• Mobile data: EU visitors can usually roam at home prices, but many UK mobile plans now charge a daily fee in Greece. Check your plan before you go, or buy a local data eSIM in advance, for example a Greece eSIM from Airalo (affiliate link).
• Plugs: Greece uses two-pin European plugs (Types C and F), so bring a UK adapter.

Getting to Corfu

Corfu International Airport (CFU) is just south of Corfu Town, and direct flights from many UK airports run in the summer season. Before you book, read flights to Corfu from the UK for airlines, season dates and approximate transfer times to each resort. Blue urban bus line 15 connects the airport with Corfu Town, including the main bus station and the port. If you’re heading to a resort an hour away or arriving late, a taxi or a pre-booked private transfer is much easier, and GetTransfer (affiliate link) lets you compare offers in advance.

Plan the rest of your trip

• Flights to Corfu from the UK: airlines, season and transfers
• Where to stay in Zakynthos, another Ionian island with direct UK flights
• Flights to Athens from the UK, for winter connections
• Where to stay in Athens, if you’re adding a city stopover

How we research: this guide is based on official sources and published airline and transport schedules, not on a sponsored visit. We checked this information on October 8, 2026. Schedules, routes and prices change, so confirm with the airline, operator or venue before you travel.

Sources

• UNESCO World Heritage List, Old Town of Corfu: whc.unesco.org
• Greek National Tourism Organisation: visitgreece.gr
• Corfu urban buses (blue buses, line 15 timetable): astikoktelkerkyras.gr
• Green Buses KTEL Corfu (resort routes): greenbuses.gr
• Fraport Greece (operator of Corfu airport): cfu-airport.gr

Featured image: The main beach and bay at Paleokastritsa on Corfu’s west coast. Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), June 11, 2012, via Wikimedia Commons (file “Corfu Paleokastritsa Beach R01.jpg”), CC BY 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). Resized and compressed.