The second-largest from the Ionian Islands. It is situated on the west side of the Greek Peninsula. The climate is the rainiest in this island, which means it is the greenest place in Greece. Read my guide of Corfu island and learn some tips on how to keep the costs low.
First of all, If you travel to Greece, there is a slight chance, that Corfu is not the island, which comes up in your mind first. If you are looking for the blue and white houses, this is not the island you are searching for. Corfu is more for nature and history lovers.
How to get there:
The easiest way to fly to Corfu is from big cities all over Europe. In the summertime, you will find plenty of flights from England, Germany, etc. There are some more options to look up, you might find it cheaper to fly to Athens. From Athens, you will have to take a bus (direct or 1stop at Ioannina) to Igoumenitsa, which is around 5-6 hours and then take the ferry to Corfu, which is kind of a hustle. I only recommend taking this route, if you want to see the landscape of Greece on a 6-hour bus ride, otherwise, the price difference doesn’t worth it. Also, there is an option to fly to Albania, why not? and take public transport till Igoumenitsa. it is a little bit closer than Athens.
Getting around the island:
So, you will arrive at Corfu town either with a ferry or a plane. My tip would be to hire a car immediately. Not a scooter, not a quad, only a car. Driving a motorbike on Corfu can be dangerous, even with a car, and the distances are big, a scooter won’t serve you on your holiday, and you are more likely to end up in the hospital from a scooter accident than a car accident. My best tip for a car rental, that you stay away from international companies, they all have an office at the airport, and you must book them in advance, and their prices are way higher than local companies. The price difference can be 20euro per day, and if you choose them, you don’t even support the locals, just international businesses. When you arrive at the airport, just go outside, and walk 5 minutes till the main street, where you will find the local companies. I can’t recommend Corfu Explore Car hire enough. It was the perfect service, and their English is excellent. To the price, you have to calculate, that the fuel is expensive. The price is around 1,6-1,7euro/liter. The gas stations are not self-service, and you don’t even have to get out of your car, you can give the cash to the worker.
If you are a young driver:
The official driver’s age should be 21, but I was not 21-year-old by the time, I visited Corfu. This is a secret no one tells you, but if you have your driver’s license for more than 2 years, some local companies will rent you a car on all the Greek islands, you just have to search for them. I arrived at Corfu, and I asked “well-known” companies like Hertz if they could rent a car for a 20-year-old girl. After 3 companies laughing in my face, I walked out of the airport, and 5 minutes away there were the local companies waiting for me, and they were happy to give me a car.
Where to stay:
Corfu island is not so big but is very long, so you have to choose wisely where you want to stay. The best strategy is to create a map with the places you can’t miss, and then a couple of non-priority places, just in case you have extra time. If you don’t feel like researching, just use my map below. Once you have planned what you want to see, you can choose the accommodation. Don’t let the prices fool you with extra cheap accommodation, the south is not the best place to stay. I would say Corfu town is a good choice, it is centrical, you find everything that you need, except for a parking place. We stayed in a village called Benitses, and it had a couple of restaurants to choose from, a beach, and small shops. Another nice town I would consider is Sidari, it is just next to the canal d’Amour, you can even walk there, they have everything you might need on your holiday. It doesn’t matter which village you choose, just make sure there are some restaurants in walking distance because if you have to drive, you can’t enjoy a cocktail, a glass of wine or a pint of beer for dinner. Police is barely seen on the islands, but don’t risk anything. Drink or drive.
Food:
The prices can vary on this island so much, you can choose dinner from a gyros pita (2,5€) till the most expensive sunset view restaurants. Instead of recommending restaurants, I would like to recommend, how to find good restaurants by yourself, google map has an option, to search for places to eat, same way as trip advisor, you just have to give your location, choose “open now” filter, and check a little bit the reviews. If it has 1-2 bad reviews, it doesn’t really matter, but if everyone says bad things about the food, and it has less than 4 stars, you could just skip the place. It is a 5-minute research before going, and it can save you from a terrible dinner. Normally the restaurants don’t require table booking in advance, but if you are 100% sure, where you will eat, just give a call in advance, to make sure you have a table.
+Budget food tips you won’t see anywhere else:
Have breakfast in Lidl. They have an amazing bakery! I miss the croissant filled with cheese and ham so much. If you are close to Corfu town, where is the only Lidl, you can stop by, get some orange juice, ice coffee, fruits, and some donuts/croissants. This was the best idea we had, we choose the perfect breakfast, it cost us 5€ for 2 people.
For lunch and dinner, you can get a gyros pita for 3 € (or even less) in every corner, 1 is usually enough for everyone, they even put some fries in it, and it is so delicious, I ended up making it at home frequently. Some places like in Sidari, the restaurants even offer sunbeds for costumers, so you don’t have to pay any extra and you can have a Greek siesta after lunch. If you eat that for lunch, you save money for a prettier dinner. Spoiler alert: you might end up eating gyros all the time because it is so tasty.
Daily budget you need for Corfu:
The accommodation can be as cheap as 30€/night, car hire:30€/day, meals, and drink for 2people: 40€. So from100 € a day, you can have either an adventurous or a relaxing holiday. Please, consider, that we were trying to save money, and not eating in fancy places, so your budget can go higher according to your needs.
Best time to visit:
From End of May till End of September the weather should be warm, but you are likely to see some rain on your holidays like I did.
How many days do you need?
3 days are the minimum you should spend here, up to 7week you won’t get bored.
Things to do:
Go around the island by car, and explore the beaches, mountains.
Do day trips to Paxos, Antipaxos island.
Rent a boat. (No license required, and the prices are not as high as you think)
Explore Corfu town and the history of the island.
Where to go next?
I would recommend visiting more Ionian islands, such as Lefkada, Kefalonia, and Zakynthos.
If you are still unsure about visiting Corfu, check out my youtube video. Thank you so much for reading my blog, stay tuned for the next adventures.
