Corfu Town, or Kérkyra: A Corfu Must-See for All Audiences
Kérkyra is Corfu’s Greek name. Both the island and the capital have the same name and you will find them both on the road signs, written in Greek and Latin characters.
Corfu’s capital city is located halfway down the island’s east coast. If you come by car we recommend you park at the Old Port or by the Garitsa areas. Parking in Corfu Town is almost impossible during the summer season. Walking for ten or fifteen minutes will save a lot of fuel, your patience will be intact and your mood won’t suffer!
Which are the Must-See Places in Corfu Town?
It depends on what you like to do. Sightseeing, shopping, cultural learning, eating, Instagram posing… everything is possible in Corfu Town.
Cultural Must-See Places in Corfu Town
Stroll down its winding lanes packed with restaurants, bars, and shops, and visit some of Corfu Town’s many museums and churches. Take a trip to the Andivouniótissa (Byzantine) Museum, full of unusual pieces from the 15th to 18th centuries. Don’t forget the excellent Asian Art Museum, with plenty of unexpected trinkets and beautiful art on display.
Your Corfu things-to-do list should also include a trip to the 14th-century Venetian-built Paleo Frourio (Old Fortress). Admire its architectonical phases, climb up to the tower for some superb views, or have a coffee at the local cafeteria to relax while watching Garitsa Bay.
Corfu Archaeological Museum reopened in 2022 after a thorough renovation. It houses an exceptional collection of archaeological artifacts found in Corfu Town, dated from the 7th Century B.C. onwards. A real Corfu-must see if you love Ancient History and Greek Archaeology!
Corfu’s Many Churches, Two Cathedrals, and a Synagogue
Religion is paramount for the Greeks. Only in the Old Town of Corfu, you will find at least twenty Orthodox churches. The most important ones are Saint Spiridon Church, inside the Old Town, and Agia Theodora’s Metropolitan Cathedral, at the entrance of the Spilia neighborhood. Agios Basilios is also worth a visit: We recommend you enter this one or any other churches you will see on your way around the city. By the way, photos are forbidden on the inside.
Let’s not forget La Scuola Greca, the impressive Synagogue, still in use and open to the public in the morning from Monday to Friday in the Jewish Quarter. This monument has a memorial to the 2,000 Corfiot victims of the Holocaust.
Plateia, the Great Central Square
If there’s a place where everybody fits it is in Plateia. This area used to be a battlefield but was turned into a gardened area by the French at the end of the 18th Century. Today, it’s a lovely place where children can play freely, students lay on the grass and play guitars, lovers speak of love, and the hungry can have a coffee, a pizza, or some fresh fish at one of the surrounding cafes and restaurants.
In the summer evenings, you will also be able to enjoy live concerts by the local philharmonic orchestras at the central kiosk.
Ta Kantounia: the Charming Venetian Neighbourhoods with the Best Restaurants and Shopping Places
Take your time and stroll around the labyrinthic alleys known as kantounia. Their narrow streets are full of charm, Venetian heritage, lovely restaurants and plenty of retail shops. Trattorias, typical Greek taverns, bakeries and small cafes share the little space with stores of all kinds. Chic boutiques, handcrafted goods, leather sandals and even hairdressers’! The roads are covered with bougainvilleas and jazmin, antique lamps lit at night and call the visitor until late in the evening. Which ons is our favourite kantouni? To Kantouni tou Bizzi, of course!
Paleokastritsa Bay: Beach, Landscapes, and a Monastery
You can’t miss this beautiful landmark during your holidays in Corfu! Paleokastritsa has many things to do -scuba diving, a boat ride, swimming, horse riding, sunbathing…, and it’s famous worldwide for the color of the sea. The crystal-clear emerald-blue waters of the Ionian are much more beautiful from close, and if you take a boat ride to see the secluded beaches and the caves, you will never forget the trip!
Paleokastritsa Monastery
The Theotókou Monastery in Paleokastritsa is a real Corfu must-see place among tourists. Its pastel-hued exterior, its lush gardens, and its breathtaking coastline location are enough to travel many centuries back in time. Founded during the 13th century and rebuilt after a fire, this monastery is inhabited by six monks. Their monastic life remains almost unaltered despite the thousands of visitors!
The Caves in Paleokastritsa are a Corfu Must-See!
There’s nothing like seeing the actual places where myths took place. If we believe what locals and tour guides tell us, Paleokastritsa is the place where Odysseas woke up after he shipwrecked, on his way back from Troy War toward his kingdom in Ithaca. They say that he met Princess Nausika, a smart royal who helped him back to her palace and her father’s, King Alcinous. Would you like to visit the cave where this story started? Take a boat ride to the caves and enjoy the captain’s tour description while you enter the magical place.
Paleokastritsa Beaches: Paradise Beach, Giali Beach, Kasteli, Rovinia, Limni…
If you have three hours to spare let me suggest the perfect plan: tell your captain to sail forward and take you to these incredible beaches. You can stay there for as long as you want, and he will come back to pick you up and take you back to the port. You can also rent a boat without skipper and do it yourself!
If you want to know more, visit this blog and learn about many of those paradisiac coves and beaches.
Natural Landmarks in Corfu you Cannot Miss: Canal D’Amour and Porto Timoni
The popular resort of Sidari is home to coastal sandstone cliffs that have slowly been eroded over time by wind and water into spectacular shapes. The Canal d’Amour remains its most famous, despite the rocky arch long since crumbled. If you’re looking for love, legend states that a swim through the turquoise-blue channel will help you find it. There are plenty of small coves with sandy beaches nearby too, that are ideal for sunbathing or snorkeling.
The Corfu Trail
If you’ve got sturdy lungs and love going for a good, long walk (and we do mean long!), then the Corfu Trail is for you. Covering 136 miles from one end of the island to the other, this trail can take from eight to 10 days to complete. As you set off on the waymarked trail, expect to take in a variety of landscapes from lagoons to massive summits. Just remember to pre-book your accommodation, pack your map, and don’t forget your bug repellent! There are highlights along the trail worth exploring by car or bike if you don’t have the time to walk, such as the ruined monastery of Panagía Arkoudíla and the beautiful Arkoudíla beach.
Must-See Diving Sites in Corfu
Corfu is known for being one of the best places in Greece to scuba dive, with dive sites around Paleokastrítsa, Othoní, and the Paxí islets, and the north-east coast is well worth a visit too. Explore Paleokastrítsa and you’ll take in the scenic canyon, sea cave, and schooling barracuda. Head to the dive site at Othoní to swim among the two wrecks and cave, while two more caves and a 40-meter wreck can be seen at Paxí. On the northeast coast, the popular Agní Reef has another 40-metre-deep wreck, soft coral, and fireworms. If you’re new to diving then why not add a PADI-approved class to your list of Corfu things to do?
Private Day Tours in Corfu
Check our Tours & Shore Excursions
Source: www.thomascook.com