Corfu (Kerkyra) (Κέρκυρα (Kerkyra)) — Travel Guide

Corfu (Kerkyra) (Ionian Islands)

Corfu (Κέρκυρα), the northernmost jewel of the Ionian Islands, looks and feels unlike anywhere else in the Aegean. Sheltered for four centuries under the Republic of Venice (1386–1797) and later embellished by French and British protectors, UNESCO-listed Corfu Old Town is an aristocratic tapestry of pastel multi-story Venetian kantounia alleys, arcaded Parisian-style cafés along the Liston, a British cricket pitch on the lush Spianada Esplanade, and two monumental sea fortresses jutting into the Ionian Sea.

Outside the capital, over three million centuries-old olive trees and towering Italian cypresses blanket a mountainous coastline indented with emerald-green bays at Paleokastritsa, Venetian fishing harbors like Kassiopi and Agni, and deserted mountain villages like Old Perithia.

Wat te Zien & Doen

• UNESCO Corfu Old Town, Liston Arcade & Spianada — Essential landmark and highlight in Corfu (Kerkyra) (Ionian Islands).
• Old & New Venetian Fortresses (€10) — Essential landmark and highlight in Corfu (Kerkyra) (Ionian Islands).
• Paleokastritsa Six Emerald Bays & 13th-Century Monastery — Essential landmark and highlight in Corfu (Kerkyra) (Ionian Islands).
• Vlacherna Monastery, Mouse Island (Pontikonisi) & Mon Repos — Essential landmark and highlight in Corfu (Kerkyra) (Ionian Islands).
• Angelokastro Byzantine Castle & Porto Timoni Twin Beach — Essential landmark and highlight in Corfu (Kerkyra) (Ionian Islands).
• Northeast Coast (Kassiopi, Kalami & Old Perithia) — Essential landmark and highlight in Corfu (Kerkyra) (Ionian Islands).

Wijken & Buurten

Lokale Keuken & Specialiteiten

• Corfiot cuisine reflects 400 years of Venetian spice trade: order pastitsada (rooster or beef braised in cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and tomato wine sauce over thick tubular pasta), sofrito (pan-seared veal in white wine, garlic, and parsley), bourdeto (spicy red scorpionfish stew), and finish with kumquat liqueur or chilled Corfiot gingerbeer (tsitsibira).

Openbaar Vervoer

Arrival: 1-hour flight from Athens (ATH) to Corfu Ioannis Kapodistrias Airport (CFU) just 3 km from Corfu Old Town, or a 1h 15m ferry from Igoumenitsa on the Epirus mainland (€6–€11 foot passenger).

Getting Around: Blue City Buses link the Airport, Port, Liston/San Rocco Square, Achilleion, and Kanoni (€1.70 ticket at kiosk). Green KTEL buses serve Paleokastritsa, Kassiopi, and Sidari (€2.50–€4.50); rent a car or boat to explore northeast coves.

Lokale Tips & Etiquette

• If you visit during Orthodox Easter (Pascha), book 6 months ahead to witness Saturday morning's 'Botides' tradition, when residents hurl thousands of water-filled red clay amphorae from Old Town balconies onto the streets.
• Take a day excursion by hydrofoil from Corfu Port south to the tiny turquoise islands of Paxos and Antipaxos (55 minutes).
• West coast water at Paleokastritsa is refreshingly cool even in July and August, while the sheltered east coast bays around Kalami and Kassiopi are 2–3°C warmer.