Where to stay in Corfu
Corfu is a long island, about sixty kilometers from end to end, and its main town sits on a small peninsula on the east coast, facing Albania. The Old Town is a compact Venetian, French and British town of stone lanes and arcades, and nearly everything you will visit as a visitor is within a twenty-minute walk of it. The beaches and the villages are elsewhere, along the coast and across the hills, so the real choice is between sleeping in town and walking, or sleeping near a beach and taking a bus or a taxi in. This guide covers the town and the places close enough to use as a base for it. Almost everything runs from April to October, and many resort hotels and restaurants shut for the winter.
The short answer
- First trip
- The Old Town for the lanes and the food, or the Spianada side for sea views and a quieter night.
- Couples
- The Old Town in a restored house, or the Spianada for the view.
- Families
- Garitsa Bay and Mon Repos for flat streets and a pebble beach, or Gouvia for a resort with a pool.
- Tight budget
- San Rocco and the new town, then Garitsa.
- Nightlife
- The Old Town lanes have bars until late. The island's big party resorts are on the coast, an hour or more away, and are the wrong base for a town trip.
How we judge an area of Corfu: the walk to the Old Town, the noise at night, how you get in and out, and the price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Corfu's areas, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Liston and the Spianada | Old Fortress | Airport | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Old Town | Atmosphere, sights, food | Mixed: loud on the main lanes | 5 min | 15 min | 40 min | Taxi to the edge, walking | €€ |
| The Spianada and the Old Fortress side | Views, easy walking | Quiet, with some events | 5 min | 5 min | 40 min | Walking, taxis | €€€ |
| San Rocco and the new town | Budgets, transport | Busy by day, quiet at night | 10 min | 20 min | 30 min | City buses, walking | € |
| Garitsa Bay and Mon Repos | Families, flat walking | Lively on the front, quiet behind | 20 min | 20 min | 30 min | Walking, city buses | €€ |
| Kanoni | Quiet, airport | Quiet | 60 min | over an hour | 25 min | City bus, taxi, 15 minutes | €€ |
| Gastouri | Quiet, villas | Very quiet | over an hour | over an hour | 50 min | Car or taxi | €€ |
| Gouvia and Kontokali | Resort stays, families | Lively on the front | over an hour | over an hour | over an hour | City bus, 30 minutes | €€€ |
The walking columns are the straight line from the middle of each area plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes, so they show how far apart things are, not what to do. Where a walk would take over an hour, that is what it says: Gastouri and Gouvia are for the bus or a taxi. The airport column shows the distance to the terminal, not a way to go. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it.
Where the areas are
The Old Town, for stone lanes and food at the door
The UNESCO-listed town of Venetian houses, narrow lanes and small squares, with the sights, the restaurants and the market within a few minutes.
The Old Town is why most people come to Corfu Town. Hotels are restored townhouses, often with a courtyard or a roof terrace and ten to twenty rooms, and you walk out of the door into the lanes known as the kantounia, past churches, tavernas and shops. The Liston, the New Fortress and the market are all within ten minutes, and the evenings, once the day visitors have gone, are the town at its best.
The price is noise, stairs and luggage. Cars cannot enter most lanes, so taxis stop at the edge and you wheel a case over stone, and some houses have no lift. Lanes near the main restaurant streets and bars are loud into the night in July and August, and when cruise ships dock the lanes near Agios Spyridon are crowded from late morning. Ask for a room that faces a courtyard or a quiet lane, and ask how far the taxi will get you from the door.
Good for
- Sleeping in a historic town with the sights at the door
- Walking to dinner and the market
- Quiet courtyards behind busy lanes
Think twice if
- You have heavy luggage or limited mobility
- You want a beach in front of the hotel
- Noise from restaurants and bars will bother you
Staying in The Old Town: nearby sights, food and getting around
The Spianada, for open space and the sea
The green esplanade, the Liston arcade and the waterfront below the Old Fortress, a short walk from the lanes and a good deal quieter at night.
The Spianada is one of the largest squares in Greece, a long green space between the Old Town and the sea, with the Liston arcade down one side and the Old Fortress at the far end. Hotels along the edge and on the streets behind look onto the park or the water. You are five minutes from the heart of the lanes, you get light and air that the Old Town does not have, and the evening promenade is a pleasure.
The cafes on the Liston charge for the setting, and the road along the sea front carries traffic, so choose a room on the side that faces the park or a back street. There are concerts and events on the Spianada in summer, which means music late on some nights. There are fewer ordinary shops and restaurants here than in the lanes, so you walk a few minutes for most meals.
Good for
- Open views and a calm morning walk
- The Old Town five minutes away
- A flatter walk with fewer steps than the lanes
Think twice if
- You want a tavern on every corner
- Summer concerts and events would bother you
Staying in The Spianada and the Old Fortress side: nearby sights, food and getting around
San Rocco, for lower prices and the bus station
The plain streets of the modern town south west of the Old Town, with the main city bus stops, shops and cheaper rooms.
San Rocco Square and the streets around it are the busy modern center, just outside the Old Town. The city buses stop here, there are supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies and ordinary Greek cafes, and hotels and apartments cost less than inside the Old Town. The Spianada is about ten minutes' walk, and the Old Town lanes start at the edge of the square.
It has little of the Old Town's charm, with concrete blocks, traffic and some tired streets. Roads near the square are noisy during the day, and a few streets are rowdy late. Pick a recently renovated hotel on a side street, and do not expect a view. It works as a base when price or bus access matters more than looks.
Good for
- Lower prices and everyday shops
- Buses and taxis close by
- A short walk into the Old Town
Think twice if
- You want charm on your doorstep
- Traffic noise will bother you
Staying in San Rocco and the new town: nearby sights, food and getting around
Garitsa Bay, for the shore south of the fortress
A residential stretch along the bay south of the Old Fortress, with seafront cafes, a promenade, and the park and pebble beach at Mon Repos.
Garitsa Bay curves round south of the Old Fortress, with a wide promenade, a line of seafront cafes and tavernas, and apartment hotels set back from the road. Streets are flat, so it suits families and anyone who dislikes cobbles, and Mon Repos park and its small pebble beach are about a twenty-minute walk south. The Spianada and the Old Town are ten to twenty-five minutes away on foot, and it is easy to walk in for dinner.
The seafront road carries traffic, and the cafes by the bay are busy at night in summer. The beach at Mon Repos is small and stony, not a resort beach, and in July and August it fills. It is a place to sleep and walk from, not a destination, so you will go into the Old Town for most of the day.
Good for
- Flat streets and a sea walk on your doorstep
- Families and light packers
- A swim at Mon Repos
Think twice if
- You want to be inside the lanes after dark
- You want a big sandy beach
Staying in Garitsa Bay and Mon Repos: nearby sights, food and getting around
Kanoni, for the view of Mouse Island
A residential peninsula beside the airport, with the Vlacherna monastery, Mouse Island and a string of small hotels, about four kilometers from the Old Town.
Kanoni is the peninsula south of the town, next to the airport, where the Vlacherna monastery stands on a causeway and Mouse Island sits just off the shore. Small hotels and apartments sit among gardens and cafes, there is sea on three sides, and evenings are calm. Taxis and the city bus run to the Old Town in about fifteen minutes, and a short transfer from the airport makes it handy for an early or late flight.
It is not a place to walk from. The Old Town is a long walk of over an hour, so you take a bus or a taxi for dinner, and the last buses are not late. Planes land and take off close by, and you will hear them, mainly in the day. Beyond the causeway and its viewpoint there is little to do, and the sea is shallow and stony in places.
Good for
- Quiet evenings and views of the monastery
- A short transfer to the airport
- A calmer base with a car or taxis
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the Old Town
- Aircraft noise would bother you
Gastouri, for a village above the coast
A hillside village about ten kilometers south of the Old Town, home to the Achilleion palace and a few quiet villas and hotels.
Gastouri is a village on the hill south of Corfu Town, known for the Achilleion palace, with olive groves, villas with pools and quiet roads. It suits a stay of several nights with a rental car, when the Old Town is a dinner or a day out rather than the whole trip. Nights are silent and the air is cooler than in town.
It is not walkable to anything but its own few tavernas, and the bus into town is infrequent. Without a car you depend on taxis, which cost more here. Tour coaches arrive at the palace during the day, though the village is calm by evening.
Good for
- Quiet nights and olive groves
- A villa with a pool
- Achilleion at your doorstep
Think twice if
- You have no car
- You want restaurants and bars within walking distance
Gouvia, for a resort with a pool
A bay with a marina and a row of large resort hotels, about eight kilometers north west of the Old Town, and the nearest real resort base.
Gouvia is the closest of the resort bays, with a marina, a pebble beach, large hotels with pools and half-board, and tavernas and bars along the front. City buses run to the Old Town in about half an hour, and the airport is about a twenty-minute drive. It suits families and anyone who wants a resort holiday with a couple of days in town.
Gouvia is not a walkable base for the town: the Old Town is over an hour on foot, and the last buses back are not late. The beach is shingle, the bay is sheltered rather than scenic, and in summer it is crowded with package visitors. The strip along the road can be loud at night.
Good for
- Resort hotels with pools
- Families who want a day or two in town
- A marina and a beach on the doorstep
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the Old Town
- You want a quiet, local feel
Staying in Gouvia and Kontokali: nearby sights, food and getting around
Where not to stay in Corfu, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Corfu. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- The north east coast, as a base for the Old Town
Dassia, Ipsos and Barbati are resort strips about twelve to twenty kilometers from the Old Town, with beaches and bars. They are fine for a beach week, but the bus to town takes half an hour or more and is not frequent. Choose a town area for a city break and visit the coast by bus or taxi for a day.
- A room in the Old Town that is 'central' with no other detail
Some rooms are above restaurant lanes, and some are small and dark on the ground floor. Ask which floor, what faces the window and what is below it.
- The west coast as a town base
Paleokastritsa, Agios Gordios and the beaches on that side are beautiful, but they are twenty-five to forty kilometers from town over winding roads. They are a day trip, not a base for Corfu Town. Stay in town and drive over for the day.
- A hotel with a long carry from the taxi
Many Old Town hotels are down lanes where cars cannot go. Ask where the taxi stops and how far the walk is before you book.
- Traveling in winter and expecting resorts to be open
Many resort hotels, beach bars and boat trips close from November to March. Check opening dates before you book out of season.
Which area suits you
First time in Corfu
Stay in the Old Town, or the Spianada side if you want more light and quiet.
Couples
The Old Town in a restored house, or the Spianada for the view.
Families with children
Garitsa Bay for flat streets and a beach, or Gouvia for a resort with a pool.
Quiet
Kanoni, Gastouri or the Spianada.
Flights at odd hours
Kanoni, a few minutes from the terminal.
Before you book a room in Corfu
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Corfu makes a good stay. Bus fares and timetables change by season, so check them locally.
- The climate resilience feeGreece charges a fee per room per night, not per guest, paid at the hotel and usually not in the online price. From April to October it is €2 at a one or two-star hotel, €5 at three stars, €10 at four and €15 at five; from November to March it is €0.50, €1.50, €3 and €4. Short-term rentals pay by type and size, and the rate is the same on every island.
- From the airportThe airport is about three kilometers south of the Old Town. The blue city bus line 15 runs from the airport to the town and the port, in about ten to twenty minutes, and you pay the driver a fare of a couple of euros. A taxi from the rank outside the terminal takes about the same time and is usually quoted at around €15 to €20, so agree the fare before you get in.
- From the portFerries and fast boats use the port on the north side of the Old Town, a ten to fifteen-minute walk from most Old Town hotels and a short taxi ride from the others.
- Walking and stairsThe Old Town is cobbled, with steps, and most lanes have no car access. Wheeled cases are hard work, so ask your hotel where a taxi can stop and whether staff will help.
- CarsYou do not need a car for the town. You need one, or taxis and bus days, for the west coast, Gastouri and the mountain villages. Parking inside the Old Town is not realistic.
- BusesBlue city buses serve the town and nearby suburbs. Green KTEL buses serve the rest of the island from a different station, and run less often on Sundays and in winter.
- SeasonApril to October is the season. In July and August it is hot and full, and cruise ships fill the lanes near the port. From November many resort hotels and restaurants close, and the island is wetter.
Where to stay in Corfu: questions people ask
What is the best area to stay in Corfu for a first visit?
The Old Town if you want to walk to the sights, the food and the market and can manage cobbles. The Spianada side is calmer, with more light and a park, and still a few minutes from the lanes.
Is it better to stay in Corfu Town or by a beach?
In town if the Old Town is why you came, since you can walk everywhere. By a beach, such as Gouvia or the west coast, if swimming matters most, and then you take a bus or a taxi into town.
Is Kanoni a good place to stay?
It is quiet and green, with views of the monastery and Mouse Island, and it is close to the airport. It is about four kilometers from the Old Town, so you rely on a bus or a taxi in the evening.
Where should I stay in Corfu if I have no car?
The Old Town, the Spianada side, San Rocco or Garitsa Bay. All are in town, with buses and taxis close. Gastouri and the resort bays are much easier with a car.
Can I stay in Corfu Town and see the island?
Yes. Corfu Town is a good base for day trips by bus, boat or a rental car, though the west coast needs a long day. Many visitors stay in town and make one or two excursions.
How much is the climate fee in Corfu?
It is charged per room per night, not per person: from April to October €2 at one and two-star hotels, €5 at three stars, €10 at four and €15 at five. It is paid at the hotel, usually on top of the price shown online.
How do I get from Corfu airport to the Old Town?
By blue city bus line 15, which goes to the town and the port, or by taxi from the rank outside the terminal. The airport is about three kilometers away, so either takes ten to twenty minutes.
