Best Things to Do in Corfu, Greece

Walk Liston Promenade - Then Find the Cricket Pitch Next Door

⏱️ 8 min read

Liston is the wide, arcaded promenade the French built in Corfu Town during their brief occupation, modeled on the rue de Rivoli in Paris. Most visitors stop here for coffee and move on. Walk one block further onto Spianada Square and you find something almost nobody expects on a Greek island: a working cricket pitch, laid out by the British in the early 1800s and still used by the Byzantine Cricket Club today. It is the only one in Greece, and it tells you more about Corfu's layered history than any plaque does.

Just behind Liston, on the headland separating the old and new ports, sits the Old Fortress - a Venetian and later British stronghold that has guarded Corfu Town since the 16th century. Climb to the upper terrace and the view stretches across both harbors at once, sailboats included.

Planning your Corfu itinerary? Start with our complete Corfu destination guide for an overview of the island's regions, beaches, and logistics.

Achilleion Palace and the Mouse Island Myth

Achilleion Palace sits in the village of Gastouri, reached by a road that winds through olive, orange and lemon groves before the palace appears. Empress Elisabeth of Austria - Sisi - built it in 1890 as her escape from court life in Vienna, obsessed enough with the myth of Achilles that the gardens are dominated by a towering statue of the Wounded Achilles, spear still in hand.

From the palace, the road continues to Kanoni, where the view opens onto Pontikonisi - Mouse Island - sitting in the lagoon below. Local legend says it is the petrified ship that carried Odysseus home, turned to stone by Poseidon. The tiny Byzantine chapel at its center only opens to visitors once a year, on August 6th, but the view from the Kanoni cliffside is worth the stop on any day.

Paleokastritsa and the View From Lakones

Paleokastritsa earns its nickname, the Capri of Greece - a series of emerald coves cut into the cliffs of the northwest coast, with a Byzantine monastery perched above the water since the 13th century. Most tour buses stop at the beach and turn back. The village of Lakones, a short drive up the hillside, is known locally as God's Balcony for a reason: from there, the whole bay opens out below in a single uninterrupted view that the beach itself never gives you.

Step Back Into the 1930s at Danilia Village

Danilia is a built replica of a 1930s Corfiot village, complete with a church, a working kafeneio, and stone houses arranged around two open squares. It sounds like a tourist trap on paper, and most visitors who skip it assume that is what it is. It is also where the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only" was shot, and more recently a filming location for the ITV series "The Durrells" - which is part of why it photographs the way it does, without a single visible concession to the 21st century.

Our Danilia Village and Old Town tour pairs the two in one afternoon - the staged charm of Danilia and the genuine streets of Corfu's old town, back to back.

Eat Like a Corfiot, Not Like a Cruise Passenger

Corfiot food carries a Venetian accent that the rest of Greece does not have - pastitsada, a slow-braised beef in tomato and spice sauce, and sofrito, garlic-and-vinegar veal, both trace back to centuries of Venetian rule. The British left their own mark too: tsitsibira, a homemade ginger beer, is still poured in old town cafés exactly as it was under the protectorate. Corfu is also the only place in Greece that produces kumquat liqueur, made from a small citrus fruit introduced from Asia that somehow only ever took root here.

The best way to taste all of it is on foot. Our walking food tour in Corfu starts at the Old Fortress and winds through the kantounia alleys of the old town, stopping at family-run spots that do not appear on any cruise excursion map.

Beyond the Postcards - The Beaches Locals Actually Pick

Corfu's coastline changes character every few kilometers. Sidari, on the north coast, is known for the Canal d'Amour - sandstone formations carved into narrow channels by the sea, with sheltered swimming coves on either side. Glyfada, on the west coast, is the one with the liveliest beach bar scene, good for an afternoon rather than a quiet morning. Agios Gordios, further south, trades the crowds for a long sweep of sand backed by green hills, with some of the best sunset views on the island.

The northeast coast in particular is easier to appreciate by boat than by road, where cliffs and coves replace the wide sandy beaches of the west side. Our private cruise to Corfu's northeast beaches reaches stretches of coastline that no road actually touches.

How to See Corfu Without Losing a Day to Logistics

Corfu's main sights are spread across the island rather than clustered in one town, and public buses do not reach Paleokastritsa or Danilia on any practical schedule. A private driver solves this cleanly - Achilleion in the morning, Paleokastritsa by midday, back in Corfu Town for dinner, all without anyone in the group navigating mountain roads.

Arriving by cruise ship? Our private Corfu shore excursions are timed around your ship's schedule, with pickup directly from the port.

Frequently Asked Questions - Things to Do in Corfu

How many days do you need in Corfu?

Three days covers Corfu Town, Achilleion Palace, and one beach day. A week lets you add Paleokastritsa, Lakones, and the northern beaches around Sidari without rushing between them.

Is Corfu worth visiting beyond the beaches?

Yes - Achilleion Palace alone draws history lovers, the old town's Venetian architecture rewards a slow walk, and the food culture, shaped by both Venetian and British rule, is unlike anywhere else in Greece. The beaches are a bonus, not the only reason to come.

What is the best time to visit Corfu?

May, June, and September. Warm enough for the beaches at Glyfada and Agios Gordios, and noticeably greener and cooler than the Cyclades thanks to Corfu's Ionian climate, even in peak summer.

Can you visit Achilleion Palace and Paleokastritsa on the same day?

Yes - they sit on opposite sides of the island but a private driver can comfortably link both in a single day, typically Achilleion and Kanoni in the morning, Paleokastritsa and Lakones in the afternoon.

Is Corfu good for families?

Very. The Achilles statue and the Mouse Island legend both engage kids, Danilia Village feels like a film set they can walk through, and Glyfada's organized beach setup makes a full day with children far easier than Corfu's quieter coves.

This guide is for you if:

• You want more out of Corfu than a beach towel and a sunset photo
• You are curious about Achilleion Palace but want the actual story behind it
• You would rather eat where the kantounia alleys lead than where the harbor view is
• You arrived by cruise ship and have one day to make it count
• You want to see Paleokastritsa from a viewpoint, not just the beach
• You prefer villages with real history over staged photo stops

If any of these sound familiar, you are in the right place.