Corfu beaches are one of the main attraction to the island. Depending on your preference, you may find that they range the gamut: from popular and crowded sandy resorts, to private coves to get away from it all. Better yet, if you have wheels, you can spend each day exploring a different beach!
Agios Georgios Pagon
- Name: Agios Georgios ton Pagon beach (Άγιος Γεώργιος των Πάγων)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 3/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 4/5
- Beach Berm: Sand
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Easy. Paved road all the way to the beach
- Amenities: Hotels and restaurants within walking distance
- Water Sports: Windsurfing, paddle boats, boat rentals, canoes
- Snorkeling: Ag. Georgios ton Pagon beach is sandy, but the nearby Porto Timoni beach is a good place for snorkeling
Agios Gordios
- Name: Agios Gordios (or Ai Gordis) beach (Άγιος Γόρδιος)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 4/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 4/5
- Beach Berm: Sand
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Good. Paved road all the way to the beach
- Amenities: Town, bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops within walking distance
- Notes: Agios Gordios is one of the best beaches of Corfu. If swimming is your main vacation activity, staying in one of the many hotels in town would be convenient.
Agios Stefanos Beach
- Name: Agios Stefanos beach (Παραλία Άγιος Στέφανος)
- Location: , Corfu island, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 3/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 4/5
- Beach Berm: Sand
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Easy. Paved road all the way to the beach
- Amenities: Town within walking distance
- Water Sports: Some
- Notes: This is a quiet beach with a naturist area in the far end that’s inconspicuous to the rest for the beach.
Glyfada Beach
- Name: Glyfada beach (Παραλια Γλυφάδα)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see Glyfada beach on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 4/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 4/5
- Beach Berm: Sand
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Paved road all the way to the beach. It’s best to park as soon as you get into town, otherwise you might be tangled in narrow streets near the beach. It’s hard to park or turn around as you approach the beach.
- Amenities: Town within walking distance and restaurants, bars, and cafes right on the beach
- Notes: Despite its expansive patch of sand, Glyfada beach can be very-very crowded during July and August.
Canal D’Amour, Sidari
- Name: Canal d’Amour and Sidari beach (Σιδάρι)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 2/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 1/5
- Beach Berm: Sand (of the “sticky” kind)
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Easy. The main road is near beach. You have to park in Sidari town and walk about 5 minutes to the coves.
- Amenities: Sunbeds, restaurants, cafes, and bars within walking distance
- Notes: Sidari’s coastline is one of the most picturesque in Greece.
If you want impressive pictures of unique rock formations to show your friends back home, Sidari might be a good place to visit. And if you are in the area, getting a bit of swimming done would not be a bad idea.
But if you are looking for a nice beach to spend the day (or holiday), there is no reason to go all the way to Sidari. Corfu has a lot better beaches to offer.
Canal d’ Amour “Beach” is one of the main attractions to the area. It used to feature a natural arch over the water, but it is long gone, and what remains is a narrow cove with a tiny sandy patch at its end.
Canal d’Amour, along with the other little coves in the immediate vicinity are a nice place to take pictures, but the water is too murky for enjoyable swimming.
A multitude of hotels and bars are built right on top of the coastline, making it feel a bit too crowded. Most of them offer their swimming pool to anyone who orders drinks, so if you are only there for the scenery, you can always cool off by the pool.
The nearby Sidari town beach is more expansive, but the huge crowds and the soft sand makes the water too murky for enjoyment.
Kalami Beach (Durrell’s beach)
- Name: Kalami beach (Παραλία Καλάμι)
- Location: Corfu island, Greece
Click here to see Kalami beach on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 3/5
- Our Rating of What the Water Feels Like: 4/5
- Beach Berm: Shingle
- Seafloor: Shingle and Rock
- Access: Good. Paved road all the way to the beach. Parking near the beach
- Amenities: Small town within walking distance. Parasols and sun beds are available for a fee, and there is a restaurant right on the beach.
- RV / Camper Accessibility: Road is too narrow to get to the beach, and parking would be a serious issue
- Water Sports: Waterski, boat rentals
- Snorkeling: Good snorkeling both on the beach and the rocky shore that flanks it
- Notes: Kalami beach is a very nice spot to swim at. The water felt amazingly good during our visit, and the only drawback is that the beach itself is a bit too crowded.
The surrounding landscape is really beautiful, with lush tree covering and a rugged coastline. Development has been tastefully done and buildings appear to fit into the landscape.
The only reason we rated Kalami beach 3 instead of a 4/5 is because we found the shingles a bit hard to walk on (keep your beach shoes handy), because the parasols are too close together, and because there are a few too many boats that inject noise into the air.
If you are staying in the northeast part of Corfu, Kalami beach is definetly worth a visit. But if your hotel is in another part of the island, you would probably find the road there a bit too tedious and long.
But this is also a blessing for the beach. Large crowds from other parts of the island avoid going to Kalami on day trips, precisely because it’s a long way to drive.
It takes about one hour to get to it from Corfu town. The last part of the trip, after turning toward Kalami from the main road is very narrow, and winding.
It would be best to park before entering the village because there the road narrows even more and you would have to backup every time you encounter a car coming in the opposite direction and search for a clearing that can snuggly fit both cars.
We would say you drove too far if you went past the Kalami Beach Taverna, located right at the start of the village.
There is a small parking lot right at the entrance of the beach, but it’s usually full by mid-morning.
Where to Stay and Eat: We found the entire area around Kalami to be a very nice place to stay in Corfu, albeit isolated from the rest of the island due to the narrow roads.
The entire village of Kalami seems to have been converted to apartments for rent, but early reservations are in order for the ones closer to the waterfront.
In terms of dining, “The Durrel’s: The White House Restaurant” is a good choice for dining.
The restaurant is a 5-minute walk from the beach. You will find plenty of tables right next to the water, the service is good, and the food excellent–albeit a bit pricey in concert with the rest of the Kalami area.
One added point of interest is that The Durrells used the building as one of their residences during their stay in Corfu 60 years ago.
The author Gerrald Durrell wrote about his experience there in his popular book My Family and Other Animals.
According to the restaurant’s website, the building was used in numerous scenes for “The Durrells in Corfu”, a contemporary ITV series that is loosely based on the aforementioned book.
Marathias Beach
- Name: Marathias beach (Μαραθιάς)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 3/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 3/5
- Beach Berm: Sand (of the “sticky” kind)
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Good. Paved road all the way to the beach. Ample parking near the beach
- Amenities: Restaurants, hotels, bars, cafes within walking distance
- Notes: Marathias is a nice and large beach that does not get very crowded.
Liapades Beach
- Name: Liapades beach (Λιαπάδες)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 3/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 4/5
- Beach Berm: Sand
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Good. Paved road all the way to the beach
- Amenities: Restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and town within walking distance
Myrtidiotissa Beach
- Name: Myrtidiotissa (or Myrtiotissa) beach (Παραλία Μυρτιώτισσα, ή Μυρτιώτισσα)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see Myrtiotissa beach on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 3/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 4/5
- Beach Berm: Soft golden sand
- Seafloor: Sand
- Access: Very hard. The last mile to the beach is dangerously steep. It’s paved with rough cement, and the gravel on top of it make it slippery on the descent. It’s best to park near the taverna or the monastery and walk down to the beach. If you decided to drive down, be prepared for white knuckles!
- Amenities: There is a make-shift kiosk that rents out the sunbeams and sells drinks
- Notes: Myrtiotissa beach used to be one of the best swimming spots in corfu, but over the years storms washed away the largest patch of sand on the northern end.
Myrtiotissa is a “clothing optional” beach. You will see more naturists than “textiles” mingling casually in very close quarters as the beach gets very crowded after 10 am. Early morning and sunset are probably the best times to be there.
The beach takes its name from the nearby 16th century Monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Myrtidiotissa.
Paleokastritsa Beach
- Name: Paleokastritsa beach (Παραλία Παλεοκαστρίτσα)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 2/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 4/5
- Beach Berm: Sand
- Seafloor: Sand and some rocks
- Access: Easy. The main road ends at the beach and there are is a large parking lot behind it.
- Amenities: Water taxis and day-cruises to other beaches and coves in Paleokastritsa coast. Shops and restaurants within walking distance
- Notes: The main beach is a good place to swim if you don’t have the time for a day-cruise to the more secluded beaches and sea caves in the vicinity.
However, it’s too close to the main road and it gets too crowded for comfort. The water is very clean and crisp, however, and you can combine it with a visit to the nearby monastery.
Porto Timoni Beach
Arguably, Porto Timoni beach is very photogenic. If you are looking for photos and “selfies” to impress your friends, the site fits the bill perfectly. If you are looking for a secluded beach, you will be disappointed.
- Name: Porto Timoni Beach (Παραλια Πόρτο Τιμόνι)
- Location: Corfu island
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 3/5
- Our Rating of What the Water Feels Like: 3/5
- Beach Berm: Shingle
- Seafloor: Rocks
- Access: By boat or by a 20-min very rough hike
- Amenities: None. Bring your own food and water
- RV / Camper Accessibility: Not suitable for RV access
- Water Sports: None on this beach, but plenty on the nearby Ag. Geogios ton Pagon beach.
- Snorkeling: Good snorkeling site with sea life and a tiny cave to explore on the east beach
- Notes: The beach is quiet only before 10 am when maybe a handful of people occupy opposite ends of both beaches. After mid-morning, the twin beaches get really crowded with people who hike down the rough goat path and boats of all kinds that arrive from the nearby Ag. Georgios ton Pagon beach.
The beaches themselves are not very comfortable. You will find the rough shingle and sharp rocks a bit too much for bare feet, and if you want to enjoy the tiny sandy patch, you have to contend yourself with a very tightly packed crowd.
It is a nice place to snorkel, though, so bring your mask and fins and explore the rocky bottom and the tiny sea cavern that are full of fish and other sea life.
If you are looking for a hike to get some exercise, you might be content with the fairly rough–and at times steep–goat path that leads to Porto Timoni.
For the hike there, we highly recommend athletic shoes (though we saw some miserable hikers negotiating the rough terrain in flip-flops), and an early arrival before 9:00 AM. Then head back out after the crowds arrive around 10:00. After 11:00 in the morning, the beach gets ridiculously crowded in late July and August.
Porto Timoni beach is worth a visit for the novelty of the double sandy patch, perhaps with a canoe, paddle boat, or even water taxi.
But if you just want to enjoy swimming, the expansive sandy beach of Ag. Geogrios ton Pagon is a much better option.
Where to Stay: The nearby town of Afionas is the nearest place to the beach. You will enjoy it if you want to get away from it all and be relatively isolated during your vacation. The goat path to it begins at the small square right behind the church.
For more entertainment and options, you can find plenty of accommodations at the nearby Agios Georgios ton Pagon resort town. It has many more rooms, hotels, and a very long and wide sandy beach with watersports and beach-front restaurants.
Rovinia Beach
- Name: Rovinia beach (Ροβίνια)
- Location: Corfu, Greece
Click here to see it on the map and to get directions - Overall Rating: 4/5
- Joy Index (What the Water Felt Like): 5/5
- Beach Berm: Shingle
- Seafloor: Shingle and rocks
- Access: There is no paved road to the beach. You can reach it by boat, or you can hike for about 20 minutes after parking on the dirt road (map).
- Amenities: None. Bring your own food and water
- Snorkeling: Nice snorkeling site around the rocks on the beach ends
- Notes: Rovinia is one the best beaches we visited in Corfu. Well, at least it was for a couple of hours.
The water is probably the coldest we have experienced in Greece (a trademark of all the beaches in around Paleokastritsa), but after taking the plunge it felt invigorating!
We would give it our highest rating (5/5) if it weren’t , but around 11 am several small boats arrive and unload huge crowds on the small beach.
There is a nice little cave on the southern end, and the rocks are a good place for snorkeling.
Other Corfu Beaches
