It turns out there’s a lot that rhymes with Corfu.
From the “sea that’s blue” to the “I’m here with you”, the list for trivial lyrics is almost as irrevocable as it is infinite when it comes to this Greek island.
Or so it felt, as we drove around Corfu in our rental car discovering just about every inch of its north while making up ridiculous rhymes.
We chose the north simply because it was in the opposite direction to Kavas – the notorious nightlife spot that, as meandering middle-agers, we were very keen to avoid.
So we reckoned the north had to be the more civilised part of the island – quieter, calmer, cooler.
Were we right?
To be honest, I still have no idea!
The thing is, if you never go to Corfu’s southern stretches, it’s hard to make comparisons, but we definitely found a few less developed bays, walk and lookouts that kept us more than entertained for 5 days in Corfu’s nourishing north.
The us here being me and my loyal long term friend Dave.
We’d met in Nicaragua some 14 years ago when I was living there, barefoot and fancy-free, and Dave was passing through with a backpack touting a similar vibe.
And we’ve been friends ever since.
So, because we’re both single, increasingly senior and one of us is sober, the chilled European holidays are far more our game these days than the rip-roaring rampages of Central America.
We chose Corfu simply because it was cheap.
Located under 4 hours from the UK, it’s the most northerly Greek island and can be found a mere stone’s throw away from Albania in the glistening Adriatic.
Shorter air times usually equal smaller price tags, and so Corfu was locked in for a bargain flight price.
Car hire was snapped up for a similar steal – only £11 a day – a deal mostly down to the fact I’ve got third party excess cover (and refuse to keep quiet about it being one of my top budget travel tips!)
And then we held out until the last minute on accommodation, waiting a week before our departure to grab a half price Airbnb, which turned out to be a 3 double-bedroomed house complete with rambling gardens and mountain views for just 70€ a night.
It’s amazing where being slightly disorganised can land you sometimes!
So with everything locked in for under £500, it seemed silly not to do Corfu.
After touchdown, we headed straight to Palaiokastritsa.
Several people had recommended it and, while it was quite built up in parts, we found the amazing rocky oceanside bar of La Grotta, where we could bed down with locals and trendy young tourists to sip cocktails and watch the cliff jumpers, the perfect red eye flight tonic.
The tunes were playing and the thong bikinis were in full force, but somehow it felt good.
Salty and sun-drenched, we managed to last until an early taverna dinner that did us a solid first day Greek salad, and then hit the hay.
Day 2 greeted us with more energy and wall to wall sun, so it was off early for a hike, before the UV chased us into the shade.
Porto Timoni is a stunning headland peninsula that juts out of northwestern Corfu and offers secluded sandy coves accessible only by feet or boat.
From our accommodation we could walk all the way there – first cross-country to Agios Georgios beach, before ascending the rocky cliff face for epic views, and then cascading our way down to the preserved peninsula.
Brambly trails, sweaty shorts and salty swims were very much the order of the day, as we lounged on the small sandy inlets surrounded by pine forests and a scattering of bright parasols.
For dinner, we scurried back up to the cliff to the village of Afionas – a malty local beer at at the glamorously named Canteen was the first stop (as any good hiker will know, the ramshackle bars with sunset headland views are the best!), before it was on to Restaurant Pergola for a fab meal of Corfu classics – the sort of place where you have to wander into the family kitchen to see what’s on the menu today.
Day 3 took us on more hiking adventures, this time up to Cape Drastic in the top corner of the island, before we swung across the north in search of more charming coves.
Unfortunately the north stretch of Corfu was not quite as alluring as we hoped, rather a sort of Kavas 2.0, so we aborted mission, made up a rhyme and headed to inland to the deserted village of Peritheia instead.
Stopping for a coffee amongst the atmospheric ruins, a sign for the Corfu Trail alerted me to the long distance island trail – “another thing to do in Corfu”, we gleefully sung like children full of sugar, as I hastily added it to my forever growing bucket list of trails.
With dinner beckoning, we then drove on to another mountain village, this one inhabited and called Doukades.
Sat in the central square, sipping a cool beer, local children kicked a football around our tables, while their adult counterparts watched on over the brims of their aperitifs, cigarettes and games of dominos, before directing us to fava beans the size of my head at Taverna Elizabeth.
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We continued eating our way around Corfu on day 4 with a stop at local Melisito Bakery; we pretended it was for the panoramic viewpoint, but really the amazing spanakopita had us in its spinachy grasps!
Which meant it was then probably time to do some walking and burn a little off.
Yet to explore the north east of the island, we headed there and were delighted to find a national reserve criss-crossed by pine forest trails and nudist pebbly coves at the end of them.
Aside from a few yachts floating in the bay, who were discretely ignoring the floating naked humans in the water, there’s was no one to be seen.
It was the perfect intro to the corner of Corfu I’d probably make a beeline for if I returned.
At the risk of sounding like a boring bouji boatie, it seemed to boast the best restaurants, the nicest apartments and the most refined beachy stretches we’d encountered so far.
Well aside from Corfu town that is, which rounded off our time on the island.
The UNESCO gem that is the historic centre was the perfect place to re-enter civilisation.
Its cobbled streets, filled with boutiques and cafes, thronged with life in the evening after the heat of the day had finally died down and cast a new magical light on the Greek island.
Lazy days were spent at the water’s edge of Faliraki, cooling down with the sea-dipping locals, grabbing lunch in the shady fresh food market and heading to explore the city’s historic castles, trying to desperately keep cool within their stone walls, which have been protecting the city’s temperatures and stories for hundreds of years.
The final food foray was definitely worth waiting, as we tucked into the best meal of the trip so far at the magnificent Mariana’s Taverna.
Like all best things, it was a chance find, but the tables filled with Greek-speakers seemed like a strong indication it would be a good one.
Full to bursting from the incredible traditional flavours we’d devoured across a myriad of small plates, we still had to make room for a gelato from Solo Gelato where again, we followed our eyes, believing the queues out the door were a sign of the best ice cream in town.
Success!
Then it was back, just round the corner, to our cosy studio apartment in the heart of the Old Town, where we gleefully added the final verse to our song… “Corfu, what they say is true, you really are the place to chew with a view”.
Genius at work I tell you!
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Mini Travel Guide to Corfu
When to Visit?
I think the best time is either the months of May, September or October.
How Long to Spend There?
I’d advise a stay of 5-7 nights.
How to Travel There?
Corfu has one international airport (CFU) with budget airline arrivals from destinations around Europe – check out Skyscanner to compare prices.
Ferries to Corfu Town are also available from Brindisi in Italy and Albania.
How to Get Around?
Car hire is best to get around, although a local bus network is surprisingly good!
Where to Stay?
We stayed at Studio Theotoki 2 in Corfu Town – cosy, but affordable, modern and incredibly central.
Travel Insurance
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Money in Corfu
The currency in Corfu, as with all of Greece, is the Euro.
I advise bringing some cash with you, as well as a good card you can use to pay for things abroad.
With real exchange rates, no transaction fees and no ATM withdrawal charges, I love my Wise card, which works just like a debit card when I’m travelling. Grab yours here.
Best eSIM for Corfu
I highly recommend Holafly.
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