After spending a week in Albania, Dan and I ferried to Corfu Town, Greece for three nights before flying back home from Corfu’s airport. I was blow away by the beauty of Corfu Town and had an amazing three days! This article details what we got up to if you are planning a similar stopover.
CORFU TOWN, GREECE
Corfu, Greece, or Kerkyra in Greek, is a historical island in the Ionian Sea. Corfu is located north west of the mainland. Home to just over 32,000 people, Corfu is comprised of lots of greenery, picture perfect clear water beaches, and Corfu Town, the capital with an UNESCO recognized old town, where we spent most of our time! Coming back, I would like to explore more of Corfu island, but Corfu Town was perfect for a long weekend stay. Keep reading for Corfu Town; visit this site for more of Corfu island.
Corfu Town, Greece (the red dot).
As you can see, Corfu is quite far from some of the more mainstream Greek Islands, such as Santorini or Mykonos. And, surprising to some, Corfu Town looks more Italian than “traditional” Greek. To be clear, Corfu Town is beautiful, but this is not the tiny island dotted with blue and white buildings that many conjure up when thinking of Greece. Understanding this in advance will prevent disappointment. Also, Corfu is very historical, even being the birthplace of the UK’s Prince Phillip. If you are a history buff, brush up before arriving to ensure you don’t miss anything!
HOW TO GET TO CORFU TOWN GREECE
To reach Corfu Town, there are three main options: a ferry (from Greece, Italy, or Albania), the airport, or driving from elsewhere on Corfu. Arriving, we took the fast hydrofoil ferry from Saranda, Albania. The cost was €25 per person and the journey took 30 minutes. Our hotel was a €15 euro taxi ride from the ferry terminal. We booked the tickets the day before online, but you could have easily purchased them at the ferry port in Saranda.
Ferry from Saranda to Corfu Town.
Leaving Corfu Town, we flew out of Corfu’s small airport to London, where we connected back to New York. The airport was a €20 taxi ride from our hotel.
Leaving Corfu via plane.
We did not do any of our own driving, so can’t really comment on that. That being said, had we rented a car, we would have explored more of Corfu. We saw lots of rental agencies at the airport.
WHAT WE DID IN CORFU TOWN
EXPLORING, SHOPPING, & TAKING PICTURES
One of my favorite things to do in Corfu Town is simply walk around and explore the old town. While some main streets are insanely packed with tourists, walking just a bit off the main street leads to empty squares, glimpses into local life, and fabulous viewpoints. Great for pictures! We did quite a bit of just strolling, avoiding the crazy tourist streets as best we could. The Old and New Fortresses are also highlights for many visitors, as is the Museum of Asian Art (located in an old palace!).
Old Fortress from the water.
A busy street in Old Town Corfu.
Quiet streets away from the tourist crowds.
Loved these flowers, which were everywhere!
Looks like Italy!
A street in Corfu Town.
A HISTORICAL FOOD TOUR WITH CORFU WALKING TOURS
We took a several hour long food and historical walking tour with Corfu Walking Tours one afternoon, and this was one of our favorite activities! Our guide walked us all over Old Town Corfu, including stops along the way in several restaurants, churches, and even a wine bar. This tour is a great way to see Corfu Town, breaking up the heat with food and drink spots. We saw and ate many things that we would not have on our own. I’ll be writing a separate post detailing our tour, but I recommend it.
A rice pudding dessert from Jackie Kennedy’s favorite bakery!
Baklava!
A Greek loukoumades with Greek salami and Feta cheese, tomatoes, and olive paste!
SHISHA AND YACHT SPOTTING @ N.A.O.K. AZUR
While not the most touristy thing to do, Dan and I went to NAOK Azur for shisha, drinks, and yacht spotting every day of our visit. Naok is a bar and restaurant, with a beach club(!), over looking the yacht boat slips. Very Below Deck-esq. Gorgeous views and decent drinks. While not cheap, the views, again, just cannot be beat. Naok also has a sit down restaurant serving fish and sushi – rather trendy!
NAOK Azur.
Iced cappuccino.
Danny living his best life.
Outstanding views from NAOK Azur.
The whole set up.
THE BLCK ROSE PIRATE SHIP
We wanted to do some sort of cruise around Corfu Island, but every tour we found was either too long (11+ hours), too far from Corfu Town, or didn’t run on the days we were in town. Still wanting to get on the water, we decided to do a 75 minute “cruise” on the very touristy Black Rose Pirate Ship. The cost was € 10 per person on the official website, and the Black Rose departs every other hour starting at 10:00. We had low expectations, but were honestly pleasantly surprised with our cruise – it was pretty empty and offered gorgeous views of Corfu Town and the surrounding area. We ordered beers and a coffee and everything was fresh and clean in the bar area. Highly recommended for an inexpensive ride around Corfu Town.
The Black Rose, offering cruises much nicer than it looks.
Reasonable drinks. Bring cash.
Corfu Town views from the Black Rose.
SWIMMING
We did not swim in Corfu Town (I know SIN!), but I spied a few city beach clubs that I would love to visit on another trip. As with much of Greece, you rent the chair and can then swim for free. Tourists should know that many of these “beach” clubs are not on a sandy beach, but are on wooden or concrete platforms, off which you can enter the water.
Cute little beach club near the Old Fortress.
Another beach in Old Town Corfu.
WHERE WE ATE IN CORFU TOWN
While a Greek island, Corfu Town has a very Italian feel, including in the food scene! Italian restaurants abound and may just be more popular than what I think of as “Greek” restaurants. In any case, you will eat well but do some research if you are wanting “traditional Greek” over Italian-style food.
SALTO WINE BAR & BISTRO
On our last evening in Corfu Town, we had the best meal of our trip at Salto, a wine bar overlooking the new fortress. We enjoyed excellent tannic Greek wine from the North of Greece and seriously amazing Greek food with a modern twist! Here is a picture of delicious gyros that we ate. Separate post of our full dinner coming soon!
“Small kebabs in pita”.
ALATOPIPERO (OR “SALT AND PEPPER”)
We had an unplanned lunch at Alatopipero before our Black Rose Boat Cruise solely because the restaurant where we wanted to eat was closed. We randomly selected Alatopipero because it was closed to the port and served saganaki, or fried greek cheese! Alatopipero turned out to be a good, reasonably priced lunch. The saganaki was delicious, Alatopipero served traditional Crofu and Greek food, the portions were large and Alatopipero had a few “tourist” dishes on the menu that would satisfy even the pickiest eaters (such as chicken nuggets, they did look good!). I hate to say this, but this would be a great spot for families looking for a meal while in port on a cruise.
The saganaki was actually fantastic, and this was the only place we saw traditional Greek saganaki in Corfu Town.
Pork souvlaki.
This dessert was complimentary. I forget the name, but it was a rice pudding type base topped with the most delicious cream and cinnamon! The complimentary dessert was a lovely surprise!
ROSMARINO
Of course I cannot go to an Italian town (even one not in Italia) and not have pizza, so I convinced Dan to eat at Rosmarino one evening. We choose Rosmarino after seeing their pizza on a food tour where we ate next door. In addition to pizza, Rosmarino serves salads, pasta and a small selection of mains: octopus, steak, and sea bass were on the menu in July 2022. We started our meal with a fennel and lemon salad and followed with Burrata and Diavola pizzas. I was quite pleased with the pizza – Napoli style with excellent crust, delicious red sauce and high quality toppings. This definitely satisfied my Italian pizza craving! Located in a central location, prices are reasonable and tables move fairly quickly. I would definitely return to Rosmarino!
Lemon & fennel salad!
The Burrata. Almost looks like a dessert!
Diavola.
PANE E SOUVLAKI
Recommended to us by our friends at We Leave Today, Pane e Souvlaki is a modern Greek restaurant located almost next door to Rosmarino! Quite possibly the most popular restaurant in town, Pane e Souvlaki is usually packed, with locals and tourists. That being said, there are no reservations and tables move quickly, so put your name on the list! We were immediately seated around 19:30 on a Thursday evening, but a line quickly formed after we sat down. Pane e Souvlaki serves traditional Greek fare with a fun modern twist! We started with baked feta cheese and then pork souvlaki platters with pita bread and fries. The food was great; definitely a good place to put on a Corfu itinerary!
Pork souvlaki & fries.
Baked Feta.
SALTINO
Saltino is a trendy modern café on Corfu Town’s bustling George Theotoki street – it even has adorable little tables going up a staircase like you see in pictures. Saltino is a coffee shop, but its well known for its simple sandwiches on plain white bread! While in town, we sampled their Nouboulo (or Corfu prosciutto) sandwich, as well as their pastrami. I loved both, but Dan much prefered the Nouboulo. This is a good spot to feel trendy, as well as grab a quick lunch. I would note that Saltino is a bit pricey (€5 per small sandwich) and there are certainly better lunch values on the same street.
Saltino’s offerings on a Thursday afternoon.
Pastrami sandwich.
Nouboulo with mozzarella, pesto, tomato and greens.
WHERE WE STAYED – BELLA VENEZIA HOTEL
We stayed at the historical Bella Venezia Hotel, which is a lovely old hotel located about a 7 minute walk from the heart of Corfu Town. Bella Venezia has been around for many, many years and entering the hotel almost feels like stepping back in time (guests are actually provided a historical pamphlet on the hotel!). While small, our room was comfortable and both air conditioning and wifi worked very well. My favorite part about Bella Venezia is its gorgeous outdoor courtyard! A decent complimentary breakfast is served daily, offering lots of Corfu specialties, standard breakfast things, a hot meat (sausage or bacon), and made to order eggs.
The loveliest outdoor courtyard.
Fresh-squeezed Corfu orange juice and cappuccino at Bella Venezia’s breakfast.
Adorable courtyard with life-size Chess Board.
The old school bar at the Bella Venezia.
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR VISITING CORFU TOWN
- Taxis line up for arrivals at the airport and ferry port; you won’t have trouble finding one. Uber/Lyft do not work.
- If renting a car, think about parking. Old Town is very crowded and I cannot imagine parking is easy.
- Plan summer activities during the morning or evening to beat the heat.
- Get off the crazy touristy streets. Corfu Town is much more than these streets!
- If possible, make restaurant reservations if there is somewhere you must eat. Many restaurants are small and Corfu Town is busy in the summer!
- If arriving by ferry, you need to show a passport (at least for non-Europeans), even if coming from within Europe.
- ATMs are very easy to find in the Old Town. However, most everywhere took credit card.
- Again, if you are looking for an idyllic blue and white island, Corfu is not that (you want the Cyclades for that!)
- Corfu, like Greece, uses the Euro and the same electrical outlets as the rest of Europe.
- Most everyone we encountered spoke great English.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Hotel Bella Venezia: Napoleontos Zampeli 4, Kerkira 491 00, Greece. Charming old hotel with reasonable rates. Small elevator on property. Good breakfast served daily. No pool, but a lovely outdoor area with a life size chess set! My one complaint is that the in-room restrooms are TINY and always smelled “wet”; we really disliked them.
Salto: Donzelot 23, Kerkira 491 00, Greece. Open daily 18:30 – midnight. Reservations recommended and can be made online. While there is no dress code, the dinner crowded dressed smart.
Alatopipero: Δονα 17, Prosalendou 16, Kerkira 491 00, Greece. Open 11:00 – midnight. A good option for families or picky eaters. No website. Reservations not required.
Rosmarino: Guilford 69, Kerkira 491 00. Great food. Casual. Rosmarino accepts reservations online.
Pane e Souvlaki: Gkilford 77, Kerkira 491 00, Greece. Open daily 12:30 – 23:30. Casual. No reservations.
Saltino: Geor. Theotoki 2, Kerkira 491 00, Greece. Open daily all day, shorter hours on the weekend. Super casual. Credit card accepted.
Corfu Walking Tours: We took the Historical Food Tour. There was loads of food on the tour and a lot of historical places.
NAOK Azur: Leof. Dimokratias 1, Kerkira 491 00, Greece.
Black Rose Pirate Cruise: El. Venizelou 28, Kerkira 490 01, Greece. Daily 10:00 – 20:00, every 2 hours. Purchase directly on the official website for the best price. Bring cash for cheap bar on board.
For more information on Corfu in generally, visit this post by We Leave Today, who spent some time on Corfu island last summer!