Which ones are the best beaches in Corfu? I admit that they are like my favourite songs: there is one for each mood. If I had to choose only one among all of them, it would be a hard decision!
There are many different factors to take into account. First of all, your location. Corfu has beaches all around the island, and it’s always best to pick the closest one. But if you want to explore and move around a bit further, you will also consider their different characteristics: With sand or pebbles? Lively or peaceful? Easy to reach, or accessible by sea only? Swimming, sunbathing, partying, or water sports?
One thing is certain: you will find the most amazing waters wherever you go. Corfu beaches are known for their crystal-clear emerald sea; even in the most popular resorts, the coast is clean and transparent.
Take a look at this short guide to the Best Beaches in Corfu and choose your beloved one, or let us take you there on one of our beach tours.
Arillas Beach as seen from above
Also known as Agios Stefanos Avliotes, it is between Arillas and Sidari. Agios Stefanos West has a long sandy beach just at the end of the village, with sunbeds and a quieter area to the north.
Arillas is a lively location with a bohemian atmosphere. It also has a golden sandy beach with many beach bars and restaurants and a more secluded area where you can make clay baths and relax from the crowd. Many visitors say this is one of the best beaches in Corfu. Do you agree? Click here for more information.
This bay-shaped beach, half sand, half pebbles, is surrounded by nature and has a lovely traditional village with many services. The place served as a filming location in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
You can’t leave Corfu without visiting one of the “Top Best Beaches in Corfu”. Paleoakstritsa is a small peninsula with several beaches that combine sand, pebbles, and cliffs. Lush nature surrounds the area creating a landscape of immense beauty. Small buildings and a monastery emerge from the centenary olive groves, bougainvillaeas, orange and lemon trees. Don’t forget to rent a boat and visit the secluded beaches like Paradise, Giali, Stelari, Chomi, and Limni.
The Central-West coast of Corfu has popular easy-to-reach resorts. They all have golden sand and plenty of services such as beach bars, seaside taverns, water sports, and parking areas. They are very safe and have shallow waters, which makes them suitable for children and all the family.
This is one of the most trendy beaches in Corfu. Although the road is narrow and very steep, it’s really busy during the summer. There is a 5-star hotel on the south side and small apartments with beach bars and sunbeds. It’s also a safe, shallow sandy beach for all the family.
Good news: There is a regular bus service departing from KTEL Central Station during the summer and reaching 400 metres before Glyfada. The area is also little developed, with one 5-star hotel in the corner and small maisonette-type residences. A long, golden and organised sandy beach, perfect to spend the whole day swimming, sunbathing, walking or building sand castles! Glyfada is a Blue Flag Beach, also the perfect place for a walk and to enjoy the surrounding nature. It’s one of my favourite spots when the season is over!
One of the most popular Corfu beaches, Agios Gordis is very close to Sinarades, a lovely traditional village. This is a lively classic resort, preferred among tourists and families, and with stunning natural beauty. The sandy beach has a boulder area on the right side, perfect to explore and find tranquillity!
One of the most popular areas among British tourists, the North Coast of Corfu is full of resorts, as well as natural places of stunning beauty. If you want to visit them we recommend you come by car, as public transportation takes more than an hour and a half until you reach there. For many visitors, the best beaches in Corfu are here, because they combine a long seashore with plenty of taverns, accommodation, and many services for the visitors, even for families with children.
Sidari boasts a large sandy beach, a top destination among many British tourists, and the Canal D’Amour is one of Corfu’s most famous spots: An excellent location for young people and families looking for a livelier vacation area on a clean, sandy organized beach.
Located in the centre of the north coast, this is another popular family vacation spot with a good range of tavernas, bars, and cafes to suit the tastes of every family member. Its sandy beach is awarded with the Blue Flag.
Acharavi Beach is the third jewel of the North. Although partially organized, it’s also sandy and quieter than the rest. On the right side of Acharavi, you will find Almiros Beach, with scattered small pebbles and amazing views of Albania. The place is surrounded by a smooth natural area, some taverns by the seaside and several villas and small apartment buildings.
For many locals and visitors, these may be the most beautiful beaches in Corfu, but they also are more difficult to reach. The area is steep, roads are narrow and windy, and most of the beaches are small and full of lush nature. Many luxury villas appear among the surroundings, cypress and olive trees forests, mostly unspoiled, and if you want to visit them you must drive carefully. Public transportation reaches only until the main road.
We have added just a few, but the list is long!
Take your time to explore this beautiful Corfiot village, built around a traditional fishing port. Kassiopi has several beaches and our favourite ones are Bataria and Pipitos, one kilometre far from the centre. They are sculpted by Nature among a beautiful rocky formation, with a small organized area and several coves to discover in the large stone platforms with small pebbles by the seaside.
Covered in rocks and pebbles and with impressive crystal-clear water, it’s hard to choose one among the incredible beaches of this part of Corfu. Going from Kalami and Agni to Gialiskari, reaching the picturesque port of Kouloura, or Kerasia and Kaminaki beaches, can be an adventure if you’re not a keen hiker or a boat skipper. Choose at least one of them and relax in the places where The Durrells spent some of their best years on the island. They really believed that the best beaches in Corfu were here, and I think they were right!
The beautiful village of Barbati has a well-organized beach, which combines sand and small pebbles. There are many beach bars and taverns with sunbeds and umbrellas for rent. It has a lively atmosphere and also the possibility to practice water sports. If you come by car you’ll be able to park at one of the beach taverns.
Mostly sandy and close to the main road, you can reach Ipsos using the public bus, very frequent during the summer season. This is the preferred destination for young European tourists, mostly Italians. There are sunbeds all along the beach, watersports, nightclubs and pizzerias!
♥
The South of Corfu is totally different from the rest of the island. This area is flat and it’s covered in vineyards and olive groves, with small farming villages where time seems to have stopped decades ago.
All the beaches here are sandy and quite unspoiled. They are organized in part, but there’s also a quieter area where you can find peace and relax -even during the busiest days of the summer. For me, they are also perfect for escaping the work routine, and it takes a bit more than half an hour to get there from Corfu Town.
Nature is also overwhelming, highlighting Korission and Lefkimmi Natural Parks. These are the residences of numerous migratory birds and other animal species. Do you want to find out more? Keep reading and discover the best beaches in Corfu South.
This beach is visible from the air, as it’s located between a natural lake and an impressive area of dunes and Juniper trees. You can get there by driving an unpaved track, and, after one kilometre, you will find a beach bar with sunbeds and umbrellas. The rest of the beach is just magnificent, unspoiled, with no buildings around. A surprising path by the lakeside will take you to the next beach, Issos.
Issos is separated from Chalikounas by a wild and sandy area, between Korission Lake and the sea, but you must drive by a different road if you’re not a hiker. Admire those huge dunes by the pristine seaside and pick a sunbed, or walk for a few minutes to the more deserted area. Just a hotel and a few apartments in the southern area don’t disturb one of the most impressive natural spaces in Corfu.
Marathias is one of the best-organized beaches in South Corfu, but it also combines leisure with beautiful nature and a quieter deserted area. There are several taverns and restaurants, showers, parking, shallow waters and yellow sand: the perfect location for a whole day on the beach or even for a night party! You will find everything you need here, so do you think this is one of the best beaches in Corfu?
This is the southernmost beach on the island. You can reach it by car through an unpaved road, or by foot from Kavos village (a half an hour walk). It’s partially organized and also has a long deserted area. The white sand and the surrounding white cliffs are typical in this part of Corfu, from where Paxos Island is clearly visible.
Did you find our guide interesting? We hope it helped you to find the perfect beach for your holidays. If you want us to take you to some of the best beaches in Corfu, don’t forget to book one of our private beach tours or ask us to organize a transfer from your accommodation!
