Where to Stay in Corfu: The Best Areas & Places to Stay

The best place to stay in Corfu depends on the type of holiday you're looking for. For first-time visitors, I'd recommend Corfu Town for its history, restaurants and convenient location. If you'd prefer a relaxing seaside holiday, Kassiopi is a great option, while Agios Stefanos is ideal for escaping the crowds and enjoying the privacy of your own villa.

We found that exploring different parts of Corfu was one of the highlights of our trip, so if you have the time, I'd recommend visiting more than one area.

If you’re still deciding which Greek island to visit, we’ve also put together a guide to the 10 Best Places to Visit in Greece (Islands, Ancient Sites & Hidden Gems), covering some of our favourite destinations and places worth considering for your next trip.

It's also worth considering transport before choosing where to stay. Although Corfu Town is easy to explore on foot, many of the island's other destinations are easier to reach with a hire car. Some roads can be narrow and winding, so make sure you're comfortable driving before hiring one.

Where Is the Best Place to Stay in Corfu?

There are several areas worth considering when deciding where to stay in Corfu, each offering something different. From the historic streets of Corfu Town to the beautiful coastline of Paleokastritsa and the peaceful villas around Agios Stefanos, there’s plenty of choice.

To make deciding easier, we’ve compared six of the best places to stay in Corfu based on the type of holiday they’re most suited to.

1. Corfu Town – Best Area to Stay in Corfu for First-Time Visitors

Corfu Town is located on the east coast of the island and is one of the easiest places to stay, particularly if you’re visiting for the first time.

Where We Stayed in Corfu Town

We chose to stay at Kamara Old Town Studios, mainly because of its location and the balcony with great views over the Kerkira Cathedral and the square fronting it. It worked perfectly as a base for exploring the Old Town on foot.

The host was amazing and allowed us to store our bags after checking out so we could continue exploring on our second day. Our room was clean, the fittings felt high quality and, most importantly after a long day of walking, the bed was really comfortable.

The apartment is also less than a five-minute walk from the main taxi rank by the port, which made getting there and leaving really convenient. We’d happily stay at Kamara again and would recommend it to anyone looking for somewhere central to stay in Corfu Town.

Corfu Town is a great choice for most travellers. You won’t have to worry about hiring a car or using public transport to explore the town itself. A taxi from the airport takes just 10–15 minutes depending on traffic, and you’ll find a great variety of things to do and see across the Old Town and New Town.

We stayed overnight and spent around a day and a half exploring, which felt about right for us. I’d say 1–2 days is ideal if you want to see the main attractions and spend some time wandering around the Old Town shopping district, which is filled with shops selling some surprisingly lovely gifts and souvenirs. We enjoyed looking through shops selling everything from olive wood chess sets to handmade ceramics and jewellery.

We also dined at a restaurant called Lampardina Traditional Cuisine, where we had authentic Greek food, including hummus, shrimp saganaki and mussel saganaki, paired with a dry white wine and Mythos beer. The food was outstanding and it ended up being one of the most memorable meals of our trip.

We also tried gyros, souvlaki and some cocktails at the many bars around town, and enjoyed a scoop or two of gelato along the way.

Things to Do in Corfu Town

Beyond the lovely food, drink and shopping areas, you’ll find beautiful attractions such as the Old and New Fortresses, the Church of Saint Spyridon, Campiello, the Liston and Spianada Square, and the Palace of St Michael and St George.

We paid €10 per person to enter the Old Fortress, and it was well worth it for the views across Corfu Town, the island and the Ionian Sea towards Albania. It’s a bit of a climb but manageable as long as you’re reasonably mobile. Just be sure to take some water with you, particularly during the warmer months.

If you’d like to base yourself in Corfu Town for longer without worrying about reaching other areas of the island, there are also boat tours available.

Even if you’re planning to spend most of your holiday beside a beach or pool, I’d still recommend making time for Corfu Town. You don’t necessarily need to stay overnight, but skipping it altogether would mean missing out on one of the most interesting parts of the island.

2. Paleokastritsa – Best Place to Stay for Scenery and Beaches

Paleokastritsa was one of the places that kept coming up when we were researching where to stay in Corfu. We didn’t manage to visit ourselves, but it’s an area I’d seriously consider if beautiful scenery and spending time in the sea were high on my list.

It’s located on the west coast of Corfu, around 30–40 minutes by car from Corfu Town. Paleokastritsa is particularly well known for its dramatic coastline, where green hills and rocky cliffs surround several small bays with clear turquoise water.

Unlike some of the larger beach resorts, Paleokastritsa is made up of several smaller beaches and coves rather than one long stretch of sand. There’s plenty of opportunity to swim and snorkel, and boat trips are popular for exploring the sea caves and beaches that are more difficult to reach on foot.

Away from the beaches, there’s also the Monastery of the Virgin Mary of Paleokastritsa, which sits above the coastline and offers lovely views over the surrounding area. Nearby you’ll also find Angelokastro, an old Byzantine castle perched high on a rocky hilltop.

One thing worth considering before booking accommodation here is that Paleokastritsa is one of Corfu’s most popular tourist destinations. The beaches aren’t particularly large, so they can become crowded during the summer months. The area is also quite spread out and hilly, which is something to bear in mind if you don’t plan on hiring a car.

Who should stay in Paleokastritsa?

I’d recommend looking at Paleokastritsa if you’re planning a holiday centred around swimming, snorkelling and exploring the coastline. It would suit couples and families who enjoy spending time outdoors and don’t need lots of nightlife.

There are restaurants and tavernas around the area, although it’s worth checking how close your accommodation is to the beaches and places you want to visit.

For me, the main reason to choose Paleokastritsa over somewhere like Sidari or Corfu Town would be the scenery. If you don’t mind the possibility of busier beaches during peak season, it’s certainly an area worth researching.

3. Kassiopi – Best for Couples and a Relaxed Holiday

Kassiopi is on the northeast coast of Corfu, just over an hour’s drive from Corfu Town. We spent some time here during our trip and found it had pretty much everything you could need for a relaxed holiday by the sea.

The harbour and seafront are a big part of Kassiopi’s appeal, with a great choice of bars and restaurants overlooking the Ionian Sea and across towards the Albanian coast. There’s enough going on that you won’t feel isolated, but it still has a much more relaxed atmosphere than somewhere you’d visit specifically for nightlife.

You’ll also find a good selection of shops and services around the village. Whether you want to hire a bike, book a massage or simply pick up some fresh fruit and supplies for your accommodation, you should be able to find most of what you need without travelling elsewhere.

We stopped for lunch at Kastro Kitchen Bar, located beside Pipitos Beach. We ordered the pork tomahawk, which I thought was very reasonably priced at €19, along with a burger. We also tried a Greek cider, which was particularly refreshing given the heat!

The service was friendly and efficient without ever making us feel rushed, and the views from our seats were spectacular. It’s somewhere we’d definitely return to on our next visit to Kassiopi.

Kassiopi Castle

If you want a break from eating, drinking and relaxing by the water, you can also explore the ruins of Kassiopi Castle above the village. The castle dates back to the Byzantine period and was one of three fortresses that helped defend Corfu, alongside Angelokastro and Gardiki Castle.

Its position was particularly important as it overlooked the narrow stretch of sea between Corfu and the opposite coastline. Today, you can explore what remains of the castle and enjoy views across Kassiopi and the surrounding coastline.

Kassiopi also has several small beaches and coves within walking distance of the village, including Pipitos, Bataria, Kanoni and Kalamionas. This makes it a good option if you want to combine days by the water with restaurants, shops and a bit of exploring without constantly having to get in the car.

One of our favourite memories from Kassiopi actually came from a completely random encounter in a supermarket. We got talking to a chef who gave us the contact details of someone locally who makes homemade Greek food. As we were staying in a villa, we decided to order a moussaka for dinner and it turned out to be an amazing find. It saved us cooking for the night and the moussaka was beautiful. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

If you’re staying in a villa like we were and plan on doing a fair amount of shopping, I’d also recommend using the local bakeries for fresh bread and pastries rather than buying everything from the supermarkets. It’s a small thing, but picking up fresh bread in the morning became part of the holiday for us.

Who should stay in Kassiopi?

I think Kassiopi is particularly well suited to couples or anyone looking for a relaxed holiday where you can walk to beaches, restaurants and bars without needing somewhere overly busy. The combination of the harbour, small coves, shops and places to eat means there’s enough around to keep you occupied without it feeling like a large purpose-built resort.

It would also work well if you’re staying in a villa around the northeast of Corfu, as we were. You can use Kassiopi for shopping and eating out while still having somewhere quieter to retreat to afterwards.

If you want your holiday to revolve around clubs and late-night nightlife, there are better choices elsewhere on the island. But for good food, beautiful sea views, small beaches and a relaxed atmosphere, Kassiopi is somewhere we really enjoyed spending time.

4. Sidari – Best for a Lively Beach Holiday

Sidari is quite different from somewhere like Kassiopi or Agios Stefanos. It’s a well-established tourist resort on the north coast of Corfu, around an hour’s drive from Corfu Town, and is more suited to people who want plenty going on throughout their holiday.

We didn’t visit Sidari during our trip, but it was one of the places we looked into when deciding where to stay. There are lots of hotels, apartments, restaurants and bars, making it a convenient option if you’d rather have everything close by than spend your holiday driving around the island.

The main beach is a long stretch of sand with relatively shallow water, which is one of the reasons Sidari is popular with families. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink nearby, so it’s easy enough to spend the whole day at the beach without having to go far.

One of the main attractions in Sidari is Canal d’Amour, a series of sandstone cliffs and narrow channels carved out by the sea. It’s quite a distinctive part of Corfu’s coastline and somewhere I’d want to visit if we returned to the north of the island.

There’s also a local legend that couples who swim through the channel together will stay in love forever. Whether that’s true or not, it’s an interesting place to see and a change from the more traditional sandy beaches.

The main drawback with Sidari is that it’s very much geared towards tourism. During the summer, particularly around the main strip, it can get busy and noisy. If you’re looking for a small Greek village with a more traditional atmosphere, this probably isn’t the place I’d choose.

Who should stay in Sidari?

Sidari would suit families, groups of friends or couples who enjoy a lively resort with a good choice of restaurants, bars and things to do.

It’s also worth considering if you don’t want to hire a car, as much of what you’ll need during your stay is within the resort itself.

Personally, I’d prefer somewhere quieter like Agios Stefanos, but that’s down to the type of holiday we enjoy. If you’d rather have a busy beach, plenty of entertainment and somewhere to head out for drinks in the evening, Sidari may be a better fit for you.

5. Agios Stefanos – Best for Peace, Villas and Escaping the Crowds

Agios Stefanos is a small fishing village on the northeast coast of Corfu, just south of Kassiopi and around an hour’s drive from Corfu Town. This is Agios Stefanos Sinies, rather than the larger resort of the same name on the northwest coast, so make sure you’re looking at the right one when booking your accommodation!

I wanted to include Agios Stefanos because a lot of guides to where to stay in Corfu focus on the island’s most popular tourist destinations. Agios Stefanos is different. It’s much quieter and receives far less tourist footfall, but there’s still enough here to make it an ideal base for a peaceful break.

There’s a great choice of villas dotted around the surrounding hills, making this part of Corfu particularly appealing if you like having your own space. You can spend the day relaxing beside your own pool and then head down into the village for dinner and a few drinks in the evening.

The village itself is centred around a beautiful little bay and harbour, with a handful of restaurants and traditional tavernas overlooking the water. The beach is quite small compared with some of the others on this list, but we found it perfect for a swim in the sea.

We travelled in October, so we weren’t visiting during peak temperatures, but the water was still pleasantly warm. It was also surprisingly buoyant, which made floating around in the bay particularly relaxing.

Damianos Bar is well worth a visit while you’re here. As someone who has sampled a fair number of cocktails over the years, I thought both the drinks and service were outstanding. It quickly became one of our favourite places for a drink and it’s easy to see why the bar has been here for more than 40 years.

There are also two small supermarkets in the village with a good range of food and drinks, along with a few shops selling the usual holiday essentials. We even managed to pick up inflatables for our villa pool, so despite Agios Stefanos being small, we rarely found ourselves needing anything we couldn’t get nearby.

There isn’t a huge amount else going on, but that’s exactly the point.

It’s the kind of place where you walk into the same bar you visited the day before and you’re greeted by the same person, who remembers you and is genuinely pleased to see you again. After a few days, you start recognising people and getting to know some of the locals. We really enjoyed that side of staying here.

Getting from Agios Stefanos to Corfu Town

One of the more interesting ways to get from Agios Stefanos to Corfu Town is by boat. George Boat operates a regular coastal service with a journey time of around 30 minutes, currently costing €30 per person. There are also private water taxis available if you need something more flexible.

Aside from being a nice way to see the coastline, travelling by boat means you can avoid tackling some of Corfu’s narrow and winding roads. Services can depend on weather and schedules, though, so I’d always check the latest times and prices directly before relying on it for your plans.

If you do have a hire car, Agios Stefanos is also a great base for exploring northeast Corfu. Kassiopi is only a short drive away and there are plenty of other small villages, bays and beauty spots to discover along this stretch of coastline.

You can also explore more of the coast on foot, with walking routes taking you towards quieter beaches and more untouched parts of the coastline. Alternatively, hiring a boat is very popular around this part of Corfu and gives you access to some of the smaller bays and coves that are much harder to reach by road.

Where we stayed in Agios Stefanos

We booked Villa Emily, a stunning modern three-bedroom villa with an unusual castle-inspired design, located just a few minutes inland from Agios Stefanos.

The villa was equipped with everything we needed for our week in Corfu, including our own private pool, a fully equipped kitchen and parking. Having that extra space was one of the reasons we enjoyed staying in this part of the island so much. We could spend a morning or afternoon doing absolutely nothing beside the pool, cook for ourselves when we wanted to and then head into Agios Stefanos or nearby Kassiopi when we fancied going out.

For us, this was one of the biggest advantages of choosing Agios Stefanos over one of Corfu’s larger resorts. You get the privacy and space of a villa while still having restaurants, bars, shops and the sea only a short distance away.

If you are considering a stay you can check the latest prices and availability below

Who should stay in Agios Stefanos?

I’d recommend Agios Stefanos to couples, families or groups looking for a quieter Corfu holiday, particularly if you like the idea of renting a villa and having your own space.

You could easily spend a few days here as part of a longer trip around Corfu, although we were happy using it as our main base and exploring other parts of the island from here.

If you want lots of nightlife, attractions and different bars to choose from every evening, I’d recommend staying in one of the larger towns or resorts instead. Agios Stefanos isn’t really about having endless things to do.

For us, that was exactly what made it so enjoyable. It gave us somewhere peaceful to come back to after exploring the island, with our own pool, good food nearby and a small village where things moved at a much slower pace.

6. Agios Gordios – Best for a Laid-Back Beach Holiday

Agios Gordios is another area we came across while researching our trip to Corfu. It’s located on the west coast, around a 30–40 minute drive from Corfu Town, and is particularly known for its long sandy beach and sunsets over the Ionian Sea.

The beach is the main reason people choose to stay here. It’s surrounded by steep green hills and cliffs, giving it quite a different setting from the smaller bays and harbours you’ll find on the northeast coast.

There are sunbeds and umbrellas along parts of the beach, as well as several restaurants and tavernas where you can stop for lunch or dinner overlooking the sea. Being on the west coast also means you get some lovely sunsets, which would be a big part of the appeal for me.

The village itself has a selection of shops, supermarkets and accommodation, including hotels, apartments and villas. It’s not one of Corfu’s largest resorts, but there’s enough nearby that you wouldn’t necessarily need a car if you’re planning to spend most of your time relaxing at the beach.

One thing I’d pay attention to when booking accommodation in Agios Gordios is the location. The village is surrounded by steep hills, and some properties are quite a climb from the beach. That’s worth considering, particularly if you’re travelling with young children or anyone who might struggle with the walk.

It’s also not somewhere I’d choose if I wanted lots of sightseeing and attractions on my doorstep. You can explore other parts of Corfu from here, but you’ll probably want a hire car or need to arrange transport.

Who should stay in Agios Gordios?

I’d look at Agios Gordios if I wanted a fairly traditional beach holiday, with most days spent swimming, relaxing on the sand and heading out for dinner in the evening.

It would suit couples and families who want a quieter resort without feeling completely isolated. There’s enough going on to enjoy your evenings, but it’s not somewhere you’d choose for a particularly lively nightlife scene.

If you’re deciding between Agios Gordios and Paleokastritsa, I’d lean towards Agios Gordios for a more straightforward sandy beach holiday, while Paleokastritsa would be my choice for exploring coves and dramatic scenery.

Ultimately, if having a sandy beach within walking distance is one of your main priorities, Agios Gordios is an area I’d have on my shortlist.

Which Part of Corfu Is Best to Stay In?

If you’re looking for more of a Greek city break, Corfu Old Town is a great choice, with plenty of history, restaurants and things to see and do. For a peaceful retreat away from the crowds, somewhere like Agios Stefanos is ideal, particularly if you like the idea of staying in your own villa. If you’re travelling as a family and prefer a lively beach resort with plenty of facilities, Sidari is worth considering.

In our experience, choosing the right area really comes down to the type of holiday you’re looking for. We loved Corfu Town just as much as Kassiopi and Agios Stefanos, but for completely different reasons. Plan your stay around what matters most to you, and I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time exploring this beautiful Greek island.

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