TOP PLACES TO VISIT

Corfu Old Town

The island's Venetian heart, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where centuries of Venetian, French and British rule have left their mark in equal measure. Narrow marble alleys, the elegant arcades of the Liston, and two great fortresses frame a town that feels closer to Italy than to Greece. It is the cultural soul of Corfu, best explored slowly, on foot, at the hour when the light turns golden.

Paleokastritsa

Emerald bays and pine-clad headlands follow one after another along the island's northwest coast, where sheer cliffs fall to some of the clearest water in the Ionian. Sea caves and hidden coves are reached only by boat, while high above sits a thirteenth-century monastery with views across the whole sweep of the coastline. It remains the most dramatic meeting of land and sea on the island.

Mount Pantokrator

The highest peak on the island rises above the northeast coast to a summit crowned by a centuries-old monastery. From the top, the view reaches across the whole of Corfu to the Ionian and, on a clear day, to the mountains of Albania and the Greek mainland. Its slopes shelter old stone villages and the quiet, near-abandoned settlement of Old Perithia, the oldest village on the island.

TOP ACTIVITIES

Sailing the Northeast Coast

Spend a full day aboard a private yacht along the sheltered shore between Kassiopi and Corfu Town, where a discreet international set has kept villas for generations. Drop anchor in coves reached only from the water, swim off the deck, and come ashore for a long lunch at a waterside taverna arranged in advance. It is the most effortless way to see the island.

Inside the Venetian Citadel

Climb the Old Fortress, the great Venetian citadel that rises on its own promontory at the edge of Corfu Town's UNESCO-listed Old Town, in the company of a private guide. Centuries of Venetian and British history come to life as you make your way toward the summit, where the views open across the rooftops, the sea, and the mountains of the mainland beyond. It is the most storied vantage point in the town. 

Kumquat & Wine, Tasted at the Source

Spend a private afternoon exploring Corfu's singular flavors, beginning at a family distillery where the island's emblematic fruit becomes liqueur, then on to a boutique estate for a tasting of Ionian wines rarely found beyond Greece. Each stop is hosted by the producers themselves, with the island's Venetian and Corfiot heritage in every glass. It is a relaxed, delicious way to understand the place.

RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS

Etrusco

Set in a stone family mansion in Kato Korakiana and consistently ranked among the finest restaurants in Greece. Chef Ettore Botrini weaves Corfiot and Italian tradition through modern technique, in dishes that carry both the history of his family and the character of the island. Best experienced through the tasting menu, with a cellar and sommelier to match.

Venetian Well

Hidden on one of the Old Town's most beautiful squares, this intimate room is gathered around a seventeenth-century well. The kitchen is inventive and seasonal, changing constantly and drawing on ingredients from across Greece and beyond, with one of the most considered wine lists on the island. It is the most romantic dinner in Corfu Town. 

Klimataria

Tucked into the seaside village of Benitses, this tiny, family-run fish taverna is widely regarded as the best of its kind on the island. Founded by Nikos and Lily Bellos, it serves whatever the market and the sea offer that day, from octopus and marinated anchovies to the Corfiot classics bianco and pastitsada. With only eleven tables, it is intimate and much loved, and reservations are essential.