With a pristine coastline, a dazzling capital city and some pretty incredible rock formations, Corfu Island is a must-visit for anyone travelling to Greece.
As the most popular, and most northern, of the Ionian Island chain, Corfu has some amazing history with mainland Europe due to its proximity to Greece, Albania and Italy. It has many restaurants, hotels and bars and has become a popular destination.
Looking for some excitement while in Corfu? Here are some of the top things to do during your stay.
Visit Corfu Town
A visit to Corfu isn’t complete without a trip to Corfu Town. A UNESCO-listed town, its stunning architecture is great for a photo opportunity, with beautiful Venetian-style buildings, fortresses, narrow lanes and cute restaurants.
Enjoy a stroll along colourful homes through the cobbled streets and characterful sights. It’s worth staying for the day so you get to experience the change in atmosphere into night-time. It’s a romantic spot and perfect for a glass of wine at dusk.
Go Olive Oil tasting
One thing that Greece is definitely known for is their olive oil. And with over 4 million olive trees on Corfu island, olive oil has been a part of Corfu culture for centuries. Learning about the production of olive oil as part of a tour and testing is a fantastic way to experience a bit of Greek history and learn something new. Many olive oil makers offer afternoons of olive oil tasting alongside food and drink, so it’s worth making an enjoyable day of it.
And maybe even bring some home to share with family and friends!
Learn about bees
Honey is another famous Greek product that has been around for centuries, with Hippocrates being known to call it the Nectar of the Gods and Aristotle believing it actually prolongs life.
Visit a beekeeper to learn about the trade and the process of collecting honey. This experience is often accompanied by some delicious honey-tasting too, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to try it! It’s a wonderful, indulgent product that’s been historically known by the Greeks to have health benefits.
Hire a boat
Hiring a boat would be a great idea in Corfu to experience plenty of sight-seeing of the nature of Greece.
Whether it’s a luxury yacht or a boat of your own, hiring a boat in Corfu is an amazing way to enjoy sights that aren’t usually seen by tourists. Enjoy the view of the stunning coastline, stop at seaside taverns for drinks and food and stop in at secret coves. Going on a yacht charter in Corfu is an excellent way to enjoy the island and have a truly unique experience.
Visit a Monastery
As a historical setting with so much original architecture and many old buildings, you can expect there to be a lot of churches and monasteries on Corfu Island. In fact, there are 250 of them, with standouts being the Monastery of Paleokastritsa and The Vlacherna Monastery.
The latter was built in 1685 and was previously a nunnery monastery. It’s a place of great solitude and is surrounded by cypress trees.
The Monastery of Paleokastritsa is set in a wonderful location, on a hill above the beach and surrounded by stunning cliffs. Be sure to dress appropriately and be respectful during your visit, as Paleokastritsa is still operating as a monastery. You can expect group tours and crowds during the high season as it’s a very popular spot to visit — although that shouldn’t put you off, there’s good reasons why!
Chill out at Paleokastritsa
Following your visit to the Monastery of Paleokastritsa, stick around the area to visit the beaches and towns. There are 6 bays surrounded by cypress and olive trees and is a perfect location for an afternoon of relaxing or enjoying time on the beach.
There are loads of fantastic restaurants and taverns in the area too, so lots of great traditional Greek food to eat while you’re there.
Try mountain biking!
Mountain biking is not just a good way of squeezing in some exercise during your trip to Corfu, but also a great way to explore the island and hit up some off-track locations. There are quite a few spots where you can rent a bike and get maps about the best places to hit on your biking adventure.
Volunteer with donkeys
This completely unique, feel-good experience is one to definitely add to the list while in Corfu. Give back to the animals in the area by taking care of injured, old, abandoned or abused donkeys. As part of volunteering organisations and donkey sanctuaries you can take them for walks, groom them or even just spend time with them! Many of the sanctuaries are actually in quite lush settings, surrounded by olive trees and the stunning mountains that Corfu is known for.
Go scootering!
While renting a boat is something you have to do while in Corfu, renting a scooter is also a must. Scootering is a great way to explore the interior of the island. There are quite a few Vespa rental companies that cater to those who want to travel like a local. Make sure to take a photo of yourself next to the Vespa you’ve rented while you’re at it!
