Taking a ferry to Corfu, the visitor discerns a strong Venetian element that dominates in the entire old town of Corfu, which immediately makes it very special!
Corfu is undoubtedly the mistress of the Ionian Islands, eternally cosmopolitan, with the old city being a UNESCO Heritage monument having influences from Venetian, English, and French cultures and one of the main reasons why cruise ships include this Greek island in their schedule.
The three small islands, Othoni, Mathraki and Erikoussa, in the northwest and the islands of Paxos and Antipaxos, to the south, make up the Prefecture of Corfu.
The island of Corfu combines many different landscapes, the mountainous part with the beautiful Paleokastritsa but also the southern part with Kavos which is very popular and top destination especially for British visitors , as well as Benitses that attracts many tourists thanks to the intense nightlife with many night clubs. Also places like cosmopolitan Dassia along the North east coast of the island offer a big variety of luxury resorts and hotels and its well equipped beach!
The island has a grandeur but also a special culture with special attention to musical tradition and education.
Many buildings, monuments and palaces (Achilleion Palace & Mon Repos), wonderful beaches , unique natural beauty and the romantic Corfu Old Town with its narrow alleys (kantounia) with small squares in various parts, but also nice stores, restaurants and clubs that every evening overflow with people.
Book your ferry tickets to Corfu in advance and enjoy your holidays in the enchanting historical island!
Traveling to Corfu by ferry
Traveling to Corfu by ferry, at present, is possible only from Igoumenitsa port as there is no ferry connection with the port of Piraeus in Athens.
The ferry connection to Corfu from Igoumenitsa has daily departures, almost every hour. There are two types of ferries available, the open ferry that takes 2 hours and a larger one that takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, today there are no more ferry services from Patras to Corfu, as there were used to be a few years ago.There are connections from Italy to Corfu,from the Italian ports of Ancona, Venice, Bari and Brindisi. Also, there are shipping companies that run from Corfu ferry port to Albania (port of Saranda).
Ferry from Italy to Corfu
There are links by ferry from Italy to Corfu through the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi, Ancona and Venice.
However, the connection with the port of Corfu is more frequent during peak tourist traffic months, since throughout the year the connection with Italy is carried out mainly through the ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras. More specifically:
Bari to Corfu
The most usual connection between Italy and Corfu. The duration of the ferry trip is almost 8 to 9 hours.
Brindisi to Corfu
The fastest connection between Italy and Corfu with almost 1 daily departure and with duration of the ferry trip from 7 to 8 hours.
Ancona to Corfu
This connection is slower with a sailing frequency 2-3 times per week and duration of the trip around 18 hrs.
Venice to Corfu
This crossing is much longer and the frequency of the sailings is very limited operating mostly during peak weeks in the summer.The duration of the trip is around 24 hours.
Albania to Corfu ferry
There are daily ferry connections from Albania to Corfu. There is a Corfu ferry to Albania that takes 30 minutes if it is a high-speed or 70 minutes if it is a conventional ferry boat. Depending on the season, there are between 2 – 13 ferry departures per day.
Corfu ferries from Igoumenitsa
There are more than 6 crossings per day with Corfu ferries from Igoumenitsa port. These crossings are operating with local vessels and their duration is approximately 1h and 30mins with the bigger ones and with the open deck ferries that operate only under good weather conditions and last 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The main port of Corfu is located near to town and serves all passenger ferries and cruise ships. However, there is also the port of Lefkimi that is suitable for those that their destination is at the southern part of the island.
Corfu port
Corfu Port, New Port or "Neo Limani" in Greek, is located in the northern part of Corfu Town, about 3 km from the historic Old Town where you can find many café-bars and restaurants that will satisfy even the most demanding guests. Moreover, very close to the port of Corfu are many clubs and bars. In addition to all car-passenger ferries from/to Italy, the New Port also welcomes large cruise ships at its new cruise ship terminal.
After disembarking, you have the option of taking the free bus to the port entrance, otherwise you can walk to the entrance as the distance is only 300 meters.
In the port of Corfu, there are bus lines that connect the main port with Corfu Town and the airport, by shuttle buses with frequent departures. However, in order for someone to reach other villages, cities and resorts around Corfu, this is possible only from the capital.
More specifically you can use the following means of transportation:
Bus
Moving around Corfu island by bus is the best option.The bus transportation in Corfu is operated by two types of buses, the blue buses that cover short distances near Corfu Town and the Green buses (Intercity buses) for long-distances around the island.
- Blue Buses frequently connect the city with popular destinations such as Dassia, Ipsos, Kanoni, Pontikonisi, Benitses, Achilleion, Pelekas, Saint John (Aqualand) and many others within Corfu urban area and of course with the main port and the airport. For more information you may visit Corfu City Bus or call +30 2661031595.
- Green Buses in Corfu (Intercity Buses) offer a well -developed local transport service from city center to the cities of Glyfada, Sidari, Paleokastritsa, Lefkimi and with each corner of the island, as well as with the biggest cities of Greece.The departure point is from Saroko square. For more information please visit Corfu Buses.
Taxi
Many taxi companies operate on the island, but this is a service at a higher cost. In order to schedule a transfer by taxi, please visit Corfu Taxis or call Mr. Spiros Kritikos +30 694 558 0996, Mr. Alexakis Antonis +30 694 481 5562.
Corfu Airport to Corfu Port
Corfu International Airport "Ioannis Kapodistrias, is located in the south of Corfu town,3 km away, on the west of Garitsa and Kanoni and on the north of Pontikonisi.It serves domestic and international flights and charter flights from the largest cities in Europe to Corfu and hosts masses of tourists especially during the peak months.
The airport is well served by regular city bus services or you can take a taxi. More specifically:
Bus
Bus line 15 connects the airport with the ferry port, the city center of Corfu (Saroko Square) and the island's main intercity bus station. Be advised that the bus stop is located just outside the arrivals at Corfu Airport and it is not a problem to find it, as there is a sign with the indication "Blue Bus". The transfer from the airport to the port by bus is the cheapest option as the ticket regular price is around 1,10 euros and the journey time is about 30 minutes. For more information, please visit Corfu Airport Bus.
Taxi
If you wish to get a taxi from the airport, you must go to the located taxi rank, outside the terminal, which is open 24 hours a day, or you can make a reservation so that a driver can wait for you in the arrivals area. Obviously this option is more expensive but faster as it will take about 10 - 15 minutes to arrive at the port with a cost of 10 euros approximately. For more information please visit Corfu Airport Taxis.
Holidays in Corfu
Undoubtedly, Corfu is ideal for high aesthetic vacations for every kind of traveler. It is a beautiful green island of incomparable beauty and special architecture. The history of the island is reflected in the attractions that are scattered throughout the island and arouses the interest of the traveler to explore it.
During your Corfu holidays, in addition to the attractions of the island, you will have the opportunity to get to know its wonderful beaches, the beautiful old town with its narrow streets (canton), multi-storey houses with Venetian architecture, its small squares and the parades of the Corfiot band during summer evenings in Liston Square.Also, Corfu is suitable for travelers who, in combination with their vacations, are interested in visits to caves, cultural heritage sites, as well as hiking and mountaineering.
For the lovers of gastronomy and not only,Corfu has a wide range of traditional local products such as Κumquat, Ginger Beer, Mandolato , wonderful cheeses and special dishes such as Pastitsado and Sofrito with origins from Sicilians, Venetians, and the French.
What is worth mentioning,in contrast to most of the islands of Greece, Corfu is not only a destination for summer vacations but also for visits throughout the year with international events, such as gastronomic festivals, carnival events with influences of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte but also for its famous Easter celebration for which it welcomes many people from all over Greece and from abroad.
There are hundreds of accommodations throughout Corfu, in Dassia, Kavos, Ipsos, Benitses, Pelekas , Kontokali, as well as in Corfu town, of large and luxurious hotel units, boutique hotels, villas with many facilities as well as low cost rooms. The range of accommodation will satisfy every taste.
Corfu Sightseeing
Below we are sharing with you ideas for places, attractions and beaches worth visiting and discovering during your Corfu holidays:
- Corfu Town
- Spianada Square (Liston)
- Museum of Asian Art
- Archaeological Museum
- Mon Repo Palace
- Achillion Palace
- Pontikonisi
- Paleokastritsa
- Old Venetian Fortress
- New Fortress
- Kassiopi
- Canal d'Amour (Sidari)
- Kanoni
- Paleopoli
- Palace of Saints Michael and George
- Aggelokastro
- Ruins of a Byzantine castle in Gardiki
- Corfu Donkey Rescue (Paleokastritsa for animal lovers)
- Aqualand
Best Beaches in Corfu
- Agios Gordios Beach
- Rovinia Beach
- Sidari Beach and Canal D’Amour
- Halikounas Beach
- Nissaki Beach
- Glyfada Beach
- Barbati Beach
- Paleokastritsa Beach
- Paradise Beach
- Issos Beach
- Kavos Beach
- Agios Iliodoros Beach
- Stelari Beach
Corfu Hotels
In Corfu you can have a huge variety of hotels, from the mid-range and low-budget hotels to the most luxurious ones! The luxury hotels and resorts offer high quality facilities, relaxing spa treatments, sports and water sports as well as private beaches. For seekers of special vacations, there are hotels that offer luxury suites and villas surrounded by gardens, private beaches, a range of wonderful gastronomic options, facilities and activities for children and families, as well as many other amenities. However, there are also very budget-friendly hotels and apartments with all-inclusive packages.
We indicatively give you a list of Corfu Hotels :
- Grecotel Corfu Imperial
- Corfu Palace Hotel
- Golden Mare Resort
- Daphnila Bay Dassia
- Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel
- Aeolos Beach Resort
- Cavalieri Hotel
- Mayor Di Capo
- Corfu Holiday Palace Hotel
- Glyfada Beach Hotel
Easter Holidays in Corfu
The celebration of Easter in Corfu is considered by the Greeks as one of the 4 most important Greek destinations where this religious celebration takes place in an atmosphere of devotion. The litanies, religious concerts and mournful melodies, but also the customs that endure over the years captivate visitors.
In case you want to arrange your Easter holidays in Corfu and for the Holy Week, book your ferry tickets in advance for your trip to this beautiful island and live a unique and once in a lifetime experience.
Island hopping from Corfu
By having a base in Corfu, the traveler has the opportunity to visit and discover many islands located nearby. A number of islands, such as Paxi and Antipaxoi, lie very close to Corfu, while others, such as Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia and Zakynthos, can be found in the southern Ionian Sea.
Also, during the summer period you can reach the Diapondia islands (Othoni, Mathraki and Erikoussa), a hidden paradise, untouched by the crowds, with beautiful blue waters and a divine landscape. The ferry boat leaves from Corfu town or from Sidari and Aghios Stefanos in the northwest of the island.
One of the top cruises offered is also a day boat trip from Corfu to The Blue Lagoon Beach, Sivota as well as to Parga.
