Just a few months ago we were in Athens enjoying Greece so much that we took another trip, but this time to Corfu. This is one of the biggest islands of Greece and it is famous because of its beautiful beaches and blue waters.
I was a little worried going to Corfu because I rented a car and I knew that the roads here are pretty difficult, twisted and hilly.
Day 1 – Getting around the hotel
When we landed at Corfu airport, we saw a woman waiting for us, she was from a car rental company. We were taken to their office which was 2-3 km away, so pretty close and convenient. When I was filling the rental form on the internet I picked a small car, however, they didn’t have small ones anymore, so I got a bigger and newer one for the same price. Big thumbs up for that, because the car was a brand new 2018 model. It cost me 130 Eur for almost 4 days with an extra insurance and no other hidden fees or deposits. Pretty good deal! That’s why I can really recommend that company – Cosmos car rental.
Rented car in Corfu
We have arrived late so once we got the car we headed straight to our hotel. It was Oasis hotel. At first sight, it looked pretty old, but when I saw the view from our window and the private beach it was just wow! It was just 55Eur/night.
This hotel also has a swimming pool which was really not attractive for most of the people as just a few meters away there is a private beach with a beautiful view.
After walking around the hotel in a small city called Perama. We decided go to sleep and get up early so we can start our journey.
Day 2 – Exploring the beautiful beaches in Corfu
Our morning started with a beautiful sunrise and delicious breakfast. Oasis hotel kept us surprised all the time.
Alright, so after a delicious breakfast we headed to see some of the most beautiful Corfu beaches. Our goal was to see Palaiokastritsa and Liapades beaches. Once I added my destination to google maps I was really shocked how the roads are twisted and unexpected 😀 However if you drive slowly and carefully you’ll be just fine as we were. After almost one hour driving we have finally arrived at Palaiokastritsa, parked the car and from there started walking.
So the paradise started.. we were simply walking along the sea-side going to every beach that was available. It was difficult to decide where to stay, where to snorkel and where to lay down a little because we didn’t want to miss anything.
Sorry for not being specific as all the beaches has different names even though they are 100 -200 meters away from each other. You just need to go to the Palaiokastritsa and you’ll find all these beaches without even searching so I thought the names are not that important.
In the picture below is my favorite Corfu beach and to get the view as I did you just need to go up to the Paleokastritsa monastery – you don’t have to enter it, just go to that direction.
Palaiokastritsa Beach
In the same place, I decided to snorkel and I was truly amazed how clear was the water. Fishes underwater are not that exotic but it’s still a pleasure to explore the rocks and corals. By the way snorkeling in Corfu is totally free if you have your own best full face snorkel mask or any other snorkel gear.
I also loved the fact that you can have a lunch or drinks next to the amazing beach with really friendly prices.
After having a wonderful lunch we set our destination to the Paradise beach and unfortunately Google maps didn’t show any better way than parking a car and walking 4km. We were too excited to see the Paradise beach so we started going there by foot. After going for about 15mins we started thinking this is not going to end good and we are going to a totally wrong direction.
Looking at the positive side we had so much fun going through people homes, vineyards, cactuses, interesting trees and much more until we reached the Paradise beach! After walking for one hour up and down we reached Paradise, however not the bottom of it, so all we could do just enjoy the view and go back 😀
Next we headed to the city centre of Corfu, Kerkyra. If you’ll be driving your own car keep in mind that you’ll have to pay a 5 Euro parking fee unless you can find a free one which looked impossible at the moment I was.
Corfu Kerkyra City Centre
The city is really cozy and small, so you can easily go by foot and explore it in an hour. There are a lot of nice restaurants so we couldn’t resist to refresh ourself with a fresh Greek salad.
Greek Salad in Corfu
After the dinner, we walked a little bit more, went to the port, some other old town streets and headed back to the hotel.
Day 3 – Amazing time in Paxos and Antipaxos
The next day just after the breakfast we were picked by the bus which transferred us to the port for cruising over the Paxos and Antipaxos islands.
This tour cost us 60 Euro for both with transfer from and back to hotel. The price is insanely low and cheap as just a month ago we took a cruise over Athens islands which cost more than 200 Euro for both!
As long as this is a full day tour we found a good and comfortable spot on the ship and enjoyed the views until we reached the first stop. The first stop was the most amazing and beautiful – Antipaxos island. The most crystal clear water I have ever seen so far. It is a perfect place for snorkeling and just to have fun. Really an amazing experience!
Going to Paxos
After spending more than 1 hour in Antipaxos, we headed to Paxos – 5 times bigger island than this one.
The bigger island wasn’t something new to me as it is very similar to the ones I have been in Athens – (Hydra, Poros, Aegina). Full of restaurants, cafes, markets, and huge port. Unfortunately, beaches here are not that stunning as in Antipaxos. If it would be my decision I would have stayed in the smaller island much longer!
However, Paxos is a beautiful and a wonderful place to walk around, have a lunch, drink some coffee. It’s a pure relaxation here!
Most of the cruises give the most time here – 2h 45mins. It was more than enough to explore it.
Once the cruise was over we were safely and conveniently brought back to our hotel. I can honestly say that if you are in Corfu, this cruise is a must!
The next day we woke up early so we can see the sunrise and swim in the sea at the same time. It was an amazing experience, thanks to the hotel we were staying.
Morning in Corfu
The one unpleasant experience that I had, was bringing back the car to the office. It turned out that Google maps showed me really inaccurate so I got lost for like 20 minutes which was really stressful. That’s why I would like to point out that if you are not the one who loves driving then I suggest not to rent the car and just take the tours. On my calculations, you should save money and relax even more conveniently.
The end
To sum up, I can admit that Corfu is a wonderful island. It has so much, especially for nature and sea lovers. Everyone should have a great time here just like in any other island of Greece.
That’s it, hope you enjoyed reading. If you want a full travel guide that has all Corfu points of interest and even more tips, feel free to read it here. See you on my next trip!
