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Corfu, Greece Travel Guide

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Corfu is located on the far northwest corner of Greece, just off the coast of the land border with Albania. Corfu, Greece, is one of the most beautiful and romantic islands of the Ionian island group. With more rainfall than any other Greek island, there is a variety and abundance of plant life like few other places in Greece. Corfu island has fascinating culture since it has been under Venetian, French, and British rule.

How To Get To Corfu, Greece

boats in Corfu

If you are coming from Athens, your best option would be to take a plane. You can also take a bus and then a ferry from Athens to Corfu if you are on a budget, but the trip will take around 6 hours.

If you are coming from Albania, your best option would be to take a ferry from Saranda, Albania, to Corfu. The ferry ride is just over an hour.

You can also take a ferry from Italy to Corfu. The ferries depart from the ports in Bari, Venice, and Ancona. They are very convenient if you want to bring your car with you to Corfu.

You can book your ferry tickets with either Direct Ferries or Ferry Hopper.

Transportation in Corfu

Drone shot corfu greece

I highly recommend staying near the old town in Corfu. I stayed in an Airbnb around a 15-minute drive outside of old town, and it made my trip more complicated.

If you are taking a plane to Corfu, you can book a taxi in advance to take you to your hotel with Welcome Pickups.

You can also get a taxi when you arrive at the airport, but it will most likely be more expensive than if you book a taxi in advance. Taxis in Corfu don’t use meters, so make sure to talk to your driver beforehand about the price.

Corfu is quite a large island, so you might still need to use transportation even if you stay near the old town. You can rent a car, scooter, or ATV. If you are a US citizen like I am, you will need an international driver’s license to rent a car or a scooter. I don’t think you will need one if you decide to rent an ATV. I didn’t do this, so I can’t say for sure.

If you decide not to rent a car, scooter, or ATV, you can also take the bus. There are two kinds of buses in Corfu: blue buses and green buses. The blue buses cover short distances near Corfu Town, and the green buses go further around the island. You can learn more about the blue buses here and the green buses here.

Things To Do In Corfu, Greece

Sailing Excursion

Corfu Sailing Excursion

In my opinion, the best thing to do in Corfu is a sailing excursion. The sailing excursion that I did went to Paxos, Antipaxos, and the Blue Caves. Paxos and Antipaxos are considered gems of the Ionian and crystal clear waters. The trip started at 8 am, and we arrived back at the port in Corfu at 7 pm.

Blue Caves Corfu

Much of the day was spent relaxing on the boat, but we had a few hours to spend exploring the town on Paxos, and we stopped for a swim for a few hours at Antipaxos.

Explore Old Town

Old Town Corfu

The capital of Corfu, Kérkyra, is one of the most interesting towns in Greece because it feels like you are walking around in Venice, not Greece. This is because Venetians controlled the island for four centuries. Corfu was also never occupied by the Ottomans. Old Town is now a protected UNESCO world heritage site, and it sits between two Venetian fortresses.

Old Town Corfu Greece Europe

The Old Town has several museums. You can spend an entire day visiting the museums, walking the streets, and eating at the delicious restaurants.

Corfu Donkey Rescue

In the past, donkeys were frequently used for work on Corfu. Thankfully, this practice is rapidly declining. Many donkeys have become useless for their owner and were planned to be sold to the Italian meat market. The Corfu Donkey Rescue has come in and saved hundreds of donkeys from the slaughterhouse.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to visit, but I plan on prioritizing coming here whenever I return to Corfu.

Top Tours in Corfu, Greece

Signs in Paxos

Eating Vegan in Corfu

Overall, Greece is a fairly vegan-friendly country. Most restaurants will be able to accommodate a vegan dietary restriction.

Vegan avocado sandwich

I found a vegan restaurant in Old Town called Bizou Vegan Cafe. I ordered a matcha milkshake and avocado sandwich. Both were delicious!

Vegan gelato

I was in Corfu in the middle of July, and it was so hot that I decided to stop for vegan gelato at Pastry/Ice Cream Bochoti. They had other vegan desserts available as well.

Vegan Moussaka

If you decide to do the sailing excursion to Paxos that I mentioned earlier, I found a restaurant in Paxos called Souvlaki.gr that serves vegan moussaka along with a few other vegan dishes.

Traveling to Athens, Greece? Make sure to check out my vegan guide to Athens!

Where to Stay in Corfu

rocks antipaxos

Corfu Palace

Corfu Palace is located in the city center and next to a golf course. This hotel includes a restaurant, fitness center, and a swim-up bar.

Cavalieri Hotel

Cavalieri Hotel is also located in the center of town near the Venetian Old Fortress. This hotel includes a restaurant, bar/lounge, and free buffet breakfast.

Sunrock Hostel

Sunrock is a family-run hostel that has both dorm rooms and private rooms. This hostel has a bar, restaurant, sun terrace, vegetable garden, and flower garden. While Sunrock Hostel is not located in the Old Town, they offer a transfer service from the port, airport, and Corfu Town.

What to Pack For Corfu, Greece

Old Town Corfu Greece
  • Swimsuit: One of the main reasons to visit Greece is to see the beaches. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit! Swimwear for men and swimwear for women.
  • Sunscreen: Greece is hot in the summer. Make sure to protect yourself by wearing suncream at all times. This is my favorite for my face and my body (both are vegan and cruelty-free).
  • Microfiber Towel: A microfiber towel is one of my favorite travel products because it is lightweight, easy to dry, and takes up very little space. Even if you decide to stay at a hotel where towels are provided, a microfiber towel is still great to bring to the beach because it can fit into your backpack without taking up much space.
  • Camera: Yes, cell phone cameras are pretty good these days, but I still think the quality of a real camera is better. Try this Canon camera if you are new to the world of DSLRs. This Osmo pocket is my favorite travel camera because it is so tiny and fits right in your pocket. All of my YouTube videos so far have been primarily filmed on this camera. Although a drone isn’t essential, I love the pictures and videos that I get from it too much not to share. I also recommend bringing a GoPro to Greece to get great pictures from the water.
  • Portable Charger: I never leave my house without a portable charger. You never have to worry about your phone running out of battery if you have one of these.
  • Plug adapter: Greece uses a C-type plug.
  • Packing Cubes: Packing cubes will help you save space and keep your belongings organized.
  • Daypack: This is the daypack that I used while in Corfu. It has enough space for my camera, drone, wallet, water bottle, and anything else I need during the day.
  • Large Backpack: This is my favorite travel backpack. It has enough space for everything you need, and it has plenty of extra pockets to hold your belongings.

Check out all of my favorite travel products here.

The Best Resources For Traveling to Greece

boats in Paxos
  • Welcome Pickups – Book a taxi to pick you up at the airport, so you don’t have to worry about getting scammed. They also offer a private sightseeing tour in Athens.
  • Ferry Hopper – book ferries between the cities/islands in Greece.
  • Expedia – book your hotel, flight, car rental, and more.
  • RenalCars.com – the best website for renting a car.
  • HostelWorld – the best website for finding hostels.
  • Viator – my favorite website for finding guided tours.
  • World Nomads – Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It is so important to have in case anything goes wrong.
  • Cookly – book cooking classes in Greece.
  • Express VPN – Traveling often means using free wifi available in coffee shops, hotels, and airports. This can leave you vulnerable to hackers. I always use a VPN when traveling to keep my personal information more private and secure. Using a VPN will also allow you to access information that isn’t available in the country you visit. (For example: watching US Netflix while in Greece).
  • Skyroam – I always like to carry my Skyroam with me (unless I buy a SIM card), so I always have access to the internet to help with directions and for safety. You can get 10% off your purchase with the code THEVEGANABROAD.

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Corfu Travel Guide