The 14 Best Corfu Beaches
The second-largest of Greece's Ionian islands, Corfu is known for its vast greenery of cypress trees, olive groves and wild flowers, hence its nickname - the Emerald Isle.
With around 200km of coastline to explore, there are plenty of beaches to choose from. And with average temperatures in the low 30s during the summer months, you can expect plenty of company on some of the island's more popular beaches.
When it comes to picking the right resort, there really is something to suit everyone in Corfu. Teens and twenty-somethings make a beeline for Kavos, which has been a 24/7 party hotspot since the 80s. As you can imagine, the beaches here reflect the guests, so you can expect loud and lively, and a huge choice of adrenaline-filled watersports along the five-mile stretch of sand.
At the opposite end of the scale - and the island - you'll find the far quieter seaside spots of Gouvia and San Stefanos. While these do get busy with tourists, there's plenty of space on the wide open beaches here, and a far quieter and more family-friendly atmosphere. San Stefanos' 2km stretch of biscuit-coloured sand has a Blue Flag tick to its name too.
And if you're looking for an altogether quieter beach with spectacular sunset views, then take a trip out to Sunset Beach. It's just a 10-minute taxi ride away from the lively resort of Sidari and it's arguably the best place in Corfu to watch the sun set. The beach itself is a small stone and pebble area with a sheer cliff face behind it, but for a secluded spot that's ideal for couples, it takes some beating.
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1. Loggas Beach
maczopikczu Loggas Beach sits in the far northwest of the island, approximately an hour's drive from Corfu Town. A sandy but narrow beach backed by almost sheer cliffs, reaching Loggas Beach requires following a steep path down from the top of these cliffs. That, together with the fact there are few activities or water sports available, and only a handful of sunbeds, might make you wonder about the reason for visiting… read more »
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2. Glyfada Beach
dronepicr Great for:- Swimming
One of Corfu's longer runs of beach, Glyfada Beach can be found on the island's west coast. Here low dunes and grasses slip down towards the sea before being halted in their progress by a depth of beautiful flat golden sand – a relatively rare occurrence on Corfu's shingle-strewn beaches.
Generally attracting a younger crowd, it can be quite noisy and is not a beach to head to if searching for… read more »
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3. Agios Gordios Beach
Fllweissbr Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Agios Gordios is another fine beach located on the west coast of Corfu. Its ribbon of golden sand runs for approximately 1.5 metres in length, and is lined much of the way by restaurants, tavernas, and accommodation options. Despite this the resort still has the feel of a Greek village, complete with small supermarkets and other useful amenities.
Taking its name from a church (St George) located midway along its length,… read more »
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4. Paleokastritsa Beach
© Julien Maury Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
There are actually a few beaches that make up Paleokastritsa on Corfu's northwestern coast. A series of coves separated by cypress-topped limestone headlands and caressed by the clear blues of the Ionian Sea.
The most popular beach, and the one that is synonymous with Paleokastritsa is Agios Spyridon (Not to be confused with Agios Spiridon on the east coast). Awarded the coveted Blue Flag award for cleanliness and first class facilities this is a… read more »
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5. Agios Georgios Pagon
© Albtalkourtaki Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Kitesurfing
The beach of Agios Georgios Pagon is one of the largest on the island of Corfu. Set in a wide bay backed by verdant hillsides this sweep of golden sand never gets too crowded, even in the summer. The small resort and village behind is fairly low key and generally caters for families.
Whilst the sand here is not the finest in the world it is a lovely golden colour. The… read more »
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6. Porto Timoni
© Callisto_Schmidt Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
The beach of Porto Timoni sits below the cliffside village of Afionas. Still something of a hidden gem, access is either by a walk of around 20 minutes with good shoes from the village's main square or by boat from Agios Georgios or similar nearby resorts.
Made up of pebbles rather than sand, what makes Porto Timoni special is the fact it is double-sided, comprising two separate beaches separated by… read more »
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7. Dassia Bay
Liilia Moroz Great for:- Swimming
Dassia Beach may be narrow at approximately 15 metres wide, but it does have a lot going for it. Two hundred metres long, the mixture of sand and shingle pebbles is largely flat, providing family-friendly entry into tranquil waters. It is able to offer two rows of thatched umbrellas for hire, the latter row partly located on the area of grass behind.
Located between the villages of Gouvia and Ipsos, the… read more »
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8. Agios Ioannis Peristeron
© ElenaPavlovich Great for:- Swimming
Located on Corfu's southeast coast, Agios Ioannis Peristeron is around 16 kilometres from Corfu Town. It is known for its pale blue waters and quiet ambience, since there are no larger resorts located here.
A relatively thin string of pebble-strewn sand, Agios Ioannis Peristeron is backed onto by an area of grass. Shaded by the trees, it has a boardwalk that makes strolling along its length and reaching the shallows particularly… read more »
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9. Barbati Beach
Predrag Stojadinovic Great for:- Swimming
Barbati Beach is one of the most popular on Corfu's east coast. It is surrounded by dramatic hills including Mount Pantokrator, the tallest on the island. The beach itself extends for roughly 1.6 kilometres of pale pebbles and faces south into a large concave arc of bays. This ensures the warm clear waters here are relatively tranquil and good for swimming, although there is a steep shelf not far from… read more »
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10. Canal d'Amour Beach
Frédérique Voisin-Demery Great for:- Swimming
The tiny beach of Canal d'Amour is only long enough to welcome in a handful of parasols, and not much wider. Its dark, richly-coloured sands sit between two narrow fingers of rock which stretch out some distance into the light waters creating an enclosed canal or fjord-like feel.
Entirely natural, this protected stretch of Corfu's northern coast has formed because of centuries of wind and wave action. Located between the villages… read more »
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11. Rovinia Beach
© Flip Book Great for:- Swimming
Rovinia Beach lies on the west coast of Corfu at Paleokastritsa Bay, close to the village of Liapades. Both secluded and enclosed, it has coarse sand to its rear and smooth shingle towards the lapping waves, neither of which are particularly painful to walk on in bare feet. What's more, the almost white pebbles create a staggering contrast to the lush blues of the sea and the dark greens… read more »
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12. Issos Beach
Kurt Bauschardt Great for:- Swimming
- Kitesurfing
Issos Beach is a quiet ribbon of golden sand some 1.5 kilometres long that is backed by gently-sloping dunes. These separate it from the forests and wetlands that surround Lake Korission, one of Corfu's most important bodies of freshwater.
This south facing beach lies in the far south of the island, and benefits from a lifeguard presence during the high season. Issos Beach has a shallow entry into glorious turquoise waters,… read more »
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13. Marathias beach
© maekfoto Great for:- Swimming
Marathias Beach stretches for roughly two kilometres of fantastic orange sand. Awarded a Blue Flag, it is located on Corfu's southwest coast, and is surrounded by mature native forest and low sea cliffs. To its north is Agios Georgios Argyrades, while to the south Marathias runs without a break into Santa Barbara Beach.
However, it is also backed by a good number of restaurants, tavernas and places to stay. Well-equipped with… read more »
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14. Halikounas Beach
© Simon Dannhauer Great for:- Swimming
- Kitesurfing
Halikounas Beach is located at the northern end of a thin strip of land that separates Lake Korission from the sea on the southwest coast of the island. Sometimes known by the alternative name of Chalikounas, the beach is predominantly made up of yellow sand, though this does have a mixture of shingle along its three-kilometre length too.
The largest sand beach on this side of the island, one of its… read more »
