Greece: Corfu Island
Getting to know Corfu - The three main sections of the island:
South Corfu
Corfu is one of the greek ionian islands. It is located in the North west overlooking the Albanian and mainland Greek shores.
My recommendation is, move as much as you can, visit as much as you can, get lost by not only following the tourist track because there are hidden places everywhere that will make your experience of Corfu truly unique.
People here are so welcoming, or at least I was very lucky to end up in places owned by welcoming, smiling, and genuinely nice people. I feel like rule number one over there is to live slowly and take in every little bit of what life has to offer.
Quick sweet and savory highlights:
🧂: Most of the recommendations can be found in local tavernas * Spanakopita (spinach and sometimes cheese, pastry), A good Greek salad (tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, green pepper, red onions, Kalamata olives, olive oil, salt and vinegar), Dakos salad (tomatoes, olives, feta and croutons), Oven Feta cheese, Grilled fish, dolmades (wine leaves stuffed with rice), Sofrito (slow cooked veal in red wine sauce), Pastitsada (beef or rooster stew made of tomatoes, onion, cinnamon and cloves served with thick pasta), aubergine dip, courgette balls, marinated octopus, stuffed tomatoes and peppers (with rice and spices, sometimes meat), and of course their Gyros!
🍬: The orange (🍊) cake, Greek yoghurt with honey (and fruit), baklava, all type of phyllo pastries, lemon cake, apple cake, Kumquat deserts, ice cream
🍸☕️: Freddo Capuccino/espresso), Kumquat liqueur, Raki, Ouzo, house wines, bottled beers (Mythos), canned beers (Nimfi, Alfa)
where to stay on corfu island
Villa Mamamia the most perfect place you could ever imagine (as a solo traveller or couple). But you MUST have a mean of transportation. Located in the hills of Temploni, this bed and breakfast offers three rooms in the main villa as well as a tiny house. It has a pool overlooking the mountains, an open kitchen, 2 dogs and a lovely owner from holland. The location of this place is perfect because it is smack in the center of the island, meaning an easy access to everything.
Price for a room: around 35 euros. You can also rent a tent or sleep on the hammock for 15 euros/night.
You can also have breakfast for 10 euros.
Where to eat 🍴: There is a fully equipped kitchen if you want to cook for yourself, otherwise I recommend you go to La Dokala. Everything they serve there is really tasty! But if I really had to choose I’d take the eggplant dip, Dakos salad or the Greek salad, some grilled meat or courgette balls if you are a vegetarian.
A bit further away (but still very close with a scooter or a car) is Spyros 97 and Apomero. You also have a mini market close with everything that you need, a petrol station and a pharmacy.
Other places that I recommend (mid-range price):
Kapella apartments (Vatos)
Voula accommodation (Agio Gorgios)
Malibu B&B (Glyfada): Super cozy and extremely well equipped.
Rent a car or a scooter 🚗 🛵
If you are staying at Villa Mama mia, I recommend you rent a scooter from Theo. For his contact you can contact me :) His scooters are less fancy than the average but you can be sure that there won’t be any hidden issues at the end.
Otherwise there are plenty of scooter rentals near the airport or town!
For a car I recommend you go via Centauro. It is on the more expensive side but their cars are the latest models and they give you the full insurance which allows you to have a complete peace of mind.
As they told me “You can crash the car, we will give you a new one”.
island Buses - blue and green 🚍
The blue line includes buses that go around Corfu town and in the neighboring villages.
👉🏼 CORFU BLUE LINES TIME TABLE
The green buses are bigger couches that run to further villages and towns
visiting Corfu on a budget
Is Corfu expensive? Moderately expensive, especially the accommodation which is really expensive (as a solo traveller.). When you divide everything it becomes a lot more affordable
Is it possible to visit Corfu on a budget? Yes. Is it easy? Moderately easy, especially if you are a solo traveler. Here are my recommendations:
#1 My first recommendation would be to go off season, especially May and June or September as the weather will already be splendid (minimum 24 - maximum 32 degrees) and the prices still normal.
#2 Do your competitive research. I don’t know how I manage to get such low prices on my room but when I enter other dates the price is double or triple. Maybe it is because I booked 2 days in advance, but that is a gamble.
#3 The South of Corfu seems to be slightly less expensive, especially the accommodation. That said I really suggest you’d stay in the center west
#4 Travel smart. By this I mean use buses and your legs as much as you can. Rent a scooter or quad whenever you want to go further. Of course if you are in a group, you can split the costs of a car.
#5 If you have a kitchen sometimes cook at home BUT I RECOMMEND EATING IN FAMILY TAVERNAS, it’s affordable and delicious.
How to visit Corfu
It really depends on how you plan your stay. My recommendation would be to stay at one spot instead of moving around all the time and plan your daily excursions from there.
Let yourself be surprised by the beauty of this island, the kindness of its inhabitants, and the divine food it has to offer.
Any questions? Any doubts? Any thoughts?
Contact me on Instagram