Surrounded by dazzling seas and speckled with lush green coves, the best beaches in Corfu make this storied Ionian island, just off the coast of Albania and a short hop from the Greek mainland, a paradise for sun-seekers, beach babes and water-sports enthusiasts. Whether you’re seeking silk swathes of sand and gently shelving blue waters perfect for families, secret coves surrounded by bottle-green cedar forests and fine pebble beaches ideal for snorkelling, or buzzy strands with splashy watersports where adrenaline-activity lovers can get their kicks, Greece’s greenest island delivers. Here are the eight Corfu beaches that need to be on your beach bucket list this summer.
Paleokastritsa
Carved out of Corfu’s dramatically scenic north-western coastline, this mythical bay, where legend says poet Homer’s hero Odysseus rested on his way home to Troy, is justly popular for its six sumptuous beaches looped like precious gems along the sea-sparkled coast. Popular with families, Agios Spyridon has plenty of plump sunbeds, along with a handful of beach tavernas – Nereids is your best bet for brine-fresh seafood, whilst Elia dishes up great-value meze snacks. Prefer a Robinson Crusoe vibe? Take a water taxi from Agios Spyridon’s bustling port and make a beeline for Chomi, one of the most isolated beaches, where sheer cliffs slice into turquoise water that’s so clear you can spot sea urchins on the rocks beneath.
Barbati
Spilling out from the forested skirts of Mount Pantokrator on this cypress-studded island’s east coast, this spellbindingly scenic beach packs in plenty of wow factor. Cocooned in swathes of olive groves and waving palm fronds, the white-pebble strand is the backdrop for window-clear waters where fish flicker, enticing snorkellers to don masks and follow. Barbati might be peaceful, but with Ipsos’ lively beach bars and thrilling watersport activities just a barefoot beach stroll away, this lovely strip of littoral offers the best of all worlds.