about corfu

Corfu Greece Port GuideCorfu (Kerkyra in Greek) has a population of 30,000 and is the Capital City of Corfu Island. The island is about 40 miles long and 20 miles wide. It is North and West of the Greek Coast separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. The mainland directly East and North of Corfu is Albania. See aerial photo at right.Like other Greek Islands, Corfu is beautiful, surrounded by crystal clear seas. Unlike other islands, Corfu has an elegant, cosmopolitan Capital City with impressive architecture, palaces, fortresses, castles, churches, monasteries, museums, squares, monuments, shops, and restaurants. Corfu is also a green island with lush vegetation due to the moderate climate and 43 inches of rainfall a year. In July-August, the average high temperature is 88 F and rainfall is 0.3 0.7 inch. Corfu has over 40 beautiful beaches, many resort areas, and mountains; it is a popular vacation destination. The views are stunning and there are many things to do, so plan ahead for your brief stay on the island when your cruise ship docks.You could spend your entire day in Corfu Town which is only 3 Km (1.8 miles) from the cruise ship dock. I have included details on things to see and do in Corfu Old Town with maps. I have also described a driving tour of Corfu Island which will take 4-6 hours depending on how long you spend at the different stops.

Table of contents:Aerial photos and maps of Corfu Old Town showing the dock and airport 2Details on shopping and a map showing store locations 2-3A map showing tourist sites in Old Town 4A step by step walking tour of Old Town with information on the Fortresses and St Spyridon Church 5Descriptions of museums in Old Town and how Mouse Island got its name 6Tourist sites outside Old Town with map coordinates; how to convert map coordinates to GPS 8A 2 hour driving tour route (4-6 hours depending on the stop time) around Corfu Island 9St George Bay 10Angelokastro Castle, Golden Fox Complex, and Akrotiri Hotel resort 11Paleokastritsa and the Monastery of the Virgin Mary 12Achilleion Palace 13-14Corfu is a green island 14Goal of port guides Feedback is important 15

CAVEATInformation contained herein is believed to be accurate. PLEASE verify information for your travel plans. Opinions expressed are my own. You are free to use and share this guide for non-commercial purposes. This port guide is protected by copyright law - see the last page of this guide for legal notices.Tom Sheridan NOTE: I would like to thank Carol Mills for use of her photos and for help on this port guide.

Corfu-03-10-2012 Page 1 of 15 For more guides, see www.TomsPortGuides.com

Corfu Old Town is Close to the Cruise Ship Dock and AirportThe aerial photo at left shows the city of Corfu, the Cruise Ship Dock, and the airport. It is 3 Km (1.8 miles) from the dock to the cruise ship shuttle bus stop next to the Old Fortress. If your cruise ship does not provide a shuttle bus, take a cab to this location. Esplanade (Spianada) is the most important square. The Palace and museums are North, the Old Fortress is East. As you enter Old Town to the West, you will pass Liston, the French design with beautiful arched terraces. The map below shows all of Corfu Old Town or Old Quarters.

Esplanade (Spianada), the main square, has impressive architecture and provides access to nearby museums, restaurants, and shops. This is the place to start your walking tour to explore Corfu, one of the most impressive cities in Greece. With the exception of climbing the fortresses, it is easy to walk the streets of Old Town.

View of Corfu from Cruise Ship Dock (photo below)

I call your attention to St Spyridon Church Tower as an important landmark in Old Town.ShoppingUsers of my port guides have asked for information on shopping. I have created a map, on the next page, of Old Town showing several stores. I am not recommending specific stores. My intent is to show where the stores are concentrated around Liston, St Spyridon Church, important squares, and monuments. There are shops everywhere in Corfu. Your cruise ship may also provide a map with their recommended stores.


Map Showing Some Stores in Corfu Old Town

The most attractive area to enter the shopping district is at the Old Fortress-Liston-Esplanade (Spianada) area. The buildings are magnificent and many shops are high end. For reference, I have shown San Rocco Sq. and St Spyridon Church. San Rocco Square is the public bus terminal in Corfu.

Jewelery stores are shown in red color. Other shops for clothes, antiques, ceramics, artwork, tobacco, ice cream, etc. are blue color. I call your attention to following shops:

The religious Icons shop. Koumkoat Vassilakis shop for local liquors, deserts, chocolate, caramelized almonds, honey bars, etc.Olive Wood Workshop wooden mortars, tree trunk cutting boards, candlesticks, souvenirs, etc.Ronaldo's Workshop paintings, hand crafted ancient ceramics, and ceramics for everyday use. Antiquerie embroidery, floral bedspreads, tablecloths, silk shawls, textile purses, etc.


Tourist Sites in Corfu (enlarge the map on your computer monitor to see more detail)


Tourist Sites in Corfu Old Town (see map on previous page)Walking TourFor a detailed, turn-by-turn walking tour, print a FREE Walking Tour of Corfu Town by Hilary Paipeti see this website http://www.allcorfu.com/we-corfiot-0410.html This walking tour begins at San Rocco Square and proceeds clockwise around the town. San Rocco Square is the public bus terminal in town.The walking tour goes through the fish & vegetable Farmers Market. With the exception of strenuous walking and climbing at the Fortresses, it is easy to walk around Corfu.

New Fortress (St Mark San Marco) see aerial photo on previous pageThe official name is St Mark (San Marco); the common name is New Fortress. It was completed in 1645 by the Venetians and subsequently occupied and modified by the French and then the British. It offers impressive views of the old harbor and the town. One entrance is uphill from the fish and vegetable (Farmers Market). The second entrance is near the old harbor. You will see the official emblem of Venice, the winged lion of St Mark near the gate entrances. The fortress is open daily 8:30 to 19:00. Admission ~ 4 Euros.

Old Fortress (Paleo Frourio) photo below

Photo of Old Fortress from the SouthAfter Corfu was destroyed by invaders in the 6th Century, a centuries long construction began to defend the city. The Old Fortress was built on a peninsula East of the town. The Venetians dug a moat turning it into an island and continued to improve the fortress. There are two impressive bastions. The British made additional improvements to the fortress and constructed St George Church. Located next to Liston and Esplanade Square, the Old Fortress provides excellent views of the town and Ionian Sea. It is open daily May-October 9:00 to 21:00 Tues-Friday. On Sat-Sun it closes earlier, at 15:00. Admission ~ 4 Euros.

Saint Spyridon Church - Patron Saint of Corfu IslandSaint Spyridon is honored by both Eastern and Western Christians. He was a shepherd in Cyprus, married, and had a daughter. When his wife died, he entered a monastery and his daughter became a nun. It is believed that he expelled the plague from Corfu and played a key role in defeating the Turks by appearing as a monk with a lit torch threatening the invaders and instilling fear/panic. The church contains relics and a silver sarcophagus. The tower rises high above the city and can be seen from almost anywhere in Corfu. The church tower is an important landmark to find your way around Corfu.


MUSEUMS IN CORFUMuseums are closed on Monday, except for the Banknote Museum which is in a bank. Admission is typically 4 euros. Tickets are available at reduced prices for multiple museums. I expect prices will rise in 2012. Banknote Numismatic MuseumThe Banknote Museum has one of the most extensive collections of coins in the world. The collection includes over 10,000 coins from the entire ancient world and a complete collection of Greek banknotes. It is located at the Ionian Bank on the Cypriot Battle Square, a few blocks South of St Spyridon Church. Hours are 10:00-14:00 Monday-Saturday. Admission is free.

Byzantine Museum (Antivouniotissa)The museum is at the site of Panagia Antivouniotissa a 15 th Century Church, the oldest church in Corfu. The museum displays several religious icons. Hours are 8:30-15:00 Tues-Sunday. Admission ~ 4 euros.

Solomos MuseumDionysios Solomos was the national poet of Greece. The Greek National Anthem is based on the first two verses of his poem Hymn to freedom. The museum displays his works, library, desk, etc. It is open Tues-Sunday 8:30 15:00. I believe admission is free.

Museums at the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George Museum of Asian Art Japanese theater masks, Chinese porcelain, bronze vases, jade objects, Samurai armor, Buddhist sculpture, etc. Hours Tuesday-Sunday:08:00-19:30. Admission ~ 4 euros.Municipal Art Gallery of Corfu The art gallery features work of Greek artists. It is open Tuesday Sunday 08:30 -15:00. I believe admission is free.

Archaeological Museum of CorfuMost of the exhibits are based on excavations from the ancient city of Corfu and other areas on Corfu Island. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday: 08:00-19:30. Admission ~ 4 euros.

Mon-Repos Palace (For location, see the aerial photo on page 2 of this port guide)Google map coordinates = 39.606366,19.926109Built in the early 1800's, Mon-Repos Palace has a history of use by British dignitaries, governors, and is the birthplace of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. It is located on top of a hill believed to be the original site of the ancient city of Corfu. The palace is surrounded by 250 acres of park with many tree lined pathways to explore. There are maps showing the paths and dogs are permitted in the park. The Palace has been restored to its original beauty. Displays include works of art, furniture, clothing, Byzantine remains and artifacts. Hours are 8:30 15:00, Tuesday-Sunday. Admission is free.

Not far from the palace, you will find ancient ruins such as the Roman baths.

Mouse Island (For location, see the aerial photo on page 2 of this port guide)Mouse (Pontikonisi) Island is a tiny island south of the airport. The Pantokrator monastery on the island has white marble stairs ascending up the hill. Viewed from a distance, the white staircase stands out among the trees and appears to be the tail of a mouse, hence the name mouse island. From the right vantage point and with a long telephoto lens, you can get a great photo. Wish I would have thought of that.


Touring OptionsIf time is short, and you are planning a self-guided tour, visit Corfu Old Town. It is pedestrian friendly except for climbing the Fortresses. You could easily spend all day on a self-guided tour of Corfu Old Town. My preference would be to enter Corfu Old Town at the main square of Esplanade (Spianada) near Liston which is 3 Km (1.8 miles) from the ship. This is the most picturesque area near the Old Fortress, the Palace, museums, cafes, shops, etc. Hopefully, your ship will provide a shuttle bus to Espanada (Spianada). If not, I would take a cab. Be sure to discuss cab fare before entering the cab and make sure the driver turns the meter on. There are also public buses, but the lines might be long and Greek public transportation does not follow timetables.From Esplanade (Spianada), I would walk through town to the West and exit town near the New Fortress near the sea which is 2 Km (1.2 mile) walk along the sea or a short cab ride to the ship.

To visit sites outside Old Town, take a ship's tour, rent a car, or hire a cab.My wife and I shared a pre-arranged taxi tour with another couple. Carol and Bob Mills had pre-arranged a rental car and toured with four of our mutual friends.

Our taxi tour was 50 Euros/hour plus tip. We toured for four hours. It was fantastic. Our driver was an accomplished photographer with thousands of dollars worth of his camera gear in the trunk. He knew every spot on the island for postcard photos. He taught photography. When we stopped for photos, he would give me tips such as stand here to get the cannon in the foreground. I was in heaven with my new Nikon camera and a professional photographer as my tour guide.Carol Mills rented a Fiat Multiplus 6 pax car for 90 Euros shared by 6 people (3-front, 3-rear). It was booked via http://www.corfusunrise.com Georgia Ginis. The agent met Carol at the dock holding a sign.Carol and Bob Mills plan ahead for their car rental. Bob Mills buys GPS maps for Greece before he leaves the USA. Cost is $ 60 for maps of Greece or $ 100 for maps of Greece and Italy. The GPS is great because road signs are scarce and they are hard to read in Greek. Program the GPS for destination town(s). You don't have to follow a precise route. You can explore the sites and can't get lost; the GPS will get you back to the ship. Bob also gets an international drivers permit from AAA for $24 because it is required in some countries e. g., Italy. The international permit is good for one year; the start date can be any day you specify.Carol describes the experience: We headed out of the port into the country stopping at interesting places along the way toward Paleokastritsa. I would have loved to have seen more historical sights, but we opted to just see more of the island by driving around. It was fun. We had a blast!!

Maps Are a Problem for Corfu IslandYou will find it difficult/impossible to get useful maps for Corfu Island. Unlike the USA where federal law requires that every building have a unique address, many locations in Greece don't have map addresses. Locations are described relative to squares, monuments, or geographic features which are not listed on maps. Street names are sparse and are usually posted in Greek which I find difficult to decipher.Google Maps, Microsoft Bing Maps, and the cruise ship's maps for Old Town use different names for the same streets. In addition, there are common names for tourist sites which are different from official names. Even major tourist sites have several names which adds to the confusion. The official name is St Mark Fortress (San Marco), but the common name is New Fortress as contrasted with the Old Fortress (Paleo Frourio). To compensate for these problems, I have created maps for Corfu Old Town using key landmarks as reference points. The town is small enough so you probably can't get lost. But this is more of a problem if you choose to rent a car to drive to major tourist sites. You will easily find the town near the tourist site, but may have difficulty finding the exact location of the site. To help find the tourist sites, I have specified coordinates which can be used in Google and Bing Maps. These coordinates can also be converted for use in GPS.


Converting Google Map Coordinates to GPS Map coordinates used by Google and Bing maps are different from latitude and longitude, which are different from GPS coordinates. I have illustrated this point with the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

Street Address = 701 Market Street, Philadelphia, PAGoogle Map coordinates = 39.949786,-75.150197

Do a Google search for convert map coordinates to GPS coordinatesYou will find several websites. Pick one of the websites and enter the Liberty Bell map coordinates of 39.949786,-75.150197 The website will display several types of coordinates for the location including GPS as shown below.

Decimal Degrees (WGS84)Latitude Longitude39.949786 -75.150197Degrees, Minutes & SecondsLatitude LongitudeN39 56 59 W75 09 00GPSLatitude LongitudeN 39 56.987 W 75 09.012UTM

X Y18N 487170 4422195

Below are map coordinates to help you find the tourist sites on a street map or satellite view. Google displays a green downpointing arrow at the position of the coordinates. Plug these coordinates into Google and Bing satellite and birdseye aerial views at high magnification to see detail so you can appreciate the topography of the landscape. You can convert these map coordinates to a format that works in your GPS. Experiment with the data above for the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to confirm which coordinates work in your GPS.The following map coordinates describe Carol Mills' car rental and Our Taxi Tour of Corfu Island

Location Map CoordinatesI. Cruise ship dock 39.62754,19.901326B. Ceramics workshop 39.673387,19.815216C. Scenic overlook of St George Bay near Pagoi 39.700814,19.69353D. Angelokastro Castle of the Angels 39.67823,19.686937E. Golden Fox Complex, Restaurant 39.679101,19.698658F. Akrotini Beach 4-Star Hotel 39.672974,19.716425G. Monastery of the Virgin Mary 39.669526,19.70149H. Achilleion Palace 39.562294,19.903793I. Cruise ship dock 39.62754,19.90132

I used the Google Map function of Get directions, add destination and entered the above coordinates to create the driving route map on the next page. It takes 2 hours driving time to cover the entire route. If you add time to stop for lunch and to visit stores and tourist sites, the total tour time would be 5 to 6 hours. We did not stop for lunch so our tour time was 4 hours. We got back to Corfu Town to spend several hours in the town before returning to the ship.


Driving Tour Around Corfu Island = 81.4 Km (49 miles), 2 Hours Driving Time

We began and ended at the Dock which is I on the map above. The Mills Party stopped at several shops along the road, had lunch at the Golden Fox and spent time in the beautiful area around Akrotini Beach and Paleokastritsa. Carol Mills made an emergency stop before leaving Corfu Town at a grocery store to stock up on wine for the cruise ship. Wish I had thought of that. Their second stop was at a Ceramics Workshop. Check out this website http://www.corfuceramics.gr/default.htm Then they stopped near the ceramics shop at the famous Yannis Olive Wood Art and Workshop (photo at right). See http://www.olivewood-art.com/html/english/about.htm

The photo at left makes the case for having a GPS if you rent a car. Unless you can read Greek, you will not be able to read road signs. A GPS will direct you to your destination; you don't need to read the signs.

Our taxi tour took the same route as the Mills Party but we did not stop at shops. We went directly into the mountains to a scenic overlook of St George Bay, stopped for photos at Angelokastro, town center in Paleokastritsa to see the most beautiful beach on the island, toured the Virgin Mary Monastery and the Achilleion Palace. The driver dropped us off at Corfu Town to explore the town and return to the ship on our own.


A Large Horseshoe Shaped Bay named after St George (Patron Saint of Greece)

The mountain ranges in Albania are North and East of Corfu Island. The scenic overlook for St George Bay(photo above right) is high on a mountain ridge. This gives you an impressive view of the bay, the small islands, and the Albanian mountains.

Photo of bay from scenic outlook. Unfortunately, you can't clearly see the mountains of Albania in this photo.


Angelokastro Castle of the AngelsHistorians debate whether it is wrongly named Castle of the Angels arguing it was named after a man Angleokastro. But they do agree it was one of the most important Byzantine military complexes in Greece. It is located on the highest peak on the shoreline of Corfu Island, an excellent vantage point to survey the Southern Adriatic. The castle is believed to date back to early 1200's. The castle is near Paleokastritsa which means old castle place in Greek. We stopped at the roadside to photograph it. Some tourists climb the steep path to the top to enjoy awesome views of the area.

Golden Fox Complex Lakones - Paleokastritsa - 49083 Corfu This is one the resorts with breathtaking views, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop with table linens, rugs, hand carved olive wood pieces, and other souvenirs. The Mills Party had lunch at the restaurant. The website is http://www.corfugoldenfox.com/

Akrotiri Beach Hotel a 4-star Akrotiri is on a peninsula in Paleokastritsa, on Agia Triada Beach.See http://www.akrotiri-beach.com/photo-gallery-corfu-hotel.aspx Carol Mills stopped in this area for photographs (below). The scenery is gorgeous.


Beach in Paleokastritsa town center There are about 40 beaches on Corfu Island. In one area such as Paleokastritsa there are multiple beaches; I think there are four different beaches. All the beaches I saw were beautiful. Some have pebbles, others have fine sand. The beach in this photo (right) is described as the most beautiful and popular on the Island. I don't know if it is, but it is very convenient because the beach is directly across the road from the parking lot in town center.

Monastery of Virgin Mary

Entrance One of the many paintingsThe Monastery in Paleokastritsa is dedicated to Panagia (Virgin Mary). It dates back to the early 1200s. The location is high on a cliff overlooking the sea. There are beautiful gardens, a church, and a bookstore/gift shop. The nuns feed the cats in the gardens. We spent a little over a half hour at the monastery. One of the advantages of arriving in a cab is the driver drops you off at the top of the hill, next to the entrance and waits for you. If you arrive in a car or bus, you have to park in the lot and walk up the steep hill.


Monastery of Virgin Mary - church, a Russian cannon, and the bell tower (photos above)

Achilleion Palace The palace was built for Empress Elizabeth of Austria. It is a beautiful building with a very impressive interior, decorations, artwork, and gorgeous formal gardens. Admission is ~ 7 euros.


Formal Gardens - Achilleion Palace (photos below)

We spent about half an hour at the palace. It is well worth a visit. On our way back to the Corfu Town, our taxi driver made several stops for us to take photos of the coastline. Corfu Island is gorgeous.

Corfu Is a Green IslandFlowers along the highway (photos left) The green mountains ( photo right)

I had expected the typical Greek Island with a hot and arid climate. I was impressed with the lush green foliage and delighted to see so many beautiful flowers along the highway. The mountains are impressive and the beaches are drop-dead gorgeous. Corfu Island impresses me as a tranquil, beautiful island with many things to see and do. The brief port stop for a cruise ship is not long enough. Spending some vacation time on Corfu is on my bucket list.


Goal of Port Guides - Your Feedback Is Important

GoalPort guides are designed to help you plan a great cruise vacation by providing information, which I believe to be accurate, such as:

Where the ship docks, Whether you can walk to the nearby town, Things to see and do, Options for self-guided or organized tours, and Travel issues unique to the port area.

Knowledge of ports is important because you have to make many decisions and commitments long before your ship arrives in the port. You can use this port guide as a source of information, but you are responsible to verify accuracy of the information you use to plan your vacation.

Why feedback is importantUser feedback helps me make corrections and fine tune the subjects included, the length of guides, format, etc. I welcome offers to collaborate with me by providing information for inclusion in the guides. The guides serve as an introduction to a port and are not intended to answer every question about the details of each port and tourist destination. There are other sources of information such as www.CruiseCritic.com for your detailed questions. Knowledgeable CC members will share their information.

Help spread the word about my websiteThe only negative feedback I get is, I wish I knew about your port guides before my vacation. My website was created in April 2011, and it is unknown to most cruisers. If you see value in my port guides, tell your friends, post a reference to my guides and my website on the blogs, etc. And if you wish to receive email notification when new port guides are available, send your email address to me at

[email protected]

I wish you a great cruise vacation.

Regards,Tom Sheridan

Copyright NoticeMy port guides are protected by copyright law. You are free to use them for non-commercial purposes, to attach them to emails and distribute them as electronic or printed files, but you cannot sell them. You are free to post the port guide pdf files on web sites. But it is better to post a link to my web site. This makes it easier for people to see the new guides and obtain the latest updates. The name of each guide includes the date it was published or last updated. For example, the guide for Fort Lauderdale is FtLauderdale-12-31-2011.pdf.

Use this link for my website: www.TomsPortGuides.comYou cannot change my port guides and must leave this copyright notice intact. The guides are exclusively owned by Thomas Sheridan. I can be contacted by email at: [email protected]


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