Dear travelers,
1. Glyfada Beach – Our Favorite Beach in Corfu
Best for: Sand, swimming and a proper beach day
Let’s start with the winner.
Glyfada Beach was our favorite beach in Corfu.
And the funny thing is, we weren’t even staying there.
After spending our first three days in Corfu Town, we picked up our rental car and started driving towards Paleokastritsa, where we would be staying for the second half of our trip.
We decided to stop at Glyfada along the way. It was supposed to be just another beach stop.
Instead, I immediately started wondering whether we should have stayed there.
If you’re like me and your ideal beach is long, sandy and spacious, Glyfada is probably going to be much more your style than the little coves around Paleokastritsa.
The beach felt open, the water was beautiful, and there was enough space that it actually felt like you could settle in for the entire day.
We visited around five or six beaches during our Corfu trip, and Glyfada was the one we kept comparing the others to. That’s usually a pretty good sign.
What was the water like at Glyfada?
When we first visited, the water was perfect.
Later during our trip, we had a rainy day, and after that we noticed that the sea felt considerably colder.
Would I return to Glyfada?
Immediately.
If we went back to Corfu, I would seriously consider staying closer to Glyfada or another larger sandy beach.
For my personal beach preferences, this was easily the best fit.
2. Paleokastritsa Main Beach – Beautiful, But Not What I Expected
Best for: Scenery, clear water and exploring several bays
Now we need to talk about Paleokastritsa. Because if Instagram influenced one expectation I had about this trip, it was this one.
Before visiting, I somehow thought Paleokastritsa was one large beach.
It isn’t.
Paleokastritsa is an entire coastal area made up of different bays and beaches, surrounded by dramatic green hills and rocky coastline.
The beach you commonly see when searching for Paleokastritsa is the main beach, but there are several other swimming spots around the area.
And visually? It’s beautiful.
The water is clear, the hills surrounding the bays are incredibly green, and the entire landscape looks exactly like the kind of place that makes you stop scrolling when it appears on Instagram.
But here’s where personal preference matters. I love sand.
Paleokastritsa’s smaller, pebbly beaches aren’t really my favorite type of beach.
I enjoyed visiting them, and the scenery is absolutely worth seeing, but after spending several days based in Paleokastritsa, I realized that I would personally rather visit Paleokastritsa for the day and stay somewhere with a bigger sandy beach.
If you’re the opposite and love small coves, pebbles and dramatic scenery, you might absolutely love staying here.
Aragosta Beach Club
On the main Paleokastritsa beach, we also visited Aragosta Beach Club.
This is more of the stylish beach-club option.
Think nice setting, cocktails, beach vibes and a slightly more polished atmosphere.
Just don’t arrive expecting bargain prices.
Like many of the more touristy beach bars we encountered in Corfu, drinks aren’t particularly cheap. At several places around the island, we saw cocktails starting at around €14.
For one afternoon of treating yourself?
Why not.
3. Akron Beach – An Easy Beach Day in Paleokastritsa
Best for: A relaxed beach-club day
One day while staying in Paleokastritsa, we went to Akron Beach Bar, which was really close to our hotel.
And sometimes that’s exactly what you need on holiday.
No one wants every beach day to involve packing everything into the car, navigating tiny Corfu roads, finding parking and turning a supposedly relaxing day into a logistical exercise.
Akron was convenient for us because we could stay close to our accommodation while still having a proper beach day.
Again, this part of Corfu is more about smaller beaches and bays rather than huge stretches of sand.
If you’re staying in Paleokastritsa, that’s actually part of the appeal: you can try a different beach or swimming spot almost every day.
4. La Grotta – Not Really a Beach, But You Should Go Anyway
Best for: Swimming, views and drinks by the water
Okay, technically, putting La Grotta on a list of Corfu beaches might be cheating slightly.
It’s more of a rocky swimming spot and beach bar than a traditional beach. But it was one of our favorite places around Paleokastritsa, so I’m including it.
La Grotta was located almost directly across from where we were staying at Paleokastritsa Palace.
From above, you look down into this beautiful little rocky inlet with incredibly clear blue water.
And then you notice the stairs.
So. Many. Stairs.
There are around 140 steps leading down to La Grotta, and the descent is quite steep.
Going down?
Easy.
Coming back up after swimming, sitting in the sun and possibly having a drink?
Suddenly those stairs feel very personal.
Still, I would absolutely recommend visiting.
The setting is completely different from a traditional beach, and the views are beautiful.
Come for a swim, stay for a drink, and mentally prepare yourself for the climb back up.
5. Agios Georgios Beach – Worth Adding to a North Corfu Road Trip
Best for: Combining with Sidari and Canal d’Amour
One of our road-trip days took us north from Paleokastritsa towards Sidari and Canal d’Amour.
And after visiting Sidari and Canal d’Amour, we continued towards Agios Georgios Beach.
The drive took us roughly another 20 minutes, and the scenery along the way was beautiful.
This made Agios Georgios an easy addition to our northern Corfu road trip rather than somewhere we dedicated an entire day to.
If you’re already exploring this part of the island, it’s worth adding to your route.
Don’t confuse Agios Georgios with Agios Gordios!
Because apparently Corfu decided beach names weren’t confusing enough.
Agios Georgios and Agios Gordios are two different beaches.
We visited both during the same trip.
And yes, I definitely had to double-check which was which when organizing all my photos afterward.
6. Agios Gordios Beach – Our Last Beach in Corfu
Best for: A spacious beach and a final swim before the airport
Our final beach of the trip was Agios Gordios.
On our last day, we had checked out but still had time before our flight. And I refuse to voluntarily spend few extra hours sitting at an airport when there is a Greek beach nearby.
So we went to Agios Gordios. This turned out to be a great choice.
The beach was large and spacious, and when we visited, there weren’t many people around.
After several days of little bays and busier tourist spots, having so much space felt really nice.
We spent our final few hours swimming and relaxing before getting back into the car and heading towards the airport.
From Agios Gordios, we had roughly a 30-minute drive to the airport area.
Our rental-car company was located close to Corfu Airport, so we returned the car and they drove us to the terminal.
Bonus: Antipaxos & Paradise Beach
Best for: That ridiculously turquoise Greek-island water
I know. Technically, Antipaxos isn’t Corfu.
But if you’re staying in Corfu and considering a boat trip, I can’t write an article about our favorite swimming spots without mentioning it.
During our full-day Paxos and Antipaxos boat tour, we had a swimming stop near Paradise Beach.
And the water? This was probably the most impressive water we saw during the entire trip.
Crystal clear, blue and turquoise to the point where it almost looked fake.
If you’re someone who chooses Greek islands based primarily on water color — no judgment, I understand completely — you’ll probably love this part of the boat trip.
The only difference is that this isn’t somewhere you simply drive to for a beach day from Corfu.
You’ll need to take a boat excursion. For us, that made it even more special.
How Much Do Sunbeds Cost in Corfu?
Let’s get to one of the practical questions I always want answered before a beach holiday.
How much are the sunbeds?
From our experience, at many of the more touristy beaches, we saw prices of around €30 for two sunbeds and an umbrella.
And sometimes that was literally just the sunbeds.
No drinks. No lunch. Not even a symbolic bottle of water to make you feel better about it.
However, we also found places — particularly outside the most touristy spots — where the system was much better.
You might have a €20–€30 minimum spend, but you could use that money towards food and drinks.
If you’re already planning to have lunch and a few drinks at the beach, that’s obviously much better value.
So before sitting down, ask how it works.
A simple: “Is this the price for the sunbeds, or is it minimum consumption?” can save you money.
Do You Need a Car for the Best Beaches in Corfu?
I would recommend renting one if beach hopping is a priority. We didn’t have a car during our first three days in Corfu Town, and that worked perfectly.
When we checked out and moved towards Paleokastritsa, we picked up our rental car. From that point onward, having a car gave us the freedom to stop at Glyfada, explore Paleokastritsa, drive north towards Sidari and Agios Georgios, and finish our holiday at Agios Gordios.
Just remember that driving takes longer than you might expect. Some roads are:
- Very narrow
- Winding
- Full of potholes
- Slower than the distance suggests
So don’t plan six beaches in one day.
Final Thoughts: Which Beach Should You Choose in Corfu?
The biggest thing I learned while beach hopping around Corfu is that you shouldn’t choose a beach simply because someone calls it “the best beach in Corfu.”
Because what does best actually mean? The clearest water? The most dramatic scenery? The longest stretch of sand? The fanciest beach club? The quietest place to put your towel down?
For me, Glyfada was the winner because I love large sandy beaches.
For someone else, the little turquoise bays of Paleokastritsa could easily be the highlight of the entire island.
And that’s exactly why Corfu works so well for a road trip.
You don’t have to choose only one.
Spend a day stretched out on the sand at Glyfada. Explore Paleokastritsa’s little bays. Climb down to La Grotta. Combine Agios Georgios with a northern road trip. Save Agios Gordios for one final swim before your flight.
And if you have an extra day? Get on a boat and go swimming around Antipaxos. Because apparently six beaches weren’t enough for us either.
Truly yours,
The Creation of Us
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