Three Days In Corfu: What To See & Do
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Contents
This post will share all you can see and do in three days in Corfu.
For my 32nd birthday, which has also become an annual tradition of sorts, I headed back to Greece.
I was previously in Rhodes, Greece, two years ago for my 30th.
Typically, I don’t repeat countries except I need to.
In this case, I needed to visit my 29th country, Albania, via Corfu, and if there’s one thing I’ll always do, it is visiting multiple countries in one trip.
The cross-border ferry, coach, or train is almost always cheaper than booking an entire trip for that country.
If you’re interested in exploring cross-border travel, I have an entire category dedicated to these day trips.
I was particularly looking forward to this trip because I haven’t travelled since Malta in March.
I’m currently exploring a different travel schedule, minimising my trips to just four times a year, and let me tell you, it is kicking my ass.
Coming from travelling monthly to quarterly isn’t particularly exciting, but it had to be done as I’m now ready to explore long-haul trips, which require more planning and saving.
Either way, I’m grateful for the privilege to be able to travel.
As always, I don’t like to do too much for my birthday trips.
It’s almost always too hot to do anything, so I keep my itinerary as minimal as possible.
With that out of the way, let’s get into the details of the trip.
Here’s How To Spend Three Days In Corfu On A Budget
Greece is a country located in the Balkan region of Europe, comprising multiple islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas.
Corfu is the second-largest island in the Ionian Sea.
I tend not to pay too much attention to the various Greek islands; I visit any island within my budget at the time.
The islands typically have similar features, especially in the Summer: balmy temperatures, crystal-clear waters, sandy beaches, cobblestone streets, and traditional Greek food.
A few of them, such as Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Crete, are significantly more popular for various reasons.
Choose one based on your interests, and you won’t be disappointed.
Flights
Cost – £117.54 return + £60 luggage
I typically book my flights for June as early as January because I know how busy they can get.
I delayed this one till March, but I believe I would have gotten a cheaper price if I had booked it in January.
Anyway, I hope I learnt my lesson.
I flew to and from Corfu International Airport with Ryanair.
Naturally, I had to pay for luggage as I tend to wear multiple outfits for my summer trips, and there’s no way I can manage with a backpack.
It is simply too hot not to.
I delayed adding my luggage to the return part of my trip when checking in, so I ended up having to check in my cabin bag, which took a long time due to the queues.
Thankfully, I was able to get through to security and passport control on time without missing my flight.
Accommodation
Cost: €434.33 for 4 nights
After some intense searching, I finally found a barely affordable hotel which ticked all my boxes in the neighbourhood of Kontokali in the north of Corfu.
It was a bit far out, but I didn’t mind because it was about:
- 20 minutes to the airport via Uber and about 30 – 45 minutes via public transportation.
- 15 minutes to Corfu Port and the Old Town via Uber, and approximately 40 minutes via public transportation.
Those were the only areas I needed to visit for the entire trip.
Aside from my day trip to Saranda, Albania, this was more of a relaxing trip than an exploring one.
Hotel Review
I stayed in the Telesilla Hotel for four nights.
The hotel had all the facilities I wanted, but what stood out to me the most was the functional air conditioner, which was the only way I could sleep in the 30-degree heat.
The staff were mostly polite and professional, the ambience was great, and it wasn’t as crowded as it would be in peak season.
The rooms were well maintained and cleaned daily, even when I didn’t request it.
It was spacious enough to store your luggage and walk around without feeling cramped.
The location, situated on the main road, was ideal for my tour pickup and drop-off, but not so great for the noise from the road.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad at night.
Despite bookmarking all the restaurants I wanted to visit locally, I ended up having most of my meals in the hotel’s restaurant.
It was simply too convenient, and the menu wasn’t too bad despite the small portions.
I guess I have a large appetite.
Additionally, I was able to try traditional Greek meals, such as Stifado and Pastitsada, which I probably wouldn’t have tried if I had gone out to eat.
Also, there’s a bus stop about five minutes away from the hotel and the public side of the beach about 15 minutes away.
If you’re looking for a quiet spot outside Corfu Town, I highly recommend this hotel.
Airport Transfer
Cost – €40(Uber) one way
One thing they don’t warn you about Corfu is that taxis cost a fortune.
Unfortunately, I was warned during my research, but there was no way I was going to drag a suitcase at almost midnight.
Despite the price, Uber was necessary, as you can always count on its reliability.
Even if I did want to take public transport, which was the original plan, the buses had stopped running by the time I landed.
At this point, I started to rethink my trip and wished I had booked a package holiday instead.
The prices were adding up, and it didn’t feel cheaper than booking separately.
Getting Around Corfu
Cost – €2:50 one way
As someone who doesn’t drive or have an international license, I didn’t have a choice but to use the painfully slow public transport.
This meant that I had to limit my movement as much as possible.
Trust me, there’s nothing worse than waiting in the scorching sun for a bus to arrive.
Thankfully, I had a bus stop about a five-minute walk to my hotel, so it was pretty straightforward.
These are the times when I ensure I have some spare change on hand, because you know for sure that the bus will always accept cash payments.
Other than the slow service, I particularly appreciate that you can scan the QR code at the bus stop to find out when the bus is expected to arrive.
It comes in very handy, and it is more accurate than Google Maps.
Corfu Itinerary
My summer trips typically follow the same itinerary, and this wasn’t different aside from a slight modification:
- Day 1: Beach/Pool/Spa Day
- Day 2: Day Trip to Sarande
- Day 3: Corfu Old Town Tour/Pool or Beach Day
Day 1
The first day started very late.
As usual, I wanted to be able to sleep immediately I got into my hotel, which meant that, thanks to the highly efficient AC, I slept in and missed breakfast.
Around noon, I finally dragged myself out of my bed to find something to eat.
Thankfully, I had marked out everywhere I wanted to eat on my Google Maps, so I went straight to grab a traditional Greek meal from an old lady’s restaurant: Chicken Souvlaki, which I highly recommend.
For some reason, all the stores and restaurants were closed, and the whole area felt relatively deserted.
After filling myself, I made my way to the nearest beach, which was about a 20-minute walk.
I almost turned around halfway through because it was simply too hot.
Kontokali Bay Resort & Spa
Just as I was approaching the beach, which mostly turned out to be a private area for the hotel, I stumbled upon the hotel’s spa.
I did not resist, plus it was my birthday, so I needed to treat myself.
Unfortunately, it was too late to get a day pass to explore all the facilities, especially the sauna and steam room, so I just booked a massage and got the best spa experience of my life.
Fortunately, I had used this spa brand, Aegeo Spas, before on my last trip to Rhodes.
Best believe, a time was had.
But before starting my massage treatment, I went down to the beach as I still had about an hour to spare, and I immediately regretted it.
It was a sandy beach, all the umbrellas were gone, and it was simply too hot.
I spent about 30 minutes before almost passing out and making my way back to the spa.
The ambience of the spa was perfect, the staff were excellent and made me feel very welcome, and the facilities were top notch.
The massage itself wasn’t as intense as the one my masseuse in Manchester gives me, but it was relaxing nonetheless.
Day 2
For my second day in Corfu, I embarked on a day trip to Saranda, Albania, which was a one-hour ferry ride from Corfu Port.
I’ll share all the details of the trip in a subsequent post.
Day 3
For my final day, I had to see a bit of Corfu Town.
There’s no way I was coming here and exploring the very essence of what makes the town what it is.
Additionally, it’s doubtful that I would return, so I had to make the best of the situation.
So I woke up around 10 am and grabbed some brunch at my hotel’s restaurant.
Then I made my way to the Corfu Port, which was the meeting point for my tour.
As always, I booked the ever-reliable City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour.
The tour had two lines, but unfortunately, I was late for the second line – the Archilleion Tour – as it departed at 12:30 pm.
I had booked the first one, the Kanoni Tour, which covered the Old Town.
Along the way, I made a couple of stops at Kanoni for some plane spotting, as the viewpoint faced the Corfu International Airport.
I also stopped at The Old Town to take some pictures, as I haven’t been able to take any decent ones since the beginning of the trip.
However, for most of the tour, which lasted about an hour, I stayed on the bus because it was simply too hot to walk around.
When I was satisfied with all the stunning, picturesque pictures I took of the island, I made my way back to the hotel.
Activities & Experiences
As expected on a Greek Island, there are tons of activities to do depending on the length of your trip and your itinerary.
Here are some of the things you can do that you can book through Get Your Guide for reasonable rates:
- Day Trips/Water Activities
As expected, most activities, aside from the City Sightseeing Bus Tour, are water-based, so please bear this in mind when booking them.
Finally,
I know I’ve been complaining about the heat; it’s simply because I haven’t experienced 30-degree heat in such a long time.
In hindsight, I probably reduced the number of activities to just one day, especially since I had minimal time on the island.
Thankfully, the hotel’s air conditioning made up for it, so the trip did not feel ruined.
So, if you’re looking to spend three days in Corfu, I hope this post helped you with your itinerary.
