Best things to do in Corfu

Snap the perfect selfie at Achilleion Palace

If you want to roll back the clocks on Corfu’s history, put Achilleion Palace on your holiday agenda. It was built for the Empress Elizabeth of Australia in 1890 as a summer retreat for her and her family. It’s safe to say this place is perfect for exploring – it’s surrounded by gardens with wildflowers, palm trees and huge Greek statues. Oh, and the views are fit for royalty, too – the palace is on a hillside above the coast, so you can snap shots of the Ionian Sea from almost every angle. The perfect selfie backdrop? Found.

Book a trip to Archilleion Palace.

Make a splash at Aqualand Corfu Water Park

Aqualand Corfu Water Park has all the ingredients for a fun family day out – we’re talking loads of slides, a lazy river and a huge wave pool. Travelling with tots in tow? There are lots of smaller slides and splash zones for little ones. It’s located on the island’s east coast, but you don’t need to be staying nearby to get here – we offer tickets with return transfers from lots of pick-up points across the island.

Sort your waterpark tickets.

Step inside Paleokastritsa Monastery

You’ll soon see why Corfu is known as the Emerald Isle when you visit Paleokastritsa – the hills surrounding this village are filled with olive groves, and the sea reflects the same colour scheme. If you can pull yourself away from the sandy beach, we’d recommend a trip to its clifftop monastery. Once you’ve admired the centuries-old paintings, you can visit the museum and see religious artefacts dating back to the 15th century.

Book a visit to Paleokastritsa Monastery.

Set sail on a boat trip

Fancy ticking off more Greek spots on your trip? Let’s introduce Paxos and Antipaxos – a pair of islands around an hour’s ferry ride from Corfu. Paxos is the bigger of the two, where you can hop off for souvenir shopping and lunch in a traditional taverna. You’ll want your snorkelling gear for Antipaxos – seabream and moray eels are usually spotted around the caves and grottoes along its coastline.

You can also take off on a five-minute boat ride to Mouse Island from Corfu – a tiny islet that plays host to the 13th-century church of Pantokrator. Boats set sail from a walkway that connects the mainland to the peninsula the Vlacherna Monastery sits on, so you can tick off a pair of Corfu’s most iconic spots in one go. You’ll only need to spare a couple of minutes for a visit as things are pretty cosy inside. In fact, it’s one of the smallest monasteries on the island.

Find out more about Paxos.

Tick off a trip to Corfu Town

Like to explore? Corfu Town deserves a full day on your holiday itinerary – there’s so much to see and do here. One of our fave spots is the Old Fortress of Corfu – the first page of its history book goes back to the 6th century, but most parts you see today were built 900 years later following an invasion that destroyed the town. Everything was rebuilt inside the fortress’ walls, including a military barrack, a school and a church which can still be explored today.

Once you’ve finished wandering inside the old city walls, you can head back to the newer part of town to stroll around a maze of cobblestone streets. If you’re a coffee drinker, you have to stop at a café to try a freddo cappuccino – it’s a shot of espresso, shaken in a mixer and topped with cold, frothy milk. It’s 10/10 tasty.

Go wild at a paint party

If you’re planning a party holiday, we’ve got a sneaking suspicion you might be off to Kavos, a southernmost seaside village on Corfu. If we’re right, the Scene Kavos Paint Party is not to be missed. It lines up a bar crawl along the strip before you head to one of the biggest clubs for a neon-paint party. Just one thing – you might want to leave your fave outfit behind, it’s safe to say things can get messy!

Find out more about Scene holidays.