Our trip: August 9–12, 2022 · Last updated: November 3, 2026
We came over on the ferry from Sarandë and spent three days on Corfu’s west coast, based in the village of Liapades. Corfu is bigger than you think, with winding roads, hidden rock beaches and a lively old town. Here’s exactly how we spent it.
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Arriving by ferry
The ferry from Sarandë lands in Corfu Town, on the opposite side of the island from Liapades. We paid €60 for a taxi, and the drivers at the port will try to charge more, so agree on the price before you get in. Ours couldn’t get all the way down the road to Corfu Pearl, our hotel; if you arrive after dark, it helps to have the exact location ready on your phone.
Hungry when you arrive? Walk to Grill Room Skampus in the village for gyros with fries and a Greek salad.
Day 1: A rock beach, the Achilleion and Corfu Town
Book your car before you arrive. We wanted mopeds, but there were none left in Liapades in August, and finding a car took two hours. Honestly, a car is the better choice here: the island is large and the roads are steep.
Skip Rovinia unless you’re going by boat. There’s no real path down the cliff. Instead we found a rock beach right below the Odyssey restaurant and had it entirely to ourselves, then walked up for lunch at the Odyssey, small and family-run. Park carefully on the dirt shoulders; our wheel got stuck.
In the afternoon, visit the gardens of the Achilleion, Empress Sisi’s summer palace with the giant Achilles statue. Then head into Corfu Town for the evening: walk the grounds of the Old Venetian Fortress, have dinner at Ta Kokoria, get ice cream and wander the old-town streets. We stumbled onto an open-air concert by the local orchestra.
Corfu Town
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Day 2: Porto Timoni, Cape Drastis and Dolphin Beach
Drive up to the Porto Timoni viewpoint and hike down to the twin beaches, a sliver of sand with the bay on one side and the open sea on the other. It’s a long walk down (and back up), so bring water.
Then go north to Cape Drastis for another hike, about 25 minutes, to white cliffs and some of the most breathtaking views of the trip.
End with a swim at Dolphin Beach and dinner at the Dolphin, the cliffside restaurant in Liapades. The whole fish was delicious. The bees thought so too.
Day 3: Sunrise at the Kaiser’s Throne
Set an alarm for 6 a.m. and drive up to the Kaiser’s Throne (the Kaiser William II Observatory) above Pelekas for sunrise. Download the route ahead of time; we had no data and nearly missed it.
Afterward, grab breakfast at a bakery in Pelekas village (we think ours was Kalimera). Then off to the airport for our flight to Amsterdam. Listen for your boarding call; we nearly missed ours playing cards.
Where we ate
- Grill Room Skampus, Liapades: gyros, Greek salad, house wine and baklava. Hands down our best food on Corfu.
- The Odyssey: small, family-run lunch spot above the rock beach.
- Ta Kokoria, Corfu Town: dinner before the concert.
- The Dolphin, Liapades: whole fish on the cliff above Dolphin Beach.
- A bakery in Pelekas: breakfast after sunrise.
Good to know
- Book a rental car ahead in August. Mopeds sell out, and the roads are as steep and winding as Albania’s.
- Agree on taxi prices first, especially at the port.
- Bees love outdoor meals in late summer. Don’t panic, just eat fast.
- Liapades is a great base for the west-coast beaches. Corfu Town is on the other side of the island, so plan one evening there.