If you have already planned a holiday in Corfu, you can spice it up by choosing one of the optional day trips. Corfu is the most popular of the Ionian islands and is located in the northern part of them, close to the Albanian coast.
The capital of the island, the city of Corfu or Kerkyra, as it is called by the locals, impresses with its narrow streets, fortifications, arcades, the town hall building built in Venetian style or the church of Saint Spyridon.
It is the main port and one of the most beautiful Greek cities. Built between two fortresses and full of beautiful Italian buildings, Byzantine churches and parks full of flowers, the city of Corfu is a real gem full of countless charms and beauties. And this is just one reason to visit the island!
Nicknamed the “Emerald Island”, due to the green plains that bloom multicoloured every spring, the island is covered by olive, orange and lemon forests. When you go to Corfu, besides the beautiful beaches on the island, you can discover its main attractions and surroundings on these day tours in Corfu:
Day trips on the island of Corfu
There are several optional tours in Corfu where you can discover the most interesting natural and historical attractions of the island, even if you don’t have a car. During these tours, you have the opportunity to visit the most beautiful attractions in Corfu, both natural and historical.
Among the tourist attractions in Corfu worth stopping at are Achillion – the palace built by Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Sidari with its Canal d’Amour, Corfu old town, Vlaherna church and Paleokastritsa, the famous resort with emerald waters.
To visit the palace of Empress Sisi “Achilleon” you will go to Gastouri. Here you will see the palace inside and discover why the princess fell in love with this island.
Sidari is a small crowded town in the north of the island where you will discover the “Canal d’Amour”.
If you want to see the Vlaherna Church you must go to Perama. The church was built in the 13th century and is one of the symbols of the island. From here you will be able to photograph Pontikonisi Island (Mouse Island). On Pontikonisi is the Church of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Also from here, you can admire the planes that land.
Corfu town is perhaps the most famous place on the island. Here you will admire the Esplanade of the city of Kerkira and you will walk along the famous Liston to the Cathedral of St. Spyridon (the spiritual father of the island) and to the Metropolis where the relics of St. Theodora are.
Continuing the road to Paleokastritsa, you will visit the old Monastery of the Mother of God (Panaghia). After the monastery, a stop is also made in the port of Paleokastritsa for a ride with the Yellow Submarine to explore the depths of the sea.
Book here some of the day tours on the island of Corfu:
Excursion with the yellow submarine
Paleokastritsa, with its six bays of different shades and the mountain that collapses into the sea, is considered the most beautiful resort on the island of Corfu.
The Yellow Submarine is a vessel specially built for underwater cruises, approximately 15 m long and 4 m wide. It can carry up to 50 passengers. The vessel has a submerged lower deck with large glass portholes. Through them, you can observe the marine fauna in the area of the rocks.
The submarine rides are hourly and depart from the tourist port in Paleokastritsa. On board, there is a lot of fun and music. The route of the yellow submarine includes 6 dream gulfs around Paleokastritsa, and the duration of the cruise is no more than one hour.
After boarding, in the first part of the cruise, all passengers sit on the deck and enjoy the extraordinary scenery. In the first bay, they can admire the rock that looks like a monkey’s head (King Kong) and then pass by the grotto of St. Nicholas. The submarine rides among rocks with strange shapes, next to caves with reflections in antiquity, and information in English and Greek is heard on the loudspeakers.
In the Gulf of Agios Spyridon (St. Spyridon) you can see the most important beach in the resort and the only one with sand. The western side of the bay is another large peninsula, with the appearance of a hill covered with olive trees, on the top of which you can see part of the buildings of the Paleokastritsa Monastery. The monastery is very old and has a very beautifully painted church, a museum with rare exhibits, and the monks take care of gardens full of flowers.
At the base of the hill with the monastery, towards the partially flooded beach, is the grotto where the beautiful Nausica would have loved the legendary hero Ulysses during his return home after the Trojan War.
Also from Agios Spyridon Bay, you can see the rock wall that rises above the resort and the houses of the village of Lakones that line the mountain coast.
Then comes the moment when the passengers descend on the submerged deck of the submarine. With the walls made of a special glass, you can admire shoals with hundreds of fish.
Day tour to Aqualand Corfu
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One of the most popular day trips in Corfu for families with children is the one to Aqualand. Here you can enjoy a day spent with family and friends in the world of water games. Aqualand is one of the largest water parks in southeastern Europe and here you will be greeted by a lot of slides of different degrees of difficulty, swimming pools and bars.
The park offers visitors a wave pool, Black Hole, Kamikaze, huge slides, Lazy River, Crazy River and Jacuzzis, all arranged on an area of 12,000 square meters.
Blue Caves, Antipaxos and Paxos day tour from Corfu
Paxos and AntiPaxos are two neighbouring islands, in the Ionian Sea, at a distance of 14 km from Corfu and 20 km from the mainland. Paxos resembles a huge floating garden, covered with wildflowers and silver-green olive trees, planted by the Venetians over 300 years ago.
The boat departs from the port of Corfu Island. The first stop will be after about 2 hours at the Blue Caves (sea caves). The island of Paxos is very mountainous and rocky on the west side, with limestone cliffs, which also give the incredible colour of the water. The caves in this part are the famous Blue Caves. The flawless blue of the water and the dizzying heights of the cave are unforgettable experiences.
The water is very clear and very blue inside the caves, the depth of the water is somewhere between 10 and 15 meters, and the ceiling is impressive with stalactites. In one of the caves-Ahai, also called the Marble Palace of Poseidon, the ceiling has a hole in it, round in shape, perfect for the sun to send its hot rays and spectacularly illuminate the inside of the cave.
You will then go to Antipaxos, located at a distance of only 3 km. Here the boat will stay for about 1 hour, about 100 m from the shore, from one of its spectacular beaches, Voutoumi beach, for diving.
The last stop of the day is 2 hours in Gaios, the capital city of the island of Paxos. The island of Paxos, with an area of only 19 square km, has three main ports, Lakka, Loggos and its capital Gaios. It is located about 14 km from Corfu and 20 km from Parga – towards the mainland. Paxos is the smallest and most exotic island in the Ionian Sea and is considered the olive garden of the island of Corfu. It is green at the same time, through extensive olive groves, towering cypresses or pines. The island of Paxos is said to have come into existence through Poseidon’s “care” when striking the tip of Corfu with his trident, he tore off a piece of it, carrying it further south as a magical place for his great love, Amphitrite.
Gaios is a lively town, an excellent place to enjoy traditional Greek food or to buy souvenirs made on the island. Gaios got its name from one of the disciples of the Apostle Paul, who brought Christianity to the island.
Like Corfu, the island of Paxos had a turbulent history, being for a long time under Venetian, then French and British occupation, to be returned to the Greek kingdom in 1864.
The beautiful, warm-toned houses of Gaios are reminiscent of the Venetian influence, but they are also traditional houses, amphitheatrically situated on the hill behind the port. Here you will have time to walk through its narrow and colourful streets.
The return to the port of Corfu Island will be in the evening. The whole tour takes around 6-7 hours to travel by sea.
See here some day tours from Corfu to Paxos and Antipaxos islands:
The Greek shore and the Blue lagoon day trip from Corfu
During this one-day boat trip from Corfu, you will discover the cave Papanikolis (Mourtos), where the Greek fleet hid during the second world war, the wonderful bay where the movie “Blue Lagoon” was shot and the fishing village of Sivota.
The departure is from the island of Corfu, from Corfu town or from the port of Lefkimmi. After only 25 minutes of sailing, you will reach the Mourtos cave, where the Greek fleet hid during the Second World War. Your second stop will be in the wonderful bay where the movie “Blue Lagoon” was shot. The Blue Lagoon beach in Greece is probably one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. Here, you will have the opportunity to swim in the exotic waters. The last stop will be in the fishing village of Sivota.
Sivota is a small town with about 3,300 inhabitants that belongs to Igoumenitsa, from which it is separated by 15 km. It is located in the old province of Thesprotia, since 2011, after the administrative reform, being until then under the control of Plataria, the town in the middle, between them. Thesprotians, an old tribe from Epirus, fought at Sivota (known as Sybota in antiquity) together with the Corinthians against the Corfiots in 433 BC, during the Peloponnesian War. In the Middle Ages, Sivota was part of the Byzantine Empire and the Despotate of Epirus, like the whole region. During the Ottoman occupation, the village was called Mourtos, then, in 1940, it returned to the name of Sivota, and in 1913, after 500 years of Turkish domination, it joined Greece.
Book here some boat tours from Corfu to the Blue Lagoon:
When to visit Corfu
The island of Corfu has a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers. During the summer, the temperature often exceeds 35°C. The summer season starts in April and lasts until the end of September when the water is still good for swimming.
Most tourists arrive on Corfu Island between June and August when temperatures exceed 30°C. During the summer, there is little chance of rain.
Autumn is another suitable time to visit the island of Corfu. Temperatures reach around 25°C – 28°C, tourists become rarer, and prices drop significantly.
In the cool months (January, February, and March) the temperatures do not exceed 15°C, this period being perfect for tourists who want to explore the mountains.
These are some of the day trips in Corfu that can enhance your holiday. Whether you choose to just walk around the island or explore the other nearby attractions, a stay in Corfu does not only mean the beach. You can discover a lot of things to do here.
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