Thursday 10 August 2023

A weekend in Corfu Town

On our recent trip to Albania, we had to fly via Corfu and get a ferry across to our main destination; because of the ferry times, there was no way we could get a ferry back on the same day as our flight so we decided to incorporate a little Corfu Town weekend break into our trip. Having only been to beachy resorts in Corfu prior to this, I really wasn't sure what to expect...


Where we stayed in Corfu Town


We booked a little apartment that was only around a 5 minute walk from Corfu Town, and a 5 minute walk from the seafront - it was the perfect location! Accommodation around this area isn't the cheapest, but it was such a good spot to be in. We paid £158 for a 2 night stay in May 2023, which was a Saturday and Sunday night. Upon arrival our apartment, one of I think 6 in the building, was being cleaned and we were told we could leave our cases; the cleaner gave us a key and we went off to explore. I then got a call from the owner explaining there had been a mix up and they'd given us someone else's key, so we headed back to move our cases and get our actual key. Other than this slight confusion, we had a great stay; the apartment had a comfortable bed, a TV, a kitchenette and small but functional bathroom. The air con was a welcome treat, too. For our weekend in Corfu Town we stayed at the Aloe Apartments, and I'd definitely recommend for a couple of nights!




Our first day in Corfu Town


The ferry from Albania to Corfu was early, and we arrived at around 10am. As we had no idea where we were going, we treated ourselves to a taxi from the port to our apartment; this was around 16euros, which I thought was expensive for the journey, but saved us a lot of hassle! After checking in (see above for the mix up!) we were ready to explore, but first things first: coffee. Not for me, I don't like it, but my other half had got very into a drink called a 'freddo cappuccino' which is essentially an iced cappuccino and has nothing to do with the tiny frog shaped chocolate bar. We found a little coffee shop called Cibo, and Kate ordered one of those while I had a fanta lemon. This came to €5.40, and I paid on my Monzo. From here we went for a wander through the old market before making our way back to the apartment with plans to freshen up.


On our way back, we decided to stop for lunch at My Habit, a large modern cafe on the corner of the same road our apartment was on. We both ordered a club sandwich with chips, and my god the portions were absolutely ginormous. You get free water, which admittedly wasn't particularly cold, so we didn't bother with drinks; for the two sandwiches and chips it came to €14.10 which was more than fair for the amount of food; we got our leftovers boxed up and gave them to a homeless man further down the road. Then we popped back into the apartment and chilled for a bit - it was HOT.



In the afternoon we walked along the seafront to the old fort area, just to check it out, then we went back and got ready to go out for the evening. We found a lovely bar called Save Cafe in a really cute square, where we had two beers and two ciders each; we paid cash so I can't quite remember but I think it was under €20 for the whole bill. We'd scoped out a nearby restaurant for dinner but decided to wander around the old town first, which was so magical with the proper golden hour sun - we got some lovely photos, and had another drink at a bar which looked out over the water near the 'new' fortress. This was Agora, and they did lovely looking seafood which Kate was 100% eyeing up.

We ate dinner at MeGusto - it wasn't the most amazing or memorable meal, but it did the trick. The restaurant had been busy earlier on but when we got there, it was just us which felt a little strange and intimate! Kate had seafood linguine and I opted for chicken souvlaki; the chicken was a bit dry but the flavours were good. After this, we wandered back to our apartment via a little ice cream stall. 

Our second day in Corfu Town


We woke up the next morning and it was Kate's birthday! As Corfu was *so hot* we had decided to get up early and beat the heat because we were visiting the Old Fortress. So it was up, showers, and straight out - we took a detour through a nice shady park with a little bandstand in it, then we reached the fortress just before 9am. We paid our entrance fee, which was €6 each, and started exploring. The views here are incredible, and there is so much history & art to see. We climbed to the very top which was exhausting in the heat, but definitely worth it in the end. There is also a cafe, where we stopped for cheese toasties, and that was really lovely. It was pretty quiet seeing as we'd got there so early, but as we left we saw bus loads of people heading in - so if you want to avoid the crowds, get there when it opens!



From here we head back over to the old town for a fanta lemon and some air con, then mooched the streets a bit more - it's so pretty with all the Venetian buildings and shops selling beautiful dresses, sequinned souvenirs and more. Then it was back to the apartment; Kate sat outside in the sun for a bit and I read inside with the air con blasting, before we headed back out along the seafront in the opposite direction to an old windmill. People were sunbathing here, and the vibes were so good. We also noticed loads of little tucked away pizzerias and cafés, full of families enjoying an early dinner together, which was really nice. I wanted to see a famous tomb, the Tomb of Menecrates, which we did get to but it's kind of hidden behind railings so that was a bit of a waste.



On our way back to the apartment we saw a traditional Greek dance happening in the street, with an accordion, which was very cool! Then it was time for more relaxing before heading back out into the old town in search of €3 gyros - which we found and devoured, they were SO good and I would definitely recommend eating from one of these little stalls. From here we walked around the old town some more, stopped in a bar to catch the final games of the Premier League, then bought more ice creams and crisps to snack on back at the apartment. We had an early night to get up and ready to travel home!

Spending a weekend in Corfu Town


To sum up our time in Corfu Town, our highlights were the Old Fortress and the beautiful streets of the Old Town. There are plenty of beautiful churches to admire, stunning architecture, and of course the breathtaking seafront and harbour. We found Corfu Town moderately expensive, but there are definitely some cheap options out there. It was hot hot hot, and this was the end of May, so be sure to stay hydrated if you spend a weekend in Corfu Town. We had also spent some time at the port area on our way out to Albania, admiring cruise ships and eating gyros, and this area is a bit more run down but the views are incredible.



Have you been to Corfu Town? If so, what was your favourite thing about this place?



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