Corfu Cruise Port

Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, and the private, small-group, or expert-led way to make it yours — your own pace, real access, none of the crowd.

1scenic

Paleokastritsa Blue Caves & coves by speedboat — the 'Capri of Greece'

Climb into a small 9-seat speedboat and skim the emerald cliffs of Paleokastritsa, Corfu's most celebrated coastline, nosing into the glowing Blue Caves and sea grottoes before swim stops at Paradise and Yali beaches. Cliffs, a 13th-century clifftop monastery overhead, and water so clear it looks lit from below — this is the island's single most photogenic stretch of sea. Two hours on the water; pair with a port taxi to fit a 6-8 hr window.

Book it withVive CorfuEUR 50 (~$54) adult / EUR 25 (~$27) child 4-11. Small 9-person 150hp speedboat, folding sunshade, shower + WC onboard, safety gear. Departures 10:00, 12:30, 15:00 and sunset; ~2 hrs. Excludes transfer from port (add a taxi).

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2city

Corfu Old Town on foot — UNESCO Venetian maze, the Liston & St. Spyridon

Walk the largest living medieval town in Greece: a UNESCO-listed warren of Venetian 'kantounia' lanes opening onto the French-built Liston arcade and the Spianada, the biggest square in the Balkans. Duck into the gold-and-silver St. Spyridon church holding the island's patron saint, then climb the Venetian Old Fortress on its sea-promontory for the postcard panorama back over the red roofs. The port is ~2 miles out; the #15 bus or a short taxi drops you in the heart of it.

Book it withCorfu Walking Tours$0 fully self-guided (free to walk). Guided 2hr cultural walk ~EUR 35-50 (~$40-55) pp. Old Fortress entry is separate and self-pay at the gate: EUR 6-10 (~$7-11) adult.

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3landmark

Kanoni, Vlacherna Monastery & Mouse Island viewpoint

Stand at the tip of the Kanoni peninsula for the single most-photographed scene on Corfu: the tiny whitewashed 17th-century Vlacherna Monastery on its own islet at the end of a slim stone causeway, with cypress-covered Mouse Island (Pontikonisi) and its 13th-century chapel floating just beyond. Walk the causeway to the monastery for free, and a little shuttle boat ferries across to Mouse Island in about five minutes. It's only ~20 minutes from the port — an easy, low-risk independent stop.

Book it withThe Corfu Experience$0 to view it independently (taxi ~EUR 10-15 each way from the port; causeway and monastery free, Mouse Island shuttle a few EUR). Private half-day shore tour bundling Kanoni + Old Town + an olive-grove/oil tasting: ~$80-130 pp depending on group size (operator quotes on request).

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4scenic

Paxos, Antipaxos & Blue Caves full-day cruise from the port

Sail south from Corfu to its sister islands: into the dramatic Ipapanti and Ahai sea caves of Paxos, a long swim stop off Antipaxos in some of the most luminous turquoise water in Greece, and free time in the pretty harbor village of Gaios. The boat leaves straight from the main Port of Corfu, so cruise passengers can walk on independently. This is the definitive Ionian-blue bucket-list day — but it's a full 9 hours, only viable on a long port call.

Book it withIonian CruisesEUR 45 (~$49) cruise-only / EUR 53 (~$57) with coach transfer; child EUR 23 / EUR 31. Includes onboard multilingual guide, entry into two Paxos blue caves, swim stops. Departs Corfu Main Port 08:20, returns 18:00 — ~9 hrs.

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5food

Corfu kumquat & food tasting walk through the Old Town

Thread the UNESCO Old Town's open market and family-run shops on a small-group tasting walk built around the flavors that make Corfu distinct from mainland Greece — above all the kumquat, the little citrus turned into liqueur and sweets you'll find nowhere else in Greece quite like this. Along the way: spinach-and-cheese pies, olive oil and honey, traditional butter pudding, halva and a Corfiot meze with ouzo, each stop chosen for its community story. It doubles as a cultural walk, so you get the Old Town and the island's taste in one outing.

Book it withCorfu Walking ToursEUR 90 (~$97) pp, 2.5 hrs, semi-private group up to 8, English-speaking local guide. Includes all listed tastings (kumquat liquor & sweets, pies, olive oil, honey, meze with ouzo and more).

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6landmark

Achilleion Palace gardens — Empress Sissi's retreat (gardens only in 2026)

Corfu's most famous palace is the 1890 neoclassical summer villa of Empress Elisabeth ('Sissi') of Austria, set on a hill ~10 km south of the Old Town with the celebrated 'Dying Achilles' statue and gardens sweeping out over the Ionian. It's the classic first-timer marquee — but see the big caveat before you commit a half-day. Reachable by taxi or local bus as a short add-on rather than a destination in itself right now.

Book it withAchilleion Palace (state museum)Gardens entry ~EUR 8 (~$9) adult / ~EUR 5 reduced, daily ~08:00-16:00. Buy at the gate. Taxi from port ~EUR 25-35 round trip, or local 'green' bus from Old Town.

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