The Best Resorts on the Island of Corfu

Marriott’s five-star Domes Miramare Resort is located on Corfu’s eastern coast, a twenty-five minute drive south from the island’s capital and international airport. Housed in an iconic building once owned by the Onassis family, it offers direct access to a 400m-long beach, pool terrace with sea views, a sauna and gym and a Michelin-starred restaurant specialising in Greek and Corfiot cuisine. Accommodations range from sea-view doubles to suites with steps to the beach, private pools and gardens centred around century-old olive trees.

Guests at the Kontokali Bay Resort and Spa are surrounded by some of Corfu’s finest gardens: scattered with ancient olive trees and Mediterranean flowers, they’ve been awarded the “Green Key” eco label for sustainability. The culinary offering is also exceptional, comprising fresh fish and pasta at oceanfront Paréa, a Mediterranean buffet at Horizon, casual lunches at Taverna Marina and fine dining at Asterias. Guests can stay in sea-view rooms, bungalow rooms or suites, and have direct access to the beach, where waterskiing, pedal-boating and scuba diving are offered.

You’ll feel like you’re staying with a millionaire mate at the Corfu Imperial resort, located on a private peninsula between the coastal towns of Dassia and Gouvia (both a ten-minute drive or 45-minute walk away). Set in Italianate gardens overlooking the Ionian Sea, it provides all the comforts and amenities of a small town: three private coves, an oceanfront promenade with shops, bars and restaurants, several indoor and outdoor pools and a two-storey spa. Accommodations are in the main building, garden bungalows or oceanfront apartments and villas.

Book the “Ultra All-Inclusive” package at the MarBella Corfu, a resort on the southeastern coast where all rooms and suites have Ionian-view balconies. This all-in deal provides unlimited ice cream, poolside snacks and drinks, daily use of kayaks and pedal boats, spa credit and access to kids’ entertainment programmes, live music and nightly movie screenings. To work on your tan while drinking cocktails, choose from two outdoor pools with hot tubs and two beaches. The huge culinary offering ranges from a Greek taverna to an American-style diner.

Ikos’ “Infinite Lifestyle” concept guarantees perks such as Michelin-starred restaurants, a beachfront location, “dine out” deals with local restaurants and access to nightly entertainment. Guests staying at its plush Dassia hotel also have complimentary access to the 15th-century fortress in Corfu Town, two local museums and 600m (~2000ft) of pristine beach. On-site treats include heated outdoor and indoor pools and six fine-dining establishments, one of which is run by Lefteris Lazarou, who in 2002 became the first chef to be awarded a Michelin star for Greek cuisine.

Akrotiri Beach Hotel is situated in the west coast’s Palaiokastritsa resort, a paradisiacal cluster of bays and coves offering Corfu’s best diving. The area’s other draw is a 13th-century clifftop monastery, where you can view the bones of an enormous whale that once beached on the rocks below. On-site relaxation spaces comprise an infinity pool, a bar on the sands of Agia Triada beach, another bar where live Greek music is performed and a sea-view dining room where breakfast and dinner are served. All rooms have balconies overlooking the Ionian.

Set in lush hills beneath the village of Agios Gordios, on Corfu’s western coast, the four-star Mayor la Grotta is one of the island’s largest adults-only resorts (guests must be sixteen or over). It has all the standard luxury amenities – pools, a spa, restaurants and bars and elegant sea-view accommodations – but sets itself apart by having its own diving centre, where excursions and classes cater to all levels. Outdoorsy types can also join guided treks to nearby villages and landmarks, or simply head into the surrounding landscape for off-piste exploring.

Grecotel Eva Palace’s newest addition is “Steak & Sushi”, a poolside eatery showcasing the Ionian’s finest fish and Greece’s best beef. It adds to two restaurants serving an array of international dishes (one buffet, one à la carte) and a smart cocktail bar with sunset views. Accommodations consist of rooms, suites and villas overlooking the sea or countryside, providing comfy bases from which to work your way through the hotel’s menu of activities, from horse riding and diving to golf and paragliding. Swim in the saltwater pool or off the hotel’s secluded bay.

Mayor’s southern Corfu offering is the four-star Capo, located outside the charming town of Lefkimmi, the island’s second-largest. Lefkimmi’s 2.5km-long beach is well worth a visit: previously lined with salterns, it’s now sought out for its verdant hillsides, warm, clear waters and its wildlife – especially the 180 species of rare bird that call it home. Capo is a great option for families, offering suites and maisonettes with separate lofts for children, a kids’ club, playground and a swimming pool with mini slides for little ones. Three on-site restaurants serve vibrant Mediterranean cuisine.

If you’re travelling to Corfu to pop the question, Aeolos Beach Resort’s “Eros Dinner” – a seven-course private dining experience by the sea – might secure the answer you’re after. Even better, the chic, contemporary sea-view rooms and suites are surrounded by tropical gardens, just metres from the Ionian. Relax on the resort’s pebbled beach, sip cocktails around the infinity pool or head to the couples treatment room for a joint rejuvenation session. The quaint fishing village of Benitses is a forty-minute walk down the coast and Corfu Town is a twenty minute-drive north.

Acharavi Beach Hotel is located in the northern coastal resort of the same name. As well as several kilometres of sandy beaches and shallow waters (which make it a popular spot for families with small kids), guests also have access to an outdoor pool, a sea-view veranda with attached cocktail bar and a restaurant showcasing the Ionian’s rich offering of seafood. Nearby must-sees include the Nymes Waterfall (a 20-minute drive) and Old Perithia, the remains of a medieval stone village that was once one of the island’s most prosperous settlements (a half-hour drive).

Set in 95 acres of greenery, a ten-minute drive north of Corfu’s international airport, the Kerkyra Golf resort is another top choice for families, offering a collection of four-person rooms with sliding doors that provide privacy for both adults and kids (the family suites are available with either inland or sea views). There’s also a special pool for the little ones, a kids’ buffet served alongside the grown-up version every evening, and a children’s activity club. Adults, meanwhile, can sip poolside cocktails and/or eat their way through three on-site restaurants.