Villas
Corfu Villas: Why Everyone Wants the Same Twenty Kilometres
Corfu is the greenest Greek island and the only one with a genuine estate tradition. It is also the one where a twenty-kilometre drive can take an hour.
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The island's shape, and why it matters#
Corfu is long, narrow and mountainous in the north. Mount Pantokrator drops almost straight into the sea on the north-east side, which gives that coast its character: steep olive-covered slopes, small shingle coves, and villas stacked up the hillside with views across a two-kilometre channel to the Albanian mountains.
That coast - Barbati, Nissaki, Kalami, Agni, Kassiopi - is where the villa market lives. It has been an established summer address for British and Italian families since the 1960s, which means old houses, mature gardens and a level of service you do not find on islands where villa rental started in 2015.
The rest of the island is softer: olive plateaus in the centre, long sandy beaches and package resorts on the west and north coasts, and a flat, agricultural south that most visitors never see. There are good houses there too, and they cost considerably less.
Six places to look#
Where to rent, by area
Barbati
North-east coast, start of the villa belt
The deepest stock on the island and the best balance of it. Steep olive slopes with wide channel views, a long shingle beach below, and close enough to town that an evening there is not a project. If you want the north-east coast without Kassiopi prices, start here.
Rate bandHigh
First-time Corfu, and groups who want the famous coast at a sane price.
See Barbati villas
Kassiopi and the far north-east
Northern tip of the villa coast
The address everyone means by 'the north-east'. A working harbour village with good tavernas, surrounded by the island's most expensive houses on the headlands either side. Furthest from the airport and the most committed choice.
Nissaki and the coves
North-east, between Barbati and Kalami
The prettiest stretch - a string of tiny shingle coves with a taverna at the bottom of each, reached by very steep private drives. Stock is small and very good. Not a place to stay without a confident driver.
Corfu Town and Kontokali
East coast, around the old town
The only Greek island capital genuinely worth basing in. A Venetian UNESCO old town with arcades, a cricket ground and restaurants that are not aimed at tourists, with villas on the bays just north. Ten minutes from the airport.
Dassia and Ipsos
East coast, between town and the villa belt
The practical middle. Twenty minutes to both town and Barbati, with a sheltered bay, watersports and more affordable houses on the slopes behind. Busier and less exclusive than the coast further north, and priced accordingly.
Agios Georgios and the west
West coast, facing the open sea
The other Corfu - long sandy beaches, proper Ionian sunsets and far lower prices, because it is not the north-east. The trade is exposure to western weather and a drive over the mountains to reach anything else.
Rate bandMid
Beach-first holidays, and anyone who finds the north-east overpriced.
See west coast villasGetting the decision right#
Decide north-east or everywhere else
Check the access drive
Ask what is below the terrace
Match the beach to the group
Book a small car
Frequently asked questions
Barbati or Kassiopi?
Barbati for more choice, better value and an easier drive to town. Kassiopi if you want the specific address and a village with a harbour, and you are happy being an hour from the airport.
Is the north-east worth the premium?
For the view across the channel and the quality of the old houses, often yes. If the group mainly wants sand and sunsets, the west coast gives you more house for the money.
Does Corfu have sandy beaches?
Yes, but on the west and north coasts - Agios Georgios, Glyfada, Sidari. The fashionable north-east is shingle.
When is Corfu at its best?
Late May and June, when the island is still green and the wildflowers are out, or September. August is hot, busy and the coast road is at its worst.
Do I need air conditioning?
In a modern build, yes. In a thick-walled stone estate house, often not - which is one of the arguments for the old stock.
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