Most guests who choose an Old Town apartment are planning around walking days — the Liston, the Fortresses, the museums, long dinners in the Kantounia. Fair. But once in the week, nearly everyone asks the same thing: can we actually see the west coast from here? The answer is yes, and Paleokastritsa is the obvious way to do it.
Why Make the Trip
Paleokastritsa is a series of six small bays around a dramatic headland on Corfu's northwest coast. Towering limestone cliffs, turquoise water, a 13th-century monastery on the promontory, a famous cliff-bar tucked into a cove, and a set of boat-only beaches to the south. It is, without much argument, the most photographed stretch of coast in Corfu.
The Six Bays
Agios Spyridon (Main Beach)
The busiest and most organised — sunbeds, beach bars, water-sports. A good base for families but can feel crowded in August.
Main beachAgia Triada
Quieter bay just north of the main beach. Rocky entry into the water, but exceptional for snorkelling over the reef.
Next bay northParadise Beach & Rovinia (Boat-Only)
The secret of Paleokastritsa is that the best beaches are only reachable by boat. Rent a small motorboat from the harbour (€50–80 for half a day, no licence required under 30HP) and head south. Paradise Beach (Chomi) is ten minutes away; Rovinia — where Gerald Durrell swam — is twenty.
Boat-only, south of harbourThe Monastery of the Virgin Mary
A working 13th-century Orthodox monastery at the tip of the northern promontory. A small community of monks still lives here, maintains the gardens (bougainvillea, geraniums spilling over whitewashed walls) and presses their own olive oil. The terraces overlooking the bay offer the view that tells you why everyone photographs this place.
La Grotta: Sunset Bar
Around the corner from the main town, accessed by a steep stepped path down the cliff, La Grotta is a bar and swimming spot carved into the rock of a tiny cove. Sunset here — spritz in hand, cliff-divers on the opposite rock, bay lighting up below as the light goes — is the single most atmospheric evening on Corfu's west coast. Arrive by 6pm; book if you can.
Add-Ons Nearby
Lakones "Bella Vista"
Cliff-top village above Paleokastritsa, 7 minutes up a winding mountain road. The Bella Vista café has the single best aerial view of the bays. Coffee and cake here is a classic Corfu half-hour, and the drive up is memorable.
Angelokastro Fortress
A 13th-century Byzantine cliff-top fortress west of Paleokastritsa. Short hike to the summit, spectacular panoramic views over both coasts. Fifteen-minute drive from the harbour.
Corfu Donkey Rescue
Sanctuary near Doukades caring for elderly donkeys from around the island. Free (donations welcome), family-friendly, a lovely half-hour if you're passing.
The Day We Suggest
From Oikia 4, with a rental car:
9:00 leave the apartment → 9:40 arrive Paleokastritsa → 10:00 monastery (quieter before the tour buses) → 11:00 small boat from the harbour, Paradise Beach and Rovinia, swim and snorkel → 14:00 beach taverna lunch → 15:30 drive up to Lakones for coffee with the view → 17:00 Angelokastro hike → 18:30 La Grotta for sunset drinks → 21:00 late dinner back in Corfu Old Town.
It's a long day. You'll be back at the apartment around 22:00 and extremely happy.
Town Tip
Check the wind forecast the day before. Paleokastritsa boat trips are unpleasant above Beaufort 4, and La Grotta is exposed in a westerly. If the forecast is bad, swap this day with an Old Town walking day or a Mon Repos visit, and keep Paleokastritsa for a calm morning.
Getting There
Rental car: most flexible, especially for the sunset drink followed by the drive back. 40 minutes each way on generally good roads.
Green KTEL bus from San Rocco Square: €4 each way, 1 hour, but the last buses back are too early for La Grotta. Fine for a straight monastery-and-swim day trip.
Taxi: €50–60 one way. Useful if you want to split the group — some driving back early, others staying for sunset.
★ Rent a Car with Herbie
Herbie delivers a small car to our apartment and collects it at the end of your stay. Good-quality small cars that fit Old Town parking easily.
Book a carStay in the Old Town
Oikia 4 is our boutique apartment inside the UNESCO Old Town — a good base for walking days balanced with the occasional Paleokastritsa-type day trip. Our welcome book has the full day-trip route mapped out.
Read Next
If the boat-only beaches are what grab you, our hidden beaches by boat guide covers Paradise Beach, Rovinia and the rest in more detail. For the other classic day trip from the Old Town, the Mon Repos guide is a gentler cultural half-day closer to home.