Our apartment is inside the Old Town's Venetian walls — which means we're not only close to the fortresses, we're sleeping inside one of the island's biggest pieces of Venetian military architecture. The entire Campiello quarter around us was designed as part of Corfu's defensive urban plan. Step out the door and within a quarter-hour you're at either of the city's two great fortresses.
This guide is organised by walking distance: first the two you'll see on foot, then the two that need a drive.
The Walkable Two
The Old Fortress — 8 minutes' walk
East along the Esplanade, past the cricket pitch, across the drawbridge over the seawater moat. The moat itself is a spectacle — Venetian engineers cut it through the bedrock in the 16th century to turn the promontory into a true island stronghold. Inside the fortress: the Church of St George, a clock tower, a museum, and a summit lighthouse with the best panorama in Corfu Town.
Open 8 AM – 8 PM summer. Fee €6. Best visited at 5 PM for the light on the bastions as sunset approaches.
The New Fortress — 12 minutes' walk
On the opposite side of town, above the Old Port. Built after the 1571 siege revealed gaps in the Old Fortress's landward defences. Less visited than its eastern twin, cheaper, and honestly more atmospheric in places — the interior tunnels stay cool on the hottest days and make for a great midday retreat. The views over the Old Port and across to Albania are exceptional.
Open 8 AM – 8 PM summer. Fee €4. Pair with a meal at one of the tavernas in the Mandouki neighbourhood below.
A walking tip
Both walks from the apartment go through the most photogenic parts of the Old Town. Don't rush — plan at least 20 minutes for the walk to each fortress, not because it's that far, but because you'll stop constantly for photos, coffees and backstreet discoveries.
The Two You'll Drive To
Angelokastro — 50 minutes west
A clifftop fortress above Paleokastritsa, perched 300 metres above the Ionian on the island's wild northwest coast. The drive is worth it for the scenery alone; the view from the fortress summit is arguably the best on the island. A 30-minute uphill walk from the car park, so bring water and decent shoes.
Open 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM. Fee €4. Pair with lunch at Lakones and a swim at Paleokastritsa for a full day out.
Gardiki Castle — 45 minutes south
The odd one — a 13th-century Byzantine fortress, older than the Venetian defences, octagonal with eight towers. Free to enter, rarely crowded, and set in flat farmland in Corfu's south. Easily combined with the southern beaches (Glyfada, Issos) for a full day's driving loop.
Daylight hours. Free. A quick 45-minute visit is usually enough.
A Two-Day Fortress Itinerary From the Apartment
Day 1 — Walking day: Coffee at the apartment, 11 AM at the New Fortress (quieter then), lunch in Mandouki below it, late afternoon walk to the Old Fortress, sunset on the upper ramparts, dinner back in the Old Town.
Day 2 — Driving day: Early start, 50 minutes to Angelokastro, hike up before the heat, swim at Paleokastritsa, lunch at Lakones, back in the apartment by evening. Save Gardiki for a third-day southern-beach trip.
The Historical Context
All four fortresses are products of Corfu's Venetian era (1386–1797), the reason the Ottomans never took the island despite multiple sieges. Gardiki is the exception — it predates Venice, built by the Byzantine Despots of Epirus, but was incorporated into the Venetian defensive system. For more context, see our Corfu history guide.
Practical Notes From the Apartment
Shoes: comfortable walkers. Stone is polished smooth after centuries of use.
Sun protection: the Old Fortress ramparts have no shade. Neither does the walk up to Angelokastro.
Luggage: if you're fortress-hopping on an arrival day, Lock and Walk near the Old Port is 5 minutes from our apartment.
When You Need a Car
Buses don't reach Angelokastro. A hire car is the only practical way. Our partner delivers to the apartment door:
Herbie Car Hire
Free delivery to the apartment. Compact cars handle the road to Angelokastro fine; any car does for Gardiki.
Book a carPrefer a Coastal Base?
If sleeping inside the Old Town walls isn't your style, our sister property Corfu Beach and Town sits on the north coast — closer to Angelokastro, further from the town fortresses.
Further reading: our Old Town walking guide and mountain villages day trips.