Corfu Greece Port Guide: Tom Sheridan
Corfu Greece Port Guide: Tom Sheridan
CAVEAT
Information contained herein is believed to be accurate. PLEASE verify information for your travel plans.
Opinions expressed are my own. You are free to use and share this guide for non-commercial purposes. This
port guide is protected by copyright law - see the last page of this guide for legal notices.
Tom Sheridan
NOTE: I would like to thank Carol Mills for use of her photos and for help on this port guide.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Page 1 of 15
Corfu Old Town is Close to the Cruise Ship Dock and Airport
The aerial photo at left shows the city of Corfu, the Cruise
Ship Dock, and the airport. It is 3 Km (1.8 miles) from the
dock to the cruise ship shuttle bus stop next to the Old
Fortress. If your cruise ship does not provide a shuttle bus,
take a cab to this location.
Esplanade (Spianada) is the most important square. The
Palace and museums are North, the Old Fortress is East.
As you enter Old Town to the West, you will pass Liston,
the French design with beautiful arched terraces. The map
below shows all of Corfu Old Town or Old Quarters.
Esplanade (Spianada), the main square, has impressive architecture and provides access to nearby museums,
restaurants, and shops. This is the place to start your walking tour to explore Corfu, one of the most impressive
cities in Greece. With the exception of climbing the fortresses, it is easy to walk the streets of Old Town.
View of Corfu from Cruise Ship Dock (photo below)
I call your attention to St Spyridon Church Tower as an important landmark in Old Town.
Shopping
Users of my port guides have asked for information on shopping. I have created a map, on the next page, of
Old Town showing several stores. I am not recommending specific stores. My intent is to show where the
stores are concentrated around Liston, St Spyridon Church, important squares, and monuments. There are shops
everywhere in Corfu. Your cruise ship may also provide a map with their recommended stores.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Page 2 of 15
The most attractive area to enter the shopping district is at the Old Fortress-Liston-Esplanade (Spianada) area.
The buildings are magnificent and many shops are high end. For reference, I have shown San Rocco Sq. and
St Spyridon Church. San Rocco Square is the public bus terminal in Corfu.
Jewelery stores are shown in red color. Other shops for clothes, antiques, ceramics, artwork, tobacco, ice
cream, etc. are blue color. I call your attention to following shops:
The religious Icons shop.
Koumkoat Vassilakis shop for local liquors, deserts, chocolate, caramelized almonds, honey bars, etc.
Olive Wood Workshop wooden mortars, tree trunk cutting boards, candlesticks, souvenirs, etc.
Ronaldo's Workshop paintings, hand crafted ancient ceramics, and ceramics for everyday use.
Antiquerie embroidery, floral bedspreads, tablecloths, silk shawls, textile purses, etc.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Page 3 of 15
Tourist Sites in Corfu (enlarge the map on your computer monitor to see more detail)
Corfu-03-10-2012
Page 4 of 15
New Fortress (St Mark San Marco) see aerial photo on previous page
The official name is St Mark (San Marco); the common name is New Fortress. It was completed in 1645 by the
Venetians and subsequently occupied and modified by the French and then the British. It offers impressive
views of the old harbor and the town. One entrance is uphill from the fish and vegetable (Farmers Market).
The second entrance is near the old harbor. You will see the official emblem of Venice, the winged lion of St
Mark near the gate entrances. The fortress is open daily 8:30 to 19:00. Admission ~ 4 Euros.
Page 5 of 15
MUSEUMS IN CORFU
Museums are closed on Monday, except for the Banknote Museum which is in a bank. Admission is typically 4
euros. Tickets are available at reduced prices for multiple museums. I expect prices will rise in 2012.
Banknote Numismatic Museum
The Banknote Museum has one of the most extensive collections of coins in the world. The collection includes
over 10,000 coins from the entire ancient world and a complete collection of Greek banknotes. It is located at
the Ionian Bank on the Cypriot Battle Square, a few blocks South of St Spyridon Church. Hours are 10:0014:00 Monday-Saturday. Admission is free.
Byzantine Museum (Antivouniotissa)
The museum is at the site of Panagia Antivouniotissa a 15 th Century Church, the oldest church in Corfu. The
museum displays several religious icons. Hours are 8:30-15:00 Tues-Sunday. Admission ~ 4 euros.
Solomos Museum
Dionysios Solomos was the national poet of Greece. The Greek National Anthem is based on the first two
verses of his poem Hymn to freedom. The museum displays his works, library, desk, etc. It is open TuesSunday 8:30 15:00. I believe admission is free.
Museums at the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George
Museum of Asian Art Japanese theater masks, Chinese porcelain, bronze vases, jade objects, Samurai
armor, Buddhist sculpture, etc. Hours Tuesday-Sunday:08:00-19:30. Admission ~ 4 euros.
Municipal Art Gallery of Corfu The art gallery features work of Greek artists. It is open Tuesday
Sunday 08:30 -15:00. I believe admission is free.
Archaeological Museum of Corfu
Most of the exhibits are based on excavations from the ancient city of Corfu and other areas on Corfu Island.
The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday: 08:00-19:30. Admission ~ 4 euros.
Mon-Repos Palace (For location, see the aerial photo on page 2 of this port guide)
Google map coordinates = 39.606366,19.926109
Built in the early 1800's, Mon-Repos Palace has a history of use by British dignitaries, governors, and is the
birthplace of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. It is located on top of a hill believed to be the original site of
the ancient city of Corfu. The palace is surrounded by 250 acres of park with many tree lined pathways to
explore. There are maps showing the paths and dogs are permitted in the park. The Palace has been restored to
its original beauty. Displays include works of art, furniture, clothing, Byzantine remains and artifacts.
Hours are 8:30 15:00, Tuesday-Sunday. Admission is free.
Not far from the palace, you will find ancient ruins such as the Roman baths.
Mouse Island (For location, see the aerial photo on page 2 of this port guide)
Mouse (Pontikonisi) Island is a tiny island south of the airport. The Pantokrator monastery on the island has
white marble stairs ascending up the hill. Viewed from a distance, the white staircase stands out among the
trees and appears to be the tail of a mouse, hence the name mouse island. From the right vantage point and
with a long telephoto lens, you can get a great photo. Wish I would have thought of that.
Corfu-03-10-2012
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Touring Options
If time is short, and you are planning a self-guided tour, visit Corfu Old Town. It is pedestrian friendly
except for climbing the Fortresses. You could easily spend all day on a self-guided tour of Corfu Old Town.
My preference would be to enter Corfu Old Town at the main square of Esplanade (Spianada) near Liston which
is 3 Km (1.8 miles) from the ship. This is the most picturesque area near the Old Fortress, the Palace, museums,
cafes, shops, etc.
Hopefully, your ship will provide a shuttle bus to Espanada (Spianada). If not, I would take a cab. Be sure to
discuss cab fare before entering the cab and make sure the driver turns the meter on. There are also public
buses, but the lines might be long and Greek public transportation does not follow timetables.
From Esplanade (Spianada), I would walk through town to the West and exit town near the New Fortress near
the sea which is 2 Km (1.2 mile) walk along the sea or a short cab ride to the ship.
To visit sites outside Old Town, take a ship's tour, rent a car, or hire a cab.
My wife and I shared a pre-arranged taxi tour with another couple. Carol and Bob Mills had pre-arranged a
rental car and toured with four of our mutual friends.
Our taxi tour was 50 Euros/hour plus tip. We toured for four hours.
It was fantastic. Our driver was an accomplished photographer with thousands of dollars worth of his camera
gear in the trunk. He knew every spot on the island for postcard photos. He taught photography. When we
stopped for photos, he would give me tips such as stand here to get the cannon in the foreground. I was in
heaven with my new Nikon camera and a professional photographer as my tour guide.
Carol Mills rented a Fiat Multiplus 6 pax car for 90 Euros shared by 6 people (3-front, 3-rear). It was
booked via http://www.corfusunrise.com Georgia Ginis. The agent met Carol at the dock holding a sign.
Carol and Bob Mills plan ahead for their car rental. Bob Mills buys GPS maps for Greece before he leaves the
USA. Cost is $ 60 for maps of Greece or $ 100 for maps of Greece and Italy. The GPS is great because road
signs are scarce and they are hard to read in Greek. Program the GPS for destination town(s). You don't have to
follow a precise route. You can explore the sites and can't get lost; the GPS will get you back to the ship.
Bob also gets an international drivers permit from AAA for $24 because it is required in some countries e. g.,
Italy. The international permit is good for one year; the start date can be any day you specify.
Carol describes the experience: We headed out of the port into the country stopping at interesting places along
the way toward Paleokastritsa. I would have loved to have seen more historical sights, but we opted to just see
more of the island by driving around. It was fun. We had a blast!!
Corfu-03-10-2012
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Longitude
-75.150197
Longitude
W75 09 00
Longitude
W 75 09.012
Y
4422195
Below are map coordinates to help you find the tourist sites on a street map or satellite view. Google displays a
green downpointing arrow at the position of the coordinates. Plug these coordinates into Google and Bing
satellite and birdseye aerial views at high magnification to see detail so you can appreciate the topography
of the landscape. You can convert these map coordinates to a format that works in your GPS. Experiment with
the data above for the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to confirm which coordinates work in your GPS.
The following map coordinates describe Carol Mills' car rental and Our Taxi Tour of Corfu Island
Location
Map Coordinates
39.62754,19.901326
B. Ceramics workshop
39.673387,19.815216
39.700814,19.69353
39.67823,19.686937
39.679101,19.698658
39.672974,19.716425
39.669526,19.70149
H. Achilleion Palace
39.562294,19.903793
39.62754,19.90132
I used the Google Map function of Get directions, add destination and entered the above coordinates to
create the driving route map on the next page. It takes 2 hours driving time to cover the entire route. If you add
time to stop for lunch and to visit stores and tourist sites, the total tour time would be 5 to 6 hours. We did not
stop for lunch so our tour time was 4 hours. We got back to Corfu Town to spend several hours in the town
before returning to the ship.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Page 8 of 15
Driving Tour Around Corfu Island = 81.4 Km (49 miles), 2 Hours Driving Time
Corfu-03-10-2012
Page 9 of 15
A Large Horseshoe Shaped Bay named after St George (Patron Saint of Greece)
Photo of bay from scenic outlook. Unfortunately, you can't clearly see the mountains of Albania in this photo.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Akrotiri Beach Hotel a 4-star Akrotiri is on a peninsula in Paleokastritsa, on Agia Triada Beach.
See http://www.akrotiri-beach.com/photo-gallery-corfu-hotel.aspx
photographs (below). The scenery is gorgeous.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Entrance
The Monastery in Paleokastritsa is dedicated to Panagia (Virgin Mary). It dates back to the early 1200s. The
location is high on a cliff overlooking the sea. There are beautiful gardens, a church, and a bookstore/gift shop.
The nuns feed the cats in the gardens. We spent a little over a half hour at the monastery.
One of the advantages of arriving in a cab is the driver drops you off at the top of the hill, next to the entrance
and waits for you. If you arrive in a car or bus, you have to park in the lot and walk up the steep hill.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Monastery of Virgin Mary - church, a Russian cannon, and the bell tower (photos above)
Achilleion Palace
The palace was built for Empress Elizabeth of Austria. It is a beautiful building with a very impressive interior,
decorations, artwork, and gorgeous formal gardens. Admission is ~ 7 euros.
Corfu-03-10-2012
I had expected the typical Greek Island with a hot and arid climate. I
was impressed with the lush green foliage and delighted to see so
many beautiful flowers along the highway. The mountains are
impressive and the beaches are drop-dead gorgeous.
Corfu Island impresses me as a tranquil, beautiful island with many
things to see and do. The brief port stop for a cruise ship is not long
enough. Spending some vacation time on Corfu is on my bucket list.
Corfu-03-10-2012
Regards,
Tom Sheridan
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Corfu-03-10-2012