Corfu sits in the Ionian Sea like a green jewel, all olive groves and Byzantine churches and beaches that look airbrushed. It’s the kind of Greek island that shows up on bucket lists and Pinterest boards, and for good reason. The place is genuinely beautiful.
But here’s the thing nobody tells you before you book that flight. Not every corner of Corfu lives up to the postcard. Some spots are overpriced tourist traps. Others are overcrowded to the point of misery. A few are straight-up disappointing once you get there and realise the photos lied.
This guide exists to save you time, money, and that sinking feeling of regret. Because nothing ruins a vacation faster than realising you’ve wasted half a day somewhere that wasn’t worth the effort. Let’s talk about where not to go so you can spend your precious holiday hours in the places that actually deserve them.
Places to Avoid in Corfu
Even paradise has its letdowns. These ten spots might look tempting in guidebooks or on Instagram, but they come with catches that most travel sites won’t mention. Here’s the honest breakdown.
1. The Strip in Kavos
Kavos earned its reputation as a party destination years ago, and The Strip is ground zero for that scene. Picture a long road lined with bars, clubs, and kebab shops, all competing to blast music louder than the place next door. If you’re 18 and want to drink until sunrise, this is your spot. For everyone else? It’s a hard pass.
The noise starts around 10 PM and doesn’t stop until well after 4 AM. Hotels nearby shake with bass. The streets get littered with plastic cups and worse by midnight. You’ll see promoters grabbing at your arm every few steps, trying to drag you into their establishment with promises of free shots. The whole vibe feels aggressive and exhausting.
Beyond the party scene, Kavos itself offers little of interest. The beach is mediocre compared to what you’ll find elsewhere on the island. The restaurants serve overpriced, underwhelming food designed for people too drunk to care about quality. Unless you specifically came to Corfu for this exact experience, skip Kavos entirely. Your liver and eardrums will thank you.
2. Canal d’Amour During Peak Hours
This one hurts because Canal d’Amour is genuinely stunning. The natural rock formations at Sidari create narrow channels of turquoise water that look like something from a fairy tale. Legend says couples who swim through the canal together will marry. It’s romantic, it’s photogenic, and it’s absolutely mobbed from 10 AM to 4 PM during the summer months.
We’re talking shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on a tiny strip of sand. People stepping on your towel. Kids screaming. Selfie sticks are swinging dangerously close to your face. The magic disappears completely when you’re fighting for space with three hundred other visitors. Locals avoid these hours entirely, and you should too.
If you must see Canal d’Amour, and honestly, you probably should, go early. Like, 7 AM early. Or wait until late afternoon when the tour buses have cleared out. The same spot that feels like a nightmare at noon becomes peaceful and beautiful at golden hour. Timing is everything here.
3. Corfu Town’s Main Tourist Streets at Midday
Corfu Town deserves a spot on your itinerary. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site with Venetian architecture, narrow alleyways, and genuine historical charm. But the main tourist arteries—particularly around Liston Arcade and Spianada Square—become unbearable during peak hours.
The heat reflects off the cobblestones and traps between the buildings. Cruise ship passengers flood the streets in waves, following guides with raised umbrellas. The shops along these routes sell the same mass-produced souvenirs you’d find in any Mediterranean tourist trap: cheap olive oil, magnets, miniature Greek flags. Prices sit 40% higher than what you’d pay just a few streets away.
The solution? Walk deeper into the Old Town. Ten minutes from the main drag, you’ll find family-owned workshops, local bakeries selling fresh bougatsa, and shaded courtyards where old men play backgammon. Or visit Corfu Town in the early morning before cruise ships dock, or in the evening after they depart. The same streets feel completely different when you can actually hear yourself think.
4. Glyfada Beach on Weekends
Glyfada regularly appears on “best beaches in Corfu” lists, and during weekdays, it earns that ranking. The sand is golden, the water clear, and the dramatic cliffs create a scenic backdrop. But weekends tell a different story.
Local families from Corfu Town flock here on Saturdays and Sundays because it’s one of the most accessible good beaches on the island. Parking becomes a nightmare. The beach fills up by 10 AM. Sunbed operators charge premium prices and get pushy about rentals. The tavernas run out of fresh fish by lunch because they’ve served hundreds of people already.
The beach bars crank up electronic music that carries across the whole stretch of sand. If you wanted peace, forget it. Glyfada transforms from a relaxing beach day into something closer to a crowded beach club.
Weekdays? Completely different experience. You’ll find space to spread out, reasonable prices, and that postcard beauty the beach is famous for. But those two weekend days? Give Glyfada a miss and try Myrtiotissa or Rovinia instead—they stay calmer because they require a bit more effort to reach.
5. The Achilleion Palace Gift Shop
The Achilleion Palace itself is worth visiting. Empress Elisabeth of Austria built it in the 1890s as a retreat, and the neoclassical architecture and gardens overlooking the sea genuinely impress. The problem is the gift shop, which the exit route forces you to walk through.
This isn’t a cute museum shop with tasteful postcards and books. It’s a cramped space selling overpriced kitsch at jaw-dropping markups. Ceramic plates for €50 that cost €8 in town. Machine-made “traditional” items with “Made in China” stickers on the bottom. Pushy staff hovering while you browse.
The shop preys on visitors who’ve just had a nice experience and feel like buying a memento. Resist the urge. If you want souvenirs, buy them literally anywhere else—the villages, Corfu Town’s back streets, even the airport offers better value. The Achilleion gift shop represents everything frustrating about tourist-targeted retail.
6. Paleokastritsa’s Main Beach
Paleokastritsa holds a special place in Corfu’s mythology. According to local legend, this is where Odysseus met Nausicaa. The cluster of bays and coves looks spectacular from above, with green hillsides dropping to bright blue water. But the main beach? It’s a letdown.
For starters, it’s tiny. The actual sand area can hold maybe 40 sunbeds, and those get claimed by 9 AM during high season. What’s left is a strip of pebbles along the waterline. Boats motor in and out constantly, ferrying tourists to other bays and nearby caves, which means the water gets churned up and you’re breathing exhaust fumes half the time.
The restaurants and cafés on this beach charge premium prices for mediocre food because they have a captive audience. You’re stuck there once you’ve set up, and they know it.
Here’s what to do instead: take one of those boat trips. For €10-15, you can reach Paleokastritsa’s quieter coves—La Grotta, Ampelaki, or Alipa—that offer the beauty you came for without the crowds. Or drive up to the Bella Vista lookout point, get your photos, and then head to a different beach entirely.
7. Sidari Beyond Canal d’Amour
We already covered Canal d’Amour’s crowd problems, but Sidari as a whole deserves a mention. The town developed rapidly to accommodate package tourism, and it shows. The architecture is generic. The restaurants serve “international menus” that try to please everyone and end up pleasing no one. You’ll find more signage in English than in Greek, which tells you exactly who this place was built for.
The main beach is wide but unremarkable. The sand is coarse. The water gets murky because so many people wade in and out. You’ll hear more British accents than Greek voices, and the whole town has that artificial feel of a place designed for tourists rather than grown organically.
If you’re staying in Sidari because of budget accommodation, that’s understandable. But don’t make it your base for exploring the island. Use it as a place to sleep and spend your days elsewhere. Corfu has authentic villages like Pelekas, Old Perithia, and Sokraki that give you a completely different experience.
8. Mon Repos Palace Grounds in Summer
Mon Repos is a neoclassical villa where Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born. The building now houses a museum about Corfu’s history, and the surrounding grounds form a pleasant park with walking paths through old olive and cypress trees. In spring and fall, it’s lovely.
In summer? It’s a sauna.
The tree cover that looks so inviting actually traps heat and humidity. There’s almost no breeze because of the dense vegetation. Mosquitoes breed in the shaded wet areas and eat visitors alive. The paths get slippery with dead leaves and moisture. The museum itself lacks air conditioning in most areas.
You’ll spend the whole visit sweating profusely, swatting bugs, and wishing you were literally anywhere with a sea breeze. If Mon Repos interests you, visit between late September and early May. During July and August, spend that time at the beach instead. You won’t regret that trade-off.
9. Aqualand Water Park on Weekends
Aqualand markets itself as one of the biggest water parks in Southeast Europe. It has dozens of slides, wave pools, and lazy rivers spread across a massive complex. Kids love the idea of it. But the execution? Particularly on weekends? That’s where problems start.
The entry fee runs around €35-40 for adults. That’s before food, which is overpriced and limited to fast food options. Or lockers, which cost extra. Or photos, which they take at the bottom of slides without asking and then try to sell you.
Weekend crowds mean 30-45 minute waits for popular slides. The sun beats down on those queue lines with minimal shade. Kids get cranky. Adults get frustrated. The wave pool becomes so packed that you can barely move. Staff seem overwhelmed and often inattentive.
Weekdays improve the experience significantly, but you’re still looking at an expensive day that eats up hours you could spend at actual beaches that are free and far less chaotic. Aqualand makes sense if you have kids who will mutiny without water slides. Otherwise, your money and time stretch further elsewhere.
10. The Harbour Area of Gouvia During August
Gouvia hosts one of Corfu’s largest marinas, and the area around it has developed into a tourist strip of sorts. Outside peak season, it’s perfectly pleasant—decent restaurants, reasonable prices, a functional beach.
August changes everything. The marina fills with boats and brings an influx of wealthy yacht owners who change the local economy. Prices spike. Restaurants that charged €12 for grilled fish in June suddenly want €22 for the same dish. The service quality drops because establishments are understaffed and overwhelmed. Parking disappears. The beach gets carpeted with sunbeds edge-to-edge, leaving no free sand.
The atmosphere shifts too. Gouvia in August feels stressed and transactional. Staff rush you through meals because they need your table. The easy-going Greek hospitality evaporates under the pressure of peak-season demand.
If Gouvia appeals to you, visit in June, September, or early October. You’ll see the same place but experience it completely differently. August just isn’t worth the hassle.
Wrapping Up
Corfu has enough beauty and authentic Greek experiences to fill a dozen trips. But you’ll appreciate those gems more if you sidestep the spots that waste your time and drain your wallet.
Use this list as a starting point. Dig deeper into villages, beaches, and corners that don’t show up on the main tourist radar. Talk to locals when you can—they’ll steer you right.
Your best Corfu memories will come from the places that earn your attention, not the ones that simply demand it through marketing and location. Choose wisely, and the island will reward you.
