Corfu Without a Car: 10 Beaches You Can Reach by Bus
Hiring a car on Corfu in August costs a small fortune, the roads are narrow and the beach car parks are full by eleven. Plenty of visitors skip it altogether, and they're not stuck at the hotel pool. Corfu has two bus networks that between them reach most of the island's best-known beaches, and a day ticket on the city buses costs less than a coffee and a croissant.
The blue buses are the city network. They leave from San Rocco square and Mitropolitou Methodiou street in Corfu Town and serve the beaches within about 15 km. A short trip costs €1.30 and a longer suburban one €1.80–2.50 if you buy the ticket first at a kiosk or machine; it's €0.50 more from the driver, and a €5 day pass covers unlimited rides. Validate the ticket on board.
The green KTEL buses run island-wide from the long-distance bus station on Eptanisou Avenue, near the new port. You usually pay the conductor on board, who has change. Green tickets and blue tickets are not interchangeable. Timetables change often in summer, sometimes weekly, and there are fewer buses on Sundays, so check the timetable taped up at the stop or on the KTEL website, and above all check when the last bus back leaves.
1. Mon Repos
The closest proper swim to town is a small beach with a jetty and a café below the Mon Repos estate, looking back across the bay to the Old Fortress. Locals come here before work and after it.
Blue bus 2A, the Kanoni line, leaves from the Liston end of the Spianada and stops by the estate gate. From there it's a few minutes on foot. You could also walk it from the old town in about half an hour along the seafront.
Good to know: Combine it with the woods of the Mon Repos estate and the path down to Kardaki, then catch the same bus on to Kanoni for the view of Mouse Island.
Mon Repos: crowds, parking & wind today →2. Benitses
East Corfu · 4.0 Google (1,325 reviews)
Benitses is a former fishing village about 12 km south of town, with a pebble beach, a seafront promenade and tavernas along the water. It's sheltered from the northwest wind, so it's a good bus trip on breezy days.
Blue bus 6 leaves from Mitropolitou Methodiou and runs down the coast road, with stops right along the village. The ride takes around half an hour, depending on traffic.
Good to know: Sit on the left-hand side going south for the sea view all the way.
Benitses: crowds, parking & wind today →3. Ipsos
East Corfu · 4.0 Google (1,249 reviews)
Ipsos is a long pebble beach along the coast road in a lively resort north of town, with watersports, bars and somewhere to eat every few metres. The bus stops are on the coast road, right behind the beach.
Blue bus 7 from San Rocco runs through Dassia to Ipsos, all day, with the first bus around 06:20 and the last leaving town after 22:00. That makes it the easiest beach day out of town without a car.
Good to know: Dassia, the tree-lined beach a few stops earlier on the same line, is a quieter alternative.
Ipsos: crowds, parking & wind today →4. Barbati
Northeast Corfu · 4.5 Google (3,223 reviews)
Barbati is a long beach of small white pebbles under Mount Pantokrator, about 19 km north of town, with calm, deep-blue water and a Blue Flag.
Green buses heading for Kassiopi or Nissaki stop on the main road above the beach. Ask the conductor for Barbati. From the road it's a steep walk down to the sand, and a steeper one back up after lunch.
Good to know: In July and August an extra summer service (S4 or S6, when it runs) links Barbati with Ipsos and Dassia, so you can visit two beaches in one day.
Barbati: crowds, parking & wind today →5. Bataria (Kassiopi)
Northeast Corfu · 4.7 Google (1,586 reviews)
Kassiopi is a harbour village in the far northeast, with a ruined castle on the headland and a string of pebble coves around it. Bataria, the first of them, is under ten minutes' walk from the harbour on a shaded path.
The green bus for Kassiopi follows the coast road the whole way and stops in the village, a few minutes from the harbour. It's a long ride, well over an hour and a half, but the views over the strait to Albania make up for it.
Good to know: Bring water shoes for the big white pebbles, and leave time for a drink at the harbour before the bus back.
Bataria (Kassiopi): crowds, parking & wind today →6. Sidari
North Corfu · 4.0 Google (1,170 reviews)
Sidari, on the north coast, is famous for its sandstone cliffs and the narrow channel known as the Canal d'Amour. The main beach is sandy with shallow, warm water, which makes it easy with children.
The green bus for Sidari takes about an hour and a quarter from Corfu Town and stops on the main street, a short walk from the beach. The Canal d'Amour is about ten minutes further west on foot.
Good to know: It's a busy resort, so if you want the cliffs to yourself, walk over to the Canal d'Amour early or after 17:00.
Sidari: crowds, parking & wind today →7. Arillas
Northwest Corfu · 4.7 Google (1,336 reviews)
Arillas is a laid-back sandy beach on the northwest coast with a view of the little Diapontia islands offshore. It's one of the quieter resorts the bus reaches, with tavernas along the beach and no big hotels.
The green bus to Arillas runs only a few times a day, so plan the return before you go. The stop is in the village, a short walk from the sand.
Good to know: Stay for sunset: Arillas faces west, and the islands make a good silhouette.
Arillas: crowds, parking & wind today →8. Paleokastritsa
West Corfu · 4.4 Google (4,359 reviews)
Paleokastritsa is the bay in all the postcards: small beaches under the monastery, turquoise water and boat trips to the sea caves. It's about 25 km from town on the west coast.
The green bus takes about 45 minutes and finishes down at the bay, so there's no climb at either end. From the beach you can walk to the monastery or take a boat to the caves and the coves further south.
Good to know: In high summer a seasonal line links Paleokastritsa with Aqualand and the east coast resorts, which is handy if you're staying in Dassia or Ipsos.
Paleokastritsa: crowds, parking & wind today →9. Glyfada
West Corfu · 4.4 Google (5,666 reviews)
Glyfada is one of Corfu's most famous beaches: a long stretch of golden sand under pine-covered cliffs on the west coast, about 16 km from town, with beach bars and plenty of space.
The green bus runs here in summer and drops you a short walk from the sand. It's a good choice for a bus trip because Glyfada's car park fills up by late morning, and on the bus that's not your problem.
Good to know: The west coast gets the afternoon wind. If the forecast shows a strong maistro, go in the morning and come back early.
Glyfada: crowds, parking & wind today →10. Agios Georgios South
Agios Georgios on the southwest coast is a very long sandy beach with shallow water and room for everyone. The resort is low-key, and the beach runs south towards the dunes around Issos and Lake Korission.
Green buses run here from Corfu Town a few times a day. It's over an hour each way and the timetable is thin, so check both directions before you go, especially on Sundays.
Good to know: Walk south along the sand towards Issos if you want the beach almost to yourself.
Agios Georgios South: crowds, parking & wind today →