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Ionian Islands · Greece
A UNESCO old town and Venetian forts, a walk or a short bus ride from the ship.
Corfu's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Venetian forts, the Liston arcade and the Spianada square. The Achilleion Palace gardens and the coves of Paleokastritsa are a bus ride away.
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See Fortress
Old Town, about 1.6 miles away
The Venetian fortress on the Old Town's eastern tip is part of the UNESCO listing. Entry is €10; it opens daily at 08:00 and closes between 18:00 and 20:00 from April to October, and at 15:30 in winter.
See Fortress Hours and Prices (opens a new tab)Unwind Coves
North-west coast, about 10.6 miles away
Six coves with clear, cold water. Agios Spyridon, the central one, has a sheltered sandy beach, and small boats leave from Alypa next door for trips along the coast.
Read About Paleokastritsa (opens a new tab)Taste Sweets
Old Town pastry shops
Kumquat is one of Corfu's traditional products, alongside mandolato and mantoles. In the Old Town it is sold as sweets and, in season, as home-made ice cream.
Where to Try Kumquat Sweets (opens a new tab)Explore Palace
Gastouri, about 4.6 miles away
Empress Elisabeth of Austria built this palace. The interior is closed for restoration, but the Imperial Gardens and outdoor areas are open: €7, daily 08:00 to 20:00 from April to October and 08:00 to 16:00 in winter.
See Palace Hours and Prices (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Ships dock at the cruise terminal on the north-west edge of Corfu Town, so you can walk to the Old Town or take a blue bus from the port.
Corfu airport is about 2 miles from the cruise terminal in a straight line.
If you do one thing here
UNESCO inscribed the Old Town in 2007. Its three forts, designed by Venetian engineers, guarded the Republic of Venice's sea trade against the Ottoman Empire for four centuries.
Start at the Liston arcade on the Spianada, which the city bus company calls the largest square in Greece. The Old Fortress is a 5-minute walk from the square.
Corfu records far less theft than Greece as a whole, and the Old Town is close enough to walk.
Crime figures: Eurostat police-recorded offences, 2024, Corfu (EL622) against Greece, per resident, so summer visitors are not counted; the percentages are our maths. Weather: HNMS 1955–2010 normals, Kerkyra station. Distances: straight line from the cruise terminal, OpenStreetMap.
Make it part of your voyage
MSC, Viking, Princess, Marella and Cunard call most often, and a few sailings start here.
Ships dock at the cruise terminal on the north-west edge of Corfu Town. The port authority's schedule does not list berths for each ship.
The New Fortress, at the edge of the Old Town, is about 0.9 miles from the terminal in a straight line. The Liston arcade is about 1.25 miles.
Blue bus Line 16 runs to Spilia by the New Fortress, and Line 17 to the Liston. A Zone A ticket is €1.30. Or walk: the Liston is about 1.25 miles away in a straight line.
Take blue bus Line 15 from the port to the intercity bus station, then green bus A9. The A9 takes about 50 minutes and costs €2.80.
No official shuttle details are published. Blue city buses 15, 16 and 17 serve the port; ask your cruise line if it runs its own shuttle.
No official fare table is published. A taxi company has an office at the cruise terminal, so ask for the fare there before you set off.
Walk the Old Town to the Old Fortress, or take a bus to the Achilleion gardens or the coves of Paleokastritsa. All three are in the cards above, with prices and hours.
Yes. It is about 4.6 miles away in a straight line. Blue bus Line 10 runs there from Mitropolitou Methodiou Street in town; a Zone B ticket is €1.80. The interior is closed for restoration, but the gardens are open.
Paleokastritsa, about 10.6 miles away, has six coves; Agios Spyridon, the central one, is sandy. The port authority's guide lists 19 swimming spots in all.
The Old Town, the Achilleion and Paleokastritsa can all be reached by public bus. For a guided trip, the tours list above shows what Viator sells.
Recorded theft is about 88% below the Greek rate, but assault is about 47% above it (2024, per resident). The rates do not count summer visitors.
