Best time to visit Corfu

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Best time to visit Corfu

The springtime is glorious, and you can just walk for miles, enjoying the wildflowers and the birds

– Val Osborne-Androutsopoulou, from our partner Casa Lucia, has lived on the island since the 1970s.

The best time to visit Corfu is from May to October, which is the main tourism season. For walking, go in May and June, and September and October – also good months for bird watching. Walkers should avoid the heat of high summer (July and August), which should be reserved for more leisurely pursuits: retreats, yoga and swimming holidays. The hottest months are July and August, with average daily highs of 31°C and a gloriously warm sea. International flights stop around October, and start again in March, and Corfiots look forward to their quiet winters without tourists.

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When to go to Corfu, month by month

At the start of the new year, you might see massive sea squill bulbs hung in villages – they represent regeneration and some believe they can bring good health in the coming year. For tourism, the coming year is off to a quiet start; January and February are very calm. In March, direct international flights ramp up again. Another international flight starts, too, as swifts and swallows start arriving on the island in March and April. Spring and autumn are good seasons to see migratory birds. Orthodox Easter is very musical in Corfu, and in May, when it often falls, you may see the islands many philharmonic bands performing in the streets of their hometowns. It drowns out the sound of local residents smashing pots in the street – another tradition. In the summer months, June, July and August, tourists find themselves mingling with local people at busy religious festivals, like the Festival of the Holy Spirit (late June) and the Transfiguration of Jesus (early August) – when pilgrims climb to the monastery at the top of Mount Pantokrator. Look out for fireflies on summer evenings in July. European tourists flock to the island for summer holidays this month and next – for Italians, it’s just a short ferry hop. In August even the wind is hot, and the sea is at its warmest. Take advantage of the island’s siesta schedule, which generally runs from 3pm to 5:30pm – the hottest part of the day. August coincides with the UK school holidays, so expect the island to be busy. In late September, lupins bloom. It’s also the month of the Corfu International Art Festival. In late October, hotels begin to close their doors, and it’s the last month for international flights. There’s not much for tourists in the down season, except for walking. November is quiet, and is also the wettest month. December brings the start of Corfu’s mild winter months. Around half the days in the month receive some rain, and there can be winter storms. In mountainous areas, there may be snow.

Corfu Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

180

FEB

163

MAR

121

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

155

NOV

226

DEC

232

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Things to do in Corfu

Things to do in Corfu…

Explore the whole island – whilst Corfu is big, full-island exploration is easy to do. There’s a bus network, but most people will look to hiring a car. Alternatively, hire bikes or hike – both are a delight, and help you explore the interior of the island. Be inspired by the Durrells. Since British brothers Gerald and Lawrence wrote about the island in the 1930s – Gerald with the delightful My Family and Other Animals – visitors have come to Corfu prepared to be delighted by nature – and still, the island delivers a century on. Explore Corfu Town. This is a Greek island where the capital is worth a visit to experience its historical cosmopolitanism and modern student culture: it’s not all tourist tat shops here. Instead, there are museums, pergola-covered cafe gardens and centuries-old streets. Become a plane-spotter. From Halikiopoulou Lagoon, which faces the airport just south of Corfu Town, you can see planes swoop disconcertingly close as they come into land at Corfu International Airport. The landings are so dramatic that they often draw crowds of tourists.

Things not to do in Corfu…

Miss the cuisine. Four million olive trees comprise Corfu’s culinary bedrock – and olive oil goes on everything. Then there are the assorted delights of laden citrus trees; fun, casual grill houses (psistarias), and Venetian delicacies like hearty pastitsio (pasta in pastry). If British-inspired ginger beer isn’t your thing, plump for portokalada – orangeade. Waste water or be reckless with waste. Corfu has had to deal with a huge and growing influx of visitors over the years and its infrastructure has not evolved to cope. Sometimes sewage systems can clog and overflow after heavy rain, or when water supplies run low. Stay in a resort. Not when there is so much characterful accommodation on the island. Whilst Corfu has its fair share of All Inclusive resorts thronged around its coastline, there are other options if you know where to look. There are over 100 beaches, too, so don’t just settle for one. Be a stranger. Corfu is an island that many people, from many nationalities, have called home over the years. Many still hold it very dear. You will probably want to return.

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Written by Eloise Barker

Best time to visit Corfu

Best time to visit Corfu