Arkoudilas is Corfu's far south at its wildest: a very large, quiet sandy beach about half a kilometre long, with shallow water, near the white cliffs of Cape Asprokavos. It is one of the guide's five-star beaches.
Getting there
From Corfu Town it is about 48 km, around an hour by car. The last stretch is a very steep dirt road in fair condition: a 4x4 is recommended, or leave the car above and walk down. You can park by the roadside or in a public car park, under 500 metres from the beach.
Walkers have more choice. The Corfu Trail, which crosses the whole island, passes right by the beach, and so do two Corfu Paths routes, SC01 and SC02, of about 9 and 5 km.
The beach
Sand, shallow water and plenty of room, usually with few people. There is a café with sunbeds; otherwise the place is wild. Two viewpoints lie within about 600 metres, if you want to see the whole sweep of it.
Photo: Hagai Agmon-Snir, CC BY-SA 4.0
Make a day of it
- Arkoudilas ruined monastery, 5 minutes by car, or 14 on foot: a quiet ruined monastery near the beach.
- Arkoudilas view, 5 minutes by car, or 20 on foot: a quiet viewpoint over the beach; the way is hard, by 4x4 or on foot.
- Gardenos, 22 minutes: a large sandy beach with sunbeds, a café, a taverna and a mini market.
- Megas Choros, 25 minutes: another five-star beach, very large, quiet and crystal-clear, also down a very steep road.
- Issos, 29 minutes: a very large sandy beach that feels a little like a desert, far from houses and shops.
Our take: the end of the island, in the best sense: big sand, few people and white cliffs. Bring a 4x4 or good legs.