Glifada is Corfu's big, easy beach day: about a kilometre of sand on the west coast, with everything you could need a few steps from your towel. It is also the island's busiest beach, and it doesn't pretend otherwise.
Getting there
From Corfu Town it is about 17 km, roughly 23 minutes by car. The last stretch is asphalt but steep as it drops to the sea, so take it slowly. Public car parks sit 100 to 200 metres from the sand.
No car? Buses stop at Glifada too, about 200 metres from the beach.
The beach
A long, wide stretch of soft sand, with clean water that stays shallow near the shore, good for wading. Behind it you'll find sunbeds, beach bars, restaurants, coffee, a mini market and boats to rent. In summer, expect plenty of people.
The beach faces the open sea to the west. When the north-westerly wind picks up, waves roll in, so check Swimming today on the Corfu page before you go. In return, the sun sets right over the water.
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
Make a day of it
- Glifada view, 7 minutes by car: a quiet viewpoint over the whole bay.
- Mirtiotisa, 7 minutes: a small sandy beach with deep water at the bottom of a very steep road. It is a nudist beach, and very popular.
- Kontogialos, 11 minutes: the beach below Pelekas, with sand, shallow water, tavernas and water sports.
- Kaiser's Throne, the hilltop above Pelekas, is just over a kilometre away as the crow flies, and is known for its sunsets.
- For walkers, a waymarked path (Corfu Paths CC10) passes just behind the beach.
Our take: if you want sand, service and a lively crowd, this is your beach. For a calmer moment, the viewpoints above the bay show you Glifada at its quietest.