Please sign in to post.

Corfu & Paxos in Late August — Right choice if we love the Cyclades but want something different?

Posted by (Chicago IL) on

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping for some honest feedback because I’m starting to second-guess our upcoming Greece trip and would really appreciate perspectives from people who’ve actually been.

We usually travel to Greece about once a year and because of work we really only get one major vacation window annually so I want to make sure we’re choosing the right trip, not just a good trip. The main reason we’re looking at late August this time is that flights were dramatically cheaper (almost 50% less than June, July, or September for us), which pushed us to consider a different region than we normally would.

We’re planning a late August trip flying into Corfu (about two weeks total). The current plan is:

• Palaiokastritsa (Akrotiri area) – 5 nights
• Pelecas village – 3 nights
• Paxos (likely Lakka area) – 3 nights
• Kontokali/Gouvia area near the airport – 4 nights

We are not renting a car and will rely on taxis and walking.

For context, we’ve previously traveled several times in the Cyclades (Paros, Naxos, Koufonisia, Milos, Amorgos) and also northern Greece/Peloponnese, so that’s what I naturally keep comparing this to. I’m mostly worried about choosing the wrong style of trip rather than the wrong hotels.

Here are my main questions:
1. I either hear almost nothing about Corfu or very mixed reviews. For people who have been — what is the island actually like as a vacation experience?

2. How does late August weather actually feel?

3. Without a car, is this itinerary realistic? We purposely chose areas that seemed walkable, but I don’t want to end up stuck at the hotels or constantly arranging transportation.

4. Are Palaiokastritsa and Lakka places where you can genuinely walk to swims, meals, and boat rentals, or will we realistically need taxis most days?

5. For those who have been to Paxos — is it a highlight or does it risk feeling too quiet for a 3-night stay?

6. Crowds at this time? Have been to Naxos Milos Paros Athens all during this time frame and personally didn’t think to awful.

I’m not looking for nightlife or luxury — just a relaxing trip that feels worth the travel time from the U.S. I mainly want to be sure I’m planning the Ionian correctly rather than trying to force a Cyclades-style vacation onto a different place.

Any candid thoughts would really help me feel more confident about committing to this plan.

Thank you so much.

Posted by
1221 posts

To answer your questions-

  1. We've been twice, including in late August. It was lovely and we enjoyed it a lot. Not sure why someone would have a bad experience? It's a very popular holiday destination from the UK. Nice beaches and one of the best old towns in Greece.

  2. When we were there in late August the weather was great, sunny and perfect beach weather.

  3. We didn't have a car either and used the excellent bus system (KTEL). We were staying near Acharavi in the north. The only time we used a taxi was when we arrived at the airport.

4-5 We didn't go to the western side or Paxos so can't comment.

  1. This is prime travel time for people from the UK as it's right before children go back to school, but when we went it wasn't terribly crowded.

Additional thoughts- don't miss Corfu Town, it's beautiful. In general the south has a reputation for being more of a party destination and the north is quieter. If you have time you can even take a boat over to Albania and visit the ancient Roman ruins of Butrint.

Posted by
5990 posts

I am mostly no help, but in May 2023, I spent 5 nights in Palaiokastritsa and it is gorgeous. I stayed at the Hotel Apollon - you walk out the front door and cross the street to a gorgeous public beach, with another smaller beach (chair rental) to the side. I had plans to go to other parts of the island but couldn’t tear myself away, except for one long day trip. I took the bus to and from, and there are several walkable places to eat. So beach and food are easy - but you would absolutely need a taxi or car (or the less frequent bus) to get anywhere else on the island. There is a cute little boat ride that leaves from the beach there. A bit further (but easily walkable) is more of a harbor (Alisa Port) and there are several boat rental places there. But I didn’t do that, so I don’t have any firsthand knowledge except that they are there and it’s not hard to get to.

I got to Corfu by ferry from Sarandë, Albania, which was easy but you would have to look carefully at ferry times and bus times on to Butrint to see how you feel about it as a day trip. When I left, I took the ferry to Igoumenitsa.

Posted by
1221 posts

Regarding Butrint- I'm not sure how easy it is to do it yourself via the ferry, but when we were staying in Acharavi there were lots of boat tour operators who would take groups there for the day. We visited Butrint on a different trip when we were staying in Sarande (Albania) and really enjoyed it. Very impressive Roman ruins and not crowded at all.

Posted by
12 posts

I've been to both groups of islands and they are like chalk and cheese! Corfu and Paxos are incredibly green and have a more venetian look as opposed to the classic blue and white of the Cyclades. All will be busy at the end of August and I would find it very hot at 30C+. My personal experience is that Corfu feels more humid and doesn't have the same winds or breezey feel of the Cyclades. However I really enjoy visiting both groups of islands.
I love Paleokastritsa and find it one of the most scenic places I have visited in over 35 years of Greek travel. Not everyone likes it as there isn't a village centre and the village is quite spread out along the coast - about 2 to 3 km- but perfectly walkable if you are of normal fitness. There are some really gorgeous beaches. Pelekas is a much more traditional village with spectacular panoramic views. Paxos I have only visited for day trips but I am sure 3 days would not be too long to explore this pretty island. The area you are suggesting for your last 4 days is unknown to me so I cannot comment. One suggestion I would make however is to spend at least 2 nights in Corfu town as it is really beautiful and well worth strolling round. You might also wish to look at a quieter part of Corfu like Boukari or Petriti for a couple of days.
Others may disagree but I find the Cyclades more cosmopolitan than Corfu which seems more popular (for very good reasons) with UK visitors.
I really love the Cyclades and have returned to them multiple times but I also enjoy Corfu and other Ionian islands. Personally I think your trip sounds fab - prepare to be overwhelmed by superb scenery and breathtaking views.

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.