The Ionian Islands lie off the west coast of Greece, a green, wetter chain that looks nothing like the bare Aegean. Corfu is the largest and best known, an island of olive groves, Venetian towns and a coast that runs from busy resort bays to quiet, upmarket coves. Our villas sit on the calm north-east coast of Corfu and on the island of Lefkada to the south, and you can reach the full Ionian Islands collection from here. This guide covers where to base yourself, how Corfu and Lefkada differ, and when to come.
The Ionians reward guests who want green as well as blue. Cypress and olive run down to the water, the sea is calm and sheltered, and the light is softer than in the Cyclades. It is the greener, gentler side of Greece, and it suits a slow villa week.
Where should you base yourself in the Ionian Islands?
Most guests choose Corfu, and within Corfu the north-east coast, for the mix of quiet coves and easy access. Lefkada, to the south, is the choice for the brightest beaches. The areas below cover both.
North-east Corfu: the green coast
The north-east coast of Corfu, from Barbati up through Nissaki, Agni and Kalami to Kassiopi, is the island's most sought-after stretch. Olive-covered hills drop to a string of pebble coves, with the mountains of Albania close across a narrow strait. This is the coast that drew the Durrell family in the 1930s, and it has stayed low-key and upmarket, with tavernas on the water reached as easily by boat as by road. Quiet Sun sits above Barbati, and Villa Pearl is near Kassiopi at the northern end, both an easy reach of the coves and their tavernas.
Corfu Town and the south
Corfu Town is one of the finest island capitals in Greece, a Venetian old town of tall shuttered houses, two fortresses and an arcaded square built by the French. It is worth a base of its own for a few nights, or a day trip from the north-east coast, about 40 minutes away. South of the town the island grows flatter and busier, with long sandy beaches and the livelier resorts. Corfu Dreams gives a Corfu base within reach of the town and the airport.
Lefkada: the west-coast beaches
Lefkada is the surprise of the Ionian, an island joined to the mainland by a causeway, so you drive to it rather than fly or sail. Its west coast holds the brightest beaches in Greece: Porto Katsiki, Egremni and Kathisma, white cliffs above turquoise water. The island is quieter and less polished than Corfu, better for beach days than for towns. Sunset & Sea Lilies and Heaven's Light sit on Lefkada, close to that west-coast run of sand.
Paxos and the smaller islands
Paxos, a small green island an hour south of Corfu by boat, is the chic day trip: three harbour villages, olive groves and clear water in the caves along its west coast. Antipaxos, smaller still, has two of the best swimming beaches in the Ionian. Neither has an airport, and both are reached by boat from Corfu, which makes them a fine day out from a north-east coast base.
How do you get to Corfu and Lefkada?
For Corfu, fly into Corfu airport, just outside the town, with direct flights from the UK in about three and a half hours through the summer. The north-east coast is a 40 minute drive from the airport. For Lefkada, fly into Preveza, on the mainland, then drive about 30 minutes across the causeway onto the island. There is no ferry to catch.
Hire a car on either island. Corfu's coves and Lefkada's beaches sit along winding coast roads, and a car is what turns them into a week of different bays. A small boat, which we can arrange, is the other way to see the north-east Corfu coast, since many of the best tavernas and swimming spots face the sea.
How do the Ionian Islands differ from the Cyclades?
The Ionians are green, calm and low-built, and the Cyclades are bare, bright and windy. Corfu and Lefkada have trees, shelter and Venetian or Italian history, and the sea is usually flat. Mykonos and Santorini, in the Aegean, are treeless, whitewashed and often windy, with a louder, more designed kind of glamour. For a fuller comparison across the country, our guide to where to stay in Greece sets the regions side by side. Choose the Ionian for green and quiet, the Cyclades for white villages and nightlife.
When is the best time to visit?
May, June, September and early October are the best months for an Ionian villa holiday. The sea is warm, the islands are green rather than parched, and the coves and beaches are busy without being full. June and September are the pick, warm enough to swim and quiet enough to get a table on the water.
July and August are the peak, hot and busy, with the beaches and the boats at their fullest and villa prices at their highest. The Ionians catch more rain than the Aegean across the year, which is why they are so green, but summer stays dry and hot. April and late October are green and mild, good for walking and the towns, with sea swimming a gamble.
What are the Ionian Islands good for?
Come for green scenery, calm sea and a gentle pace. The pleasures are simple: a morning swim off a pebble cove, a boat to a taverna for lunch, a long dinner as the light drops behind the hills. Corfu adds a real town and a sense of history, and Lefkada adds the brightest beaches in the country.
This is the softer, greener face of Greece, better suited to a relaxed villa week than to nightlife. Families do well here, with sheltered coves and short drives, and so do couples who want the sea, the shade and very little else to do.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best area to stay in Corfu?
The north-east coast, from Barbati through Nissaki and Agni to Kassiopi, is the most sought-after base. Olive hills drop to quiet pebble coves, the tavernas sit on the water, and it stays upmarket and low-key. It is about 40 minutes from Corfu airport and from Corfu Town, so you can have coves on the doorstep and a Venetian old town within reach.
Corfu or Lefkada: which is better?
It depends on what you want. Corfu has the finest town, the most upmarket coast and easy flights, and it suits guests who want green coves with a town within reach. Lefkada has the brightest beaches in Greece and a quieter, simpler feel, and you drive to it across a causeway rather than sailing. For a first Ionian trip we usually suggest Corfu.
How do you get to Lefkada?
Fly into Preveza airport on the mainland, then drive about 30 minutes onto the island across the causeway that joins Lefkada to the coast. There is no ferry, which makes Lefkada one of the easiest Greek islands to reach. From further afield, many guests fly to Corfu or Athens and add Lefkada to a wider trip.
When is the best time to visit the Ionian Islands?
May, June, September and early October are the best months, warm enough to swim and quiet enough to enjoy. June and September are the pick of them. July and August are hot and busy, the peak for beaches and prices, and the shoulder months of April and late October are green and mild but cooler for swimming.
Are the Ionian Islands good for families?
Yes. The sheltered coves on the north-east coast of Corfu and the calm Ionian sea suit younger children, and villa pools give a base for the hottest hours. The drives are short, the tavernas are relaxed about early dinners, and a boat day to Paxos or along the coast is an easy treat.
