Our 2025 summer vacation was quite special because we had many visits to Cascais, some short trips around Portugal, but the highlight was the 9-day trip to Corfu, a Greek island that won our hearts. When we were planning our summer vacation, we considered going to Corsica, Sardinia, and Croatia as well, but after much research on Google Flights and Booking.com, we found Corfu to be the best value option, and wow, it was amazing! 🙂

Summary of our trip

We took flights with not very long layovers in Madrid (max 4h) on 23/8 (Saturday – outbound) and 31/8 (Sunday – back), we rented a car at Booking To travel around the entire island, we booked 3 hotels and left Portugal with just one tour booked and paid for: the day boat trip to Paxos and Antipaxos (this one here). We created a map on My Maps with the island's most interesting beaches, chose the hotels on Booking.com, purchased our IATI insurance, and then created a spreadsheet on Google Sheets with the days and desired schedule.

If you want to access the map to see in more detail, this is the link.

Our summary spreadsheet:

It was a hassle-free trip, as we found the island relatively empty considering it was August. We were happy when we arrived at the beaches at 11 a.m. and found parking without any problems, something quite different from Mallorca, which we visit in 2024 (see all the details here). We were able to have lunch at excellent restaurants, booking a table without any hassle when we arrived at the beaches for two hours later. We met many Greeks and Italians there, found prices cheaper or the same as in Portugal, and saw many simple places without those Instagram-worthy decorations, you know? I swear, I felt like I was traveling like in the old days, when everything was authentic and simple, without excessive filters and poses. It was truly a wonderful surprise for everyone!

Our accommodations

We chose to stay in three hotels spread across the island because we wanted to have different cafes and have less travel. But later we realized we could have easily stayed in just two, as the journeys were very smooth, as the roads were good and there was no traffic. If I could go back in time, I would remove the last hotel, because we didn't have a good experience, and I'll explain why.

Our closed options on Booking were:

Divani Corfu Palace – This large hotel is close to Corfu airport and had a really nice infrastructure. It's on a hill, and parking was a bit tricky, but we loved the full breakfast, the grand reception, and the pool at the end of the day. We had three rooms and thought everything was great, even if the decor wasn't very modern.

Harma Corfu This family-friendly hotel was a wonderful surprise for us. Despite being on a main street, we didn't hear any noise from the rooms facing the street. We were incredibly well looked after by the couple who own the place, who gave us valuable tips and even gave my kids some lovely souvenirs. We loved having breakfast overlooking the pool and the fact that our rooms had balconies with clotheslines, because we actually hung our wet clothes out to dry there every day. Our room was on the ground floor, and my mother-in-law and brother shared an apartment on the second floor, and everyone had plenty of space. The only minor issue was our bathroom's small shower curtain, which caused a small amount of flooding every day.

Victoria Hill – We didn't have much luck with this place. We got a family room for the four of us and two double rooms for my brother and mother-in-law, and when we got to ours, the musty smell was unbearable. We spoke to the owner at reception, and she said she'd never smelled it or heard any complaints, but after my insistence (and photos to prove it), she moved us to another room. Since there weren't any other family rooms, I said we could stay in the double room—with Ju sleeping between us in the bed and Patrick sleeping with his grandmother—so I expected she'd refund me in the end, but to my surprise, at checkout, she said she wouldn't refund me because the decision to change was my own. I ended up contacting Booking.com after we returned from our trip and have since received a refund, but I found the whole thing very annoying. To top it all off, when we went to the pool on the first day, we sat on the somewhat old wooden lounge chairs, and unfortunately, one of them fell on Júlia's foot, and we almost rushed to the hospital for fear of breaking her toes. Thankfully, nothing was broken, and we continued our trip as normal. Besides all that, I found the breakfast quite meager, with few options and a cramped atmosphere, but we found the double room pleasant and the garden beautiful.

Our Summary Itinerary

Now let's get to the fun part: the attractions and restaurants we visited! 🙂

• Day 23 (Saturday) We left home around 9 a.m. and only arrived at the hotel the next day at 1 a.m. It was a boring day for everyone, with a 4-hour layover in Madrid, two flights, waiting for our bags in Corfu—even though we had carry-on luggage, they made us check it—and renting a car. Nothing interesting to report here. 🙁
• Day 24 (Sunday) – We passed by Vlacherna Monastery, we saw the planes passing over us, then we drove to Glyfada BeachWe parked the car in the restaurant parking lot. Akti Glifada and we had a great lunch there. Afterward, we enjoyed the lovely beach, returned to the hotel, and went out to dinner at the restaurant. Anise, which was in a cute square nearby.
• Day 25 (Monday) – Ju woke up with a swollen eye, and we went to a clinic recommended by the insurance company. Thank God, it was just an insect bite. We then went to the Agios Spiridon Beach, where we had lunch at the family restaurant Nikos and then we took a pedal boat ride around the area. The place is so beautiful! We went to dinner in the center of Corfu at the restaurant Psaraki and we got stuck in a huge traffic jam to get back to the hotel because there was a party at the fortress.
• Day 26 (Tuesday) – Boat trip day to Paxos and Antipaxos and checkout from the first hotel. We spent the whole day on the boat, exploring the beautiful islands of Paxos and Antipaxos, visiting some caves, and when we arrived in Corfu at 6 p.m., we drove to our second hotel. If you'd like to know more details about the tour we booked, see this link here. We got ready and went out to dinner on foot to a very nice restaurant nearby, Salt and Pepper Tavern.
• Day 27 (Wednesday) – We went to the D'amour Beach, in Sidari, and we took the opportunity to visit the famous Love Channel. We had lunch there at D'amour Beach Bar, we returned to the hotel tired and then went out to dinner at Niko's Family Restaurant, in Roda.
• Day 28 (Thursday) – Hubby's birthday! We went to the beach Agios Georgios, we had lunch at the restaurant Delfini, which for us was the best part of the trip, then we took a taxi boat to Porto Timoni Beach, where we did SUP and after a few hours, we took the same boat back. We went to the hotel to get ready, we went to watch the sunset in Pearls and we decided to go to dinner at Bavias Tavern, recommended by the couple who own the hotel. Delicious food and a great price!
• Day 29 (Friday) – We checked out of the hotel and went to the beach. Arillas, where we stayed for a while and then had lunch at the restaurant ThalassaFrom there, we headed to our third and final hotel and encountered some annoying setbacks. We rested and went out for dinner at Ambelonas WineryWhat a delightful experience!
• Day 30 (Saturday) – It was a cloudy day all day, but we managed to go out in the morning to see the beach and the village of Kalami. I thought the place was really cute, even with the rain, but it's a bit difficult to park. We had lunch at Thomas' Place and then we decided to go see the center of Corfu, but it started to rain and we thought it best to go back to the hotel. That night, we went out to dinner at a nearby pizzeria, Parthenope, and we really liked the pizzas.
• Day 31 (Sunday) – We packed our things, checked out, gassed up the car, returned it to the same place we'd picked it up, and headed to the airport. Our flight was significantly delayed because the previous day's storm caused several cancellations and delays, and by the time we arrived in Madrid, we'd already missed our flight to Lisbon. Since we'd bought everything through Iberia, they put us on another flight four hours later, and we only got home around midnight. It was another busy day, but it was worth it!

If you want more details, keep reading: you'll have everything chewed up every day. 🙂

Our Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Saturday (08/23/2025)

We left Cascais around 9 a.m., as our Iberia flight from Lisbon to Madrid was at 12:30 p.m., and I like to arrive early to avoid any problems. We arrived at Barajas Airport around 3 p.m., had lunch at one of the many restaurants, and then waited for our next flight to Corfu, at 7:50 p.m. We arrived on the Greek island at midnight and had to wait for our bags on the carousel, as they unfortunately made us check them due to lack of space in the cabin. Then we still had to figure out where to pick up the shuttle to the car rental company, then we went to pick up the car and then finally headed to the hotel. It was a bit of a ordeal for everyone, especially the kids, but in the end, everything worked out.

Day 2 – Sunday (08/24/2025)

We slept as much as we could, had our leisurely breakfast—a very filling one, by the way—and started getting ready to explore this charming island full of greenery and paradisiacal beaches. We decided to go first to Vlacherna Monastery, which was on a small island relatively close to the hotel and is one of the island's landmarks. We easily parked the car nearby and saw many people sitting on the pier enjoying the view. Suddenly, a plane began approaching the island, and everyone was excited to take videos and photos of the scene. It was very exciting, because the plane flew by very low!

After the event, we went to explore the monastery from the outside and bought fruit and water from a nearby stall. We knew we needed to stop by the market for more snacks and sunscreen, since we couldn't fit them in our carry-on bags, but the fruit was so fresh that we couldn't resist buying it right away. Juju absolutely gorged on the peaches!

We set the GPS for Glyfada beach and stopped at a small grocery store along the way. I thought things were expensive—for example, Nivea sunscreen for children cost 22 euros—but we had to buy it to enjoy the beach in peace. We drove for 40 minutes, and when we saw the beach from above, we were thrilled by its beauty. My brother had seen that the Akti Glifada restaurant had good reviews, so we headed there, and luckily, it had private parking. The streets were crowded, and we saw many cars parked on the road, so finding a spot here felt like a gift from the Greek gods! LOL

We ordered several Greek dishes that we had written down to try on the island and I found everything delicious, with the exception of the Greek salad with raw peppers, raw onions, olives and feta and the Tzatziki, which is a cucumber pâté. We thought the restaurant was lovely, with a beautiful view of the beach, and the service was great, so that's a good tip.

Then it was just a matter of heading down to the sand and enjoying the warm sea water and that heavenly place without having to move the car. Wonderful!

We left late in the afternoon, went to the hotel to rest and enjoy the pool, got ready, and went out to dinner nearby, this time without my mother-in-law, as she was feeling a cold. The restaurant we chose was Anise, located in a small square with a playground, with delicious food but slow service. To my surprise, no one needed a coat that evening, something extremely rare in Portugal.

When we got back to the hotel, we noticed that Juju was starting to get limp and her eye was starting to swell, so we got worried and had a not very relaxing night.

Day 3 – Monday (08/25/2025)

We woke up with Juju's left eye super swollen, but fortunately she had no fever, no eye discharge, and no signs of prostration. We thought it might be an allergy and immediately activated the IATI insurance we had – we always do and recommend it to everyone (PS: Can you use the blog link so I can earn commissions, please? 🙂 ). We went to the hotel's super-full breakfast, and it was just in time for them to tell us the name of the clinic we should go to. Celo, Ju, and I went there, while Pat, Paddy, and my brother stayed at the hotel. We arrived at the clinic and were quickly seen by a very straightforward Greek doctor, who also thought it was an allergy to insect bites – Ju had other large bites on her legs – but said we could do a complete blood test to be sure. Imagine, my 4-year-old daughter has never had a blood test, so of course I said we didn't want to do one. She gave the OK and we went to the pharmacy to buy the anti-allergy syrup, which fortunately worked.

We continued, relieved, to one of the most beautiful beaches of the trip, Agios Spiridon, and luckily we found a place to park relatively quickly. My brother, who arrived half an hour after us, struggled a bit more, but in the end it worked out. The beach was quite crowded, as were the restaurants, but we still managed to find a table for 6 at Niko's Restaurant, which was located on the corner of the beach. We had a wonderful lunch there and then squeezed ourselves onto the rocky beach to enjoy that heavenly place.

After a while, we decided to rent a pedal boat and take a 1-hour ride (30 euros) around the area. It was a really cool ride, but a little scary when we were close to the cave and thought we might crash into the rocks.

Before we got the car, we walked a little to the beach Alipa, and we found the view even more beautiful and the beach quieter. It was worth checking out too. Afterwards, we drove along the road along the sea, stopping at a few places to take photos and admire the sailboats in peace, away from the crowds. Lots of plans for the future...

We decided to go to dinner right in the center of Corfu and we went to Psaraki My brother found an excellent parking spot, but we ended up in a huge line for the parking lot near the restaurants. We almost gave up on eating there, but we couldn't get out of the line. The restaurant was in the middle of the square, with a super romantic and cozy atmosphere, and the food was excellent. We walked around the charming downtown area for a bit and then returned to the hotel, super satisfied, but exhausted from the sun. It's good tiredness!

Day 4 – Tuesday (08/26/2025)

Boat trip day to Paxos and Antipaxos!

We woke up early, had breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and headed out ready to spend the whole day on a big boat. We booked this tour on the website GetYouGuide We booked a few weeks in advance and followed the parking and boarding directions to the letter. We arrived very close to boarding time, but we managed to get seats at the front of the boat, which I thought was great because we could see the view on both sides and get some fresh air to boot. Unfortunately, the weather was a bit cloudy, so the blue of the sea wasn't spectacular, but I imagine that on a beautiful sunny day, the whole thing there would be jaw-dropping.

After many hours of sailing, we arrived at the island of Paxos along with other sailboats from around the world. We disembarked in the village of Gaios for a walking tour and a quick lunch at Fanalinos, as we had to return to the boat on time. I confess I was super stressed about the time because with children I always think it can be a disaster, but fortunately, we returned to the boat on time and continued on to explore the island of Antipaxos, the most beautiful of them all.

The weather cleared up a bit before we arrived in Antipaxos, and we were able to see the surreal blue of the sea on this island. The boat stopped for a while so we could snorkel and enjoy the rocky beach, but I honestly found it a bit of a letdown with so many boats and so many people packed into such a tight space. The water obviously got murky with all the movement, so we couldn't see many fish, but it really is a drop-dead gorgeous blue.

We returned to the boat and on the way back, we stopped at several caves along the way, each more beautiful than the last. They had different names—which I can't remember now—and different shapes and sizes, but they all had one thing in common: incredibly clear seawater. We loved everything!

We were surprised by a Greek dance performance on the boat during the sailing trip, which was crucial to keeping the tour from boring. I found the dance so charming, the couple so connected, and they're not at all vulgar. I kept comparing it to our Brazilian dances, always scantily clad... Oh, one thing I found really cool about this boat we took was that the guide who explained the details of the places spoke several languages fluently and was very, very friendly. The only thing I think could be better is having drinks and snacks for sale inside the boat, not just on the second floor. This one is our twin. It's quite big, isn't it?

We arrived in Corfu at 6pm and drove 40 minutes to our second hotel on the island, the Harma Corfu. A quiet place, run by a lovely family, with spacious, comfortable rooms with balconies. We showered and got ready to walk to dinner at the restaurant they recommended, Salt and Pepper Tavern. We were first served by a super cute 10-year-old boy, who took our drink orders, and then by more experienced waiters, who took ages to bring our pizzas. Fortunately, the atmosphere was very pleasant and the pizzas were delicious! We slept really well 🙂

Day 5 – Wednesday (08/27/2025)

We had breakfast overlooking the hotel pool and made the most of the island's delightful warmth. We packed our things and drove 10 minutes to the beach next to the Love Channel. We parked our car in a restaurant parking lot, but ended up going to another one for lunch later, and fortunately, we had no problems. We spent a long time enjoying the quiet sandy beach, then went to see the famous Canal D'amour, a tunnel inside the cliff that allows people to swim across when the tide is not too high. We did so and took the opportunity to get mud on our faces, copying the people who were doing it there. Maybe this mud helps us have more love… You can never have too much love. 🙂

We went to lunch afterwards at Damour Beach Bar, which had a vibe hot beach club Family friendly—if such a thing exists, lol—and we ate with a beautiful view of the beach. I found the food more expensive than elsewhere, but we ate very well. Afterwards, we walked around downtown Sidari and bought some souvenirs, and Celo found an Irish bar and satisfied his craving for Guinness.

We returned to the hotel and got ready to go to dinner at Niko's Family Restaurant, as we had booked for 8 p.m., thinking we'd see Greek dancing and the famous plate-breaking tradition. Unfortunately, they didn't have anything on Wednesday, but they did have it the next day, which was quite frustrating for us. We ate without much enthusiasm, but we received excellent service from one of the restaurant's owners. When we left, we were able to catch a glimpse of Greek Night at the restaurant next door, which was really cool.

Day 6 – Thursday (08/28/2025)

My hubby's birthday! A very special day 🙂

We woke up leisurely, had breakfast overlooking the pool, delivered the gifts, and improvised a cake for him to sing happy birthday! Then we drove about 15 minutes to the beach. Agios Georgios, where we spent many hours enjoying the sun, the empty beach and the delicious sea water. What a paradise!!

We went to lunch at a restaurant facing the beach, Delfini Restaurant And this was, for me, the best restaurant of the trip. What wonderful food, impeccable service, and a lovely place. My risotto was simply divine!!! Seriously, it was perfect for celebrating Celo's birthday. We left very happy! 🙂

After the restaurant, we took the taxi boat to the famous beach Porto Timoni, which is a little hidden away and is one of those really famous on Instagram, you know? It's really beautiful and obviously crowded. There are actually two beaches, one on one side and the other on the opposite side, and to get to the second one you have to walk for a minute. We stayed on the second one because we didn't want to watch boats coming and going all the time, and I thought it might be emptier than the first, but we were wrong. Both were very crowded and we barely found a place to sit, but the water was so nice and the place is so beautiful that we didn't really care.

My brother went hiking to see the two beaches from above and the view really seems worth it, take a look:

We rented SUP boards and explored the area, and it was the best thing we could have done. The surroundings are even more beautiful! The water gets clearer the further away from the beach we get, and the distant views, the plants on the seabed, and the other hidden, less accessible beach are well worth it. We loved the trip.

We returned in time to catch our taxi boat back to Agios Georgios at the agreed time and then drove to our hotel. We rested a bit, took a shower, and went to watch the sunset, which is much praised in Peroulades. We tried to book the 7th Heaven Cafe but couldn't get a table, but when we got there, we stood outside the bar along with a crowd on the cliff to watch this magical moment that happens every day and didn't appreciate it as much as we should have.

As soon as the sun set, we got back in the car and went to dinner at a very traditional place recommended by the hotel owners, Bavias Tavern Grill RoomDelicious and affordable food, a more traditional atmosphere, and real Greeks eating there. We felt like locals! We happily returned to our beds. Beach days are tiring!

Day 7 – Friday (08/29/2025)

We had breakfast and packed our things to check out. We headed to another nearby beach, this time recommended by the hotel owners – Arillas – and we weren't overly impressed by the beauty, no, but we calmed down and settled in. Sandy beach, warm seawater, easy parking, and plenty of beach space – what more could we want from this life?

We spent a few hours there enjoying the last moments of the trip at the beach – we knew the next day would be rainy – and when we got hungry, we went to have lunch at Thalassa Restorent. Nice place, also facing the beach, with few people, excellent service and very good food. Thanks!

We then went to our last hotel, the Victoria Hill Hotel, and we were unlucky that our family room had a horrible musty smell. We asked to be moved and got a smaller room, but Paddy ended up sleeping with Grandma again. Poor thing...lol. We went to enjoy the pool for a bit, but we had an accident with the wooden lounge chair I was using, which fell on Ju's feet. We almost had a fit, thinking her toes had broken, especially since she was crying uncontrollably, but luckily we realized the chair wasn't touching the floor, and that was our luck. I'm sure someone up there was protecting us. We put ice on it, rested in the room, and slowly got ready for dinner.

This time we went to a special place, in Ambelonas winery, which my mother-in-law and brother booked in advance for all of us after researching interesting places on the island. What a beautiful place! What wonderful weather, what delicious food, and what a perfect way to end the day. I recommend it to everyone! We left late, and I confess I was afraid of a traffic stop because everyone had been drinking, but it was a unique night that was well worth it. I recommend it!

Day 8 – Saturday (08/30/2025)

We had breakfast – not very good, by the way – and even though the weather was cloudy, we went out to see a beach nearby, KalamiWe found the road a bit tricky near the beach, but even with the bad weather and the light traffic we encountered there, we found the place to be very cute. The beach is rocky—which, in our opinion, isn't the best—but the houses are beautiful and well-kept, and the village is very cute. We had lunch at a restaurant across from the beach, Thomas' Place, and then we headed to Corfu Old Town as we wanted to visit the tourist attractions.

To our surprise, a storm broke out with several lightning strikes, and we thought it best to return to the hotel. We lost cell phone signal and couldn't reach my brother and mother-in-law, but when we got to our room, we got on the Wi-Fi and sent them an update. I was shocked at how quickly the streets were flooded and how much water fell, something we don't see very often in Portugal, but we do in Brazil. We stayed quietly in our hotel room, and that evening, when the rain let up, we went to dinner at a pizzeria on Ipsos beach—the Partenope Pizza – which didn't have a very pretty atmosphere, but whose pizzas were delicious. A great way to end a rainy day, right?

Day 9 – Sunday (08/31/2025)

The last day of a trip is always the worst, there's no way around it. We had breakfast, packed our things, checked out, and went to fill up the car and return it to the rental agency.

We then went to the airport and were shocked by the chaos! Many flights from the previous day had been canceled or postponed because of the storm, which is why it was so chaotic, so unfortunately, we were affected as well. Our flight was almost two hours late, and by the time we arrived in Madrid, we had already missed our flight to Lisbon. Since everything was on Iberia, they quickly rebooked us on another plane, but unfortunately, it was at 11 PM, meaning we languished in the airport for another four hours. They gave us tickets for dinner there, which eased the ordeal a bit, but it was quite tiring for everyone. We arrived home exhausted and vowing never to fly with layovers again.

Finally, another wonderful family trip and another country to cover!

Greece, you're beautiful, I already want to go back!! 🙂