It really depends on what you are looking for... A desert-island strip of sand, to take a picnic and lie in solitude? A beach where you’ll be spoilt for choice of sports and restaurants? Or a pebble strip where the clean water offers a snorkel-eye view of the sea bottom? Corfu has all these. Just take your pick with this guide.

North from Corfu Town

Kontokali - Gouvia: Popular resorts with small sandy beaches and superb amenities.

Dassia: Long, narrow, sandy beach with several access points from the main road. Several large hotels front the beach, which has many facilities.

Pyrgi - Ipsos: Mile-long shingle beach alongside the road. Busy, with superb facilities.

Barbati: Long, wide beach of white pebbles. Shelves steeply. All facilities and very popular.

Glifa: Strip of pebble beach with a taverna. Good snorkelling.

Nissaki: Tiny pebble cove with tavernas. Crowded in afternoons with boat-trippers. Good centre for boat hire.

Kaminaki: Excellent snorkelling and boat hire at this pebble beach, popular with local villa residents. Two tavernas. Very steep access road. Five minutes walk away is the larger beach of Krouzeri, with a big hotel.

Agni: This small shingle beach is a gourmet paradise with its three superb tavernas.

Kalami: A deeply indented bay with large white pebbles. Main feature is the White House of Lawrence Durrell. Plenty of tavernas, boat hire, etc.

Kerasia: Quiet beach of white pebbles with one taverna. Reached via Agios Stefanos.

Avlaki & Koyevinos: Two remote and beautiful white pebble beaches with room for everyone. Tavernas on both.

Kassiopi: Lovely swimming off flat rocks and from little coves a short walk from the harbour, around the back of the castle and at Imerolia.

South from Corfu Town

Coast from Perama to Moraitika: Man-made sandy beaches, some belonging to hotels, are interspersed with shingle coves, all just a few steps from the main road.

Moraitika & Messongi: long, sand and shingle beach with shallow water and every amenity.

Coast from Messongi to Boukari: Many shingle coves alongside minor coast road. Boukari has excellent fish tavernas.

Alikes: Flat grey sands beside the old Venetian salt pans. Quiet. Access from Lefkimmi.

Bouka: A small sandy beach at the outlet of the Lefkimmi river. Used mainly by locals.

Kavos: Very long sandy beach with warm and shallow water. Quieter away from the resort, a focus for young holidaymakers.

North coast

Sidari: Busy resort with wide sandy beaches, plus the famous Canal d’Amour cove. Nearby Peroulades has the lovely Sunset Beach with its steep sandstone cliffs.

Astrakeri: Quiet beach with very shallow water. Reached by road from Karousades.

Roda & Acharavi: Miles long with plenty of sand for all. Quietest between the resorts and at the Almiros (eastern) end. Excellent choice of tavernas and good access.

Agios Spiridon: Lovely wild sandy beach backed by interesting freshwater lake with wildlife. Low-key beachside tavernas.

Kalamaki: A developing small resort between Agios Spiridon and Kassiopi. Very shallow water backed by reeds and marsh.

West coast - North to South

Agios Stefanos: Friendly, family resort with gorgeous wide and extensive sandy beach.

Arillas: Friendly resort with sandy beach and lovely view of offshore islands.

Agios Georgios Bay (Pagi): Extensive, sandy beach fronting a busy but low-key resort.

Paleokastritsa: Several sand and pebble coves with the clearest and coldest water on Corfu! Lots of services; don’t miss a boat trip to the famous grottoes - agree on the price before you set off.

Liapades: Small, sandy beach with boat hire to get you to the completely inaccessible beaches to the south.

Ermones: Sand and shingle beach reputed to be the landing place of Odysseus.

Myrtiotissa: A very steep track, not for cars, leads to Corfu’s unofficial nudist beach (nudism is illegal). Lawrence Durrell called it the most beautiful beach in the world - but without reference to its occupants.

Glyfada: Voted Greece’s top beach by the Greeks. Very trendy. Lovely golden sand but with dangerous currents, like all central west beaches.

Pelekas: Golden sand beach accessible from Pelekas and Yialiskari.

Agios Gordis: A real ‘bucket and spade’ beach serviced by a busy family-style resort. The northern end, where there are rocks, is quieter.

Paramonas: A long sand beach with interesting pebbles and good tavernas. Access from Agios Mattheos. Just to the south, a small beach reached only across the rocks has a natural swimming pool formed by parallel walls of rock.

Halikounas & Korission: Access from south of Agios Mattheos to these wild and deserted beaches. Glorious swimming from the sandbank which divides the lake from the sea.

Linia: Wild sandy beach backed by sand dunes north of Agios Georgios.

Agios Georgios (Argyrades): Long beach of lovely golden sand befouled by rubbish backed by a popular resort.

Marathias: Excellent sandy beach with a few tavernas. Very quiet away from the resort centre.

Vitalades: A very small beach resort with good tavernas and lovely golden sand.

Kanoulas & Mikronissi: Difficult access makes these beaches very quiet. A long walk south will take you to the Arkoudillas end, my own choice for the best beach in the world...

Hilary Whitton Paipeti - Editor, The Corfiot Magazine