The hack to holidaying in Greece for just £403 this summer

Times

24-05-2025

By July, most of us are craving a dose of dead-cert sunshine without the back-up jumpers almost always needed in the UK. Just a three-hour flight away, Corfu is our closest Greek island and delivers perfect do-nothing weather in July, with long, dry days and temperatures in the high 20s. There's also plenty to do if you can prise yourself off the lounger, with museums, mountain villages and a Unesco-listed old town with terracotta rooftops, pavement cafés and cobbled streets.
You'll stay in Kavos, a lively resort with plenty of beach bars, water sport centres and restaurants an hour's drive from the capital on the southern tip of the island. Seven nights' self-catering at Agnes Beach, including flights from Luton with easyJet, costs £403pp with Tui, departing on July 9. Coach transfers in Corfu and a 23kg checked bag are included.
Rooms are simply decorated with white and lemon walls, tiled floors, pine furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows leading onto a private balcony or terrace. Each one has a kitchenette for rustling up meals or stashing sundowner drinks and there are several supermarkets within walking distance. There's no restaurant on site but a pool bar has breakfast and snacks. Other places to eat nearby include the beachfront Roussos, which has been serving Greek and seafood dishes for over 100 years (mains from £6; siroccohotelcorfu.com), and Tomata, which specialises in Corfiot cuisine (mains from £15; tomataresto.gr).
The hotel is right next to Kavos beach with its miles of golden sand, warm shallow water and snack bars. A water sports kiosk offers kayaks, jet skis, banana boats and pedalos (from £8; kavoswatersports.gr). The main Kavos Strip is a few minutes' walk away for bars, nightclubs and shops, and there's a bus and taxi rank right outside the hotel for exploring further afield.
Corfu's family-run Olive Oil Museum is half an hour away for an insight into the island's 500-year-old history of olive oil extraction, plus sampling (£7; corfuoliveoilmuseum.com). On the way back, stop at the Pontiglio Winery, which also has a small museum and produces wine from Corfu's unique grape varieties including kakotrygis (tastings from £13; pontiglio.gr).
Take bus B1 for a day trip to the capital, Corfu Town (£4; corfutourist.com/green-buses). Ruled by the Venetians for four centuries and guarded by two fortresses, it's a charming Italian-influenced maze of arched colonnades, shaded piazzas and cobbled alleyways lined with ice-cream parlours. Duck inside St Spyridon's Church to see its frescoes, red bell tower and the silver casket of the island's patron saint of the same name (entry free), then climb the towers of the town's 14th-century fortress, Palaio Frourio, to look over the bay towards Albania (£8).
The island's northern coast is best for hiking. Marked trails cross the pine-cloaked mountains and skirt hilltop villages such as Lakones and Makrades, leading down to quiet coves for cooling off. Pass the 13th-century monastery at Palaiokastritsa and head to the glass-fronted Dolce Café for homemade yoghurt and honey ice cream with the island's best sunset views (£4; Palaiokastritsa Rd).
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• Return Luton-Corfu flights, departing on July 9• Coach transfers• 23kg hold luggage• Seven nights' self-catering at Agnes Beach (tui.co.uk)
Feeling flush? If you're inspired by Corfu, and have more to spend, try one of these:
Just six miles north of Corfu Town, Palapart Gikas hotel is in the smaller resort of Gouvia with its marina, mainly shingle beaches and upmarket waterside restaurants. Rooms are light and airy with white walls and furniture and zippy turquoise accents. All have kitchenettes and balconies, and there are also family rooms, swim-up rooms and two-bedroom apartments. The hotel has three outdoor pools including one for children, a small gym and a snack bar serving breakfast. The beach and centre of Gouvia are both about a ten-minute walk away, while Palaiokastritsa is a 20-minute drive.Details Seven nights' self-catering from £837pp, including flights, coach transfers and hold luggage (jet2holidays.com)
The adults-only Domes Miramare, a Luxury Collection resort, was once owned by the Onassis family and is now a high-end resort on its own 650m shingle beach on Corfu's eastern coast, half an hour south of Corfu Town. Surrounded by a centuries-old olive grove, it has three restaurants including one with its own sushi bar, several pools, a tennis court and a lavish spa modelled on ancient Greek baths. There's also a private yacht for decadent day trips. Chic minimalist rooms in earthy shades are either by the beach or built on a hill overlooking the Ionian Sea and many have an outdoor hot tub or private pool. Details Seven nights' B&B from £1,420pp, including flights and hold luggage (britishairways.com)