Rented a car in Corfu -- Now what?

[cruiser620]

I've rented a car for my port day in Corfu and am looking for advice on where to go / what to see. I'm there from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

Thanks!

[wildcruisers]

Just back from our cruise and we also rented a car. We went first to Paleokastritsa which is absolutely beautiful. It's a pebbly beach (so take flip flops/crocs) with crystal clear, very refreshing water. You can park right next to it (have to pay but can't remember how much) and there are changing huts on the beach although you can see people's ankles and my teenage daughter refused to use it and marched off to a nearby toilet! There's a monastery on the hill you can tour and the view is wonderful. We then went to Sidari in the north which wasn't worth the bother and then through the beautiful countryside to Glyfada beach which IMO wasn't as beautiful as Paleokastritsa but was sandy and very long surrounded by hills, still very pretty. There are places to eat there and then we hired a motor boat from a guy on the beach and went round the coastline for an hour which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. Later we went to Corfu Town for a bit of shopping and watching the cricket on the green. Very civilised. By that time we were getting a bit anxious about getting back to the ship on time so we made our way back. Had a wonderful day though, Corfu is very beautiful.

[cruiser620]

Thanks, Wildcruiser. Did you have time to circle the island, or just go to the places you mentioned? Any difficulties finding your way around or getting gas?

[wildcruisers]

No difficulties getting around at all or getting gas. The hire car company gave us a map and all the main roads are well signposted in English as well as Greek. This was the third time we've been to Corfu and we've never had any problems. The roads are narrow in many places and twisty but that just adds to the charm for us. Steer clear of the touristy towns (like Sidari) which are naff and stick to the natural beauty of the place and you can't go far wrong. We didn't circle the island because we wanted to stop and soak in the atmosphere (which I would recommend) but it's pretty small to be honest and if you got a move on you could circle it pretty easily.

[gwyns]

Can I ask if you prebooked the car and if so, how did you find the best location for pick up?thanks.

[wildcruisers]

We didn't prebook, just got off the ship and there was a guy waiting with the cars parked at the port waiting to go. If he's not there, just outside the port area (easy walk) we noticed other car hire places which were probably cheaper but we were happy with the convenience even if it meant paying slightly more.