Starting from Acharavi, as central point on the north coast, going east, first is St Spiridon bay, a lovely sandy beach with safe swimming. Great for a change of scenery, and can be walked from Acharavi in about 1½ hours.

Next is Kassiopi once a busy fishing village now a busy resort that is still full of charm with its harbour front bars and restaurants and colourful caiques and yachts.  Kassiopi is a lively place for a night out and has a good selection of shops.  There is a good bus service 4 times a day, the last bus back is about 5 p.m., but a taxi will only be about 16 €.

Between Acharavi and Sidari there is first Astrakeri, another good sandy beach Then there is Roda, this at the far end of the same bay as Acharavi and is an easy half an hours walk along the beach; well endowed with tavernas, shops and bars,it has good water sports too. 

Aghios Stephanos needs a car to visit, it is 2 km road off the main road and remains a remarkably well kept secret.  It comprises a tiny natural harbour, which usually has more than its fair share of expensive yachts!  It has only a small man made beach, but there are many tavernas where you can practically paddle as you eat.

Driving on through the village you will come to an even better kept secret; the pebbly beach of Kerassia. The white pebbles lend a brilliant blue colour to the sea. Though hectic on Sundays, when people in the know descend on it, in the week it is only visited by caiques that briefly fill the only taverna, and is peppered with the residents of the luxury villas and up market villa companies that use the area.  Be careful not to drive off the cliff as you approach the stunning views across to Albania as you carry on along the coast road south!

You will also be able to look down over the postcard view of Kouloura there is little down there except a harbour and a little taverna but is a great photo stop. On the other side of the same headland is Kalami made famous by it's one time resident; the author Lawrence Durrell. His old house is now a taverna right on the waters edge; its terrace is an idyllic setting.   There has been quite a lot of development here of late but its slight inaccessibility has ensured a quiet, appreciative kind of tourism.

Continuing south is the little bay of Agni made famous by Toya Wilcox who tried her hand at waitressing here, and since been much lauded by the press as THE place to eat. The standard of taverna here is excellent and should be visited by all “foodies”! Though be warned prices are mostly higher than average. The scenery is dramatic too with olive clad mountains dropping down to the sea and Albania opposite you just across the channel. Swimming is pebbly as is all the east coast where all these little coves are lapped by the gentle waters of the clear blue Corfu Channel, it can be a challenge swimming between the luxury yachts moored at the taverna jetties. Spot the famous face is a good sport in high season as Agni is a haunt of the rich and famous.

Kaminaki, Nissaki are other tiny coves and beaches where there

are the necessary lunchtime tavernas, warm sea and more of that beautiful scenery.

Barbati is another lovely pebbly beach, longer and busier that the previous two and with several tavernas making the most of the views.

An opportunity to explore a combination of beach and mountains would be to turn right after Barbati, before the hill that takes you down into Pyrgi and Ipsos. Signposted to Spartillas, test your passengers nerves up through the hairpin bends, to the villages of Spartillas and Episkepsi. You will be treated to some spectacular mountain views.

You can also turn right before Episkepsi and head straight to the island's highest peak of Pantocrator.Right at the top there is a monastery, (there is the ugliest transmitter ariel in the middle of it!) and a coffee bar with stunning views into Albania. The road loops down through Lafki and back into Acharavi.

You could alternatively turn right , after the Spartillas turning just before Ipsos and go through the very pretty village of Korakiana This route will put you on the main road to Paleokastritsa.

Personally unless looking for noisy night life I keep driving without stopping in Ipsos, often flooded with naval ratings when they are in port, Dassia is home to big hotels, Gouvia has a man made beach and marina, then it's just busy road all the way into town.

Often known as “Paleo”, like many beauty spots the world over, Paleokastritsa has become somewhat commercial and expensive, but nothing can detract from the magnificent scenery here.  There is a byzantine monastery daringly perched on a cliff overlooking the village. It is all that Greece means to the imagination; dazzling white buildings set against sparkling blue sea. There are 6 bays; one is a harbour, from the busy main beach one can take a small boat out to see the grottos. This is a good way to see the drama of the scenery.

The other way is on leaving the village to go by route of Bella Vista and Lakones, the road is narrow and steep and has some good hair pin bends but it also looks down over all 6 bays, the view is breathtaking. It is now possible to drive to the ruins of AngeloKastro, after climbing the steps into the ruins sit and soak up the scenery in one of the tavernas!

North of Paleo on the west coast are some lovely beaches; Aghios Georgios and Aghios Stefanos are reminiscent of Cornwall with a wide expanse of sand and little white houses on the hill overlooking the wide bay.