Find information on Kontokali in our Travel Guide covering sights, foods and nightlife plus more...
Kontokali, once a small fishing village, lies on the east coast of the island just six kilometres north of Corfu Town. Kontokali shares a large bay with its neighbour Gouvia. Kontokali is a quiet resort where you can relax in the sun on a shingle beach listening to the waves lapping the shore. It has a variety of good tavernas and restaurants catering for most tastes, and its nightlife is low-key. Shopping in Kontokali is limited but this is supplemented by Gouvia, further round the bay, and of course Corfu Town is only a short bus ride away.
A Kontokali holiday offers a relaxing break in peaceful surroundings and benefits from all the amenities that the resort’s close proximity to Gouvia and Corfu Town has to offer.
Kontokali retains the traditional atmosphere of a Corfu fishing village. Fishermen land their catch daily, supplying local tavernas and restaurants as well as those in Corfu Town. Kontokali’s beach offers a place to relax in the sun while being fanned with breezes from the bay. Refreshments are available from the bars and tavernas that line the beach. Kontokali makes an ideal base from which to explore the north of the island as well as Corfu Town.
A Kontokali holiday has widespread appeal. Beaches with safe bathing for families with small children, water sports with varying degrees of excitement for adults, tavernas and restaurants catering for all tastes, as well as the proximity of Corfu Town, are just some of the reasons why Kontokali is a popular holiday choice.
Kontokali’s holiday season extends from Easter to October, the most popular time being in the summer when the temperatures rise from the low twenties to the mid thirties.
Kontokali is a pleasant resort on the east coast of Corfu that benefits from a transfer time from the airport of only twenty minutes. It is a fishing village that manages to retain its traditional atmosphere, where fishermen land their daily catch. In the centre of the village is a charming church, The Holy Trinity, built at the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Kontokali, as well as its neighbour Gouvia, is a very popular resort, due in part to its close proximity to Corfu town, but also because of the Blue Flag status of its beach and the leisure facilities that abound. The large modern marina is another great attraction. There are boats offering tours of the island as well as fishing excursions.
The shingle beach is fairly narrow and gently shelves into the clear blue of the Ionian Sea. It is a very clean and safe beach which has been awarded European Blue Flag status. Some possibilities exist for water sports but there is a much greater variety in neighbouring Gouvia and there is a diving school nearby.
Kontokali is renowned for its excellent fish restaurants and tavernas as well as its diverse cuisine. Nightlife is relaxed with some larger hotels providing evening entertainment with live music and dance. Bars, some with music, offer livelier evenings, but Kontokali is a resort that likes to retire fairly early. Night owls can always take a trip north or south and join in the party atmosphere of their neighbours.
Kontokali nightlife is low-key reflecting its popularity with families and couples. Although there are a number of lively bars, including some with live music, Kontokali is not a place that parties until dawn. Those looking for livelier evenings can take a short taxi ride to one of the noisy neighbours.
Kontokali shopping is fairly limited providing only for holiday essentials as well as gifts and souvenirs. This matters little since Kontokali is so close to Gouvia, Corfu Town and even Dassia where the range of goods is immense.
Popular buys are leather goods, items made from olive wood, handmade lace, embroidered linens and jewellery. Brightly painted ceramics are also in demand.
Kontokali has some excellent tavernas and restaurants serving a variety of cuisine from traditional fare to international cuisine. It has some particularly good fish restaurants which base the menu around the catch of the day.
If you wish to sample local cuisine, try a plate of tapas, where you are given small portions of a variety of dishes. Popular dishes are small fried fish and shellfish and prawn saganaki, rich and creamy with king prawns, garlic tomato and feta cheese. Kalamari is another firm favourite. Tempting snacks in the form of souvlakis, a type of kebab, are sold from fast food stalls. For a more substantial snack these are sometimes wrapped in pita bread and called gyros.
Local wines are easy on the palate as well as the purse.
Eating in Corfu is meant to be a pleasure and is not to be rushed. Waiters will not hover over you waiting to remove plates. Don’t mistake this for tardy service.
