Arillas
In the 1960s Arillas was little more than a handful of fishermen's houses gathered around a west-facing bay, with boats pulled up...
Updated 8 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Arillas now
The story
The story of Arillas
From farming origins to today's village
The name Arillas does not appear in the great chronicles of Corfu: for centuries this stretch of coast was land of fishermen and small landowners tied to the nearby hill village of Pagi, one of the island's oldest administrative districts, already mentioned in Venetian times as an agricultural district devoted to olive growing. Corfu, unlike the rest of mainland Greece, was never conquered by the Ottomans: the Serenissima kept control of it from the 14th century until the fall of the Republic in 1797, imposing the obligation to plant olive trees that still shape the landscape of Pagi today. Later passing under French, Russo-Ottoman and finally British rule until union with Greece in 1864, the island preserved in its hinterland an almost unchanged rural economy; Arillas remained a small fishing harbor until, between the 1970s and 1980s, the opening to beach tourism gradually transformed its profile, without however erasing the agricultural fabric of the surrounding terraces.
Arillas beach and the twin bay of Agios Georgios Pagon
The heart of the village's daily life is its beach, an arc of pale sand and fine pebbles almost a kilometre long, facing west and therefore ideal for those seeking sunset over the open sea rather than over the inner Adriatic typical of Corfu's eastern coast. The seabed slopes gently, making it one of the most family-friendly beaches for young children on the island's northwestern side; behind it, a modest row of family-run taverns and beach facilities has never overtaken the low dune and Mediterranean vegetation that border it. To the south, beyond a short headland, the twin bay of Agios Georgios Pagon opens up, a sandy beach almost two kilometres long with more pronounced tourist development, among mid-sized hotels and resorts: the two locations nonetheless remain distinct in character, with Arillas more tied to the small village and family-run businesses, and many visitors move freely between the two bays along the coastal paths.
Cape Drastis and the Diapontia Islands
A few kilometres north of Arillas, beyond the village of Sidari, the coast ends in one of Corfu's most photographed landscapes: Cape Drastis, a system of sea stacks, coves and white rock platforms shaped over millennia by wind and sea. There are no paved roads all the way to the tip of the headland: it is reached on foot along a dirt path or by sea, and it is precisely this relative inaccessibility that has preserved its wild appearance, free of facilities or infrastructure. From the same landings near Arillas, boats depart in the warm season for the Diapontia Islands, the group of islets marking Greece's most northwesterly point: Erikoussa, the most touristic, with white sand beaches; Mathraki, with pine forests reaching down to the sea; Othonoi, the most isolated, linked in local folklore to the myth of Ulysses and Calypso. The day trip to the Diapontia Islands remains one of the most sought-after experiences for those staying in Arillas.
Angelokastro, Sidari and the sunset at Peroulades
To the south, in the direction of Paleokastritsa, the castle of Angelokastro rises on a rocky spur high above the sea, one of the best-preserved Byzantine fortifications in the Ionian Islands, probably built in the 13th century by order of the Despot of Epirus. It withstood three Ottoman sieges, in 1537, 1571 and 1716, helping to prevent Corfu from falling under Turkish rule as much of mainland Greece did, and from its ruins the view sweeps across the entire northwestern coast as far as the waters of Arillas. In the opposite direction, a few kilometres away, Sidari is known for the Canal d'Amour, coves carved by erosion into golden sandstone with walls forming narrow channels navigable by swimming, while further north Peroulades holds Logas beach, tucked at the foot of cliffs thirty metres high and considered one of the island's most spectacular viewpoints for sunset over the Ionian.
The Pagi hinterland, traditions and Corfiot flavours
Behind Arillas the land rises in a succession of olive-covered hills that make up the district of Pagi, dotted with small villages such as Agios Mattheos, Troumpetta and Kavadades, where life still follows the rhythms of the olive harvest between October and January, amid family-run mills, dry-stone walls and small Byzantine chapels scattered among the fields. The local table tells of the crossing of influences that has swept over the island through the centuries, in particular the Venetian one, evident in dishes such as sofrito, thin slices of veal in a garlic and vinegar sauce, or pastitsada, a meat stew with long pasta directly descended from Venetian pastissada; bourdeto, fish in a spicy paprika sauce, remains instead one of the most emblematic dishes, often prepared with rockfish caught along this coast. Among the typical products, kumquat liqueur stands out, a citrus fruit introduced to Corfu in the 19th century and today also turned into jams and candied fruit.
When to go and how to experience the village
Arillas's tourist season runs from May to October, with the busiest period between mid-July and the end of August, when sea temperatures often exceed 27 degrees and the taverns stay open until late evening. June and September offer an ideal compromise between stable weather and a more relaxed pace, with less traffic to Cape Drastis and the Diapontia Islands and lower accommodation prices. Out of season the village empties almost completely, returning to the quiet of a small farming and fishing centre, while Orthodox Easter, celebrated in Corfu with processions, marching bands and the traditional throwing of clay pots from the town's windows, remains the most authentic occasion for those wanting to get to know the island away from the beach months.
- Swimming at sunset on Arillas beach, facing west over the Ionian Sea
- Reaching Cape Drastis and its turquoise coves by boat or on foot
- Taking a day trip to the Diapontia Islands: Erikoussa, Mathraki and Othonoi
- Climbing up to the Byzantine castle of Angelokastro for the coastal panorama
- Swimming through the rock formations of the Canal d'Amour at Sidari
- Admiring the sunset from the Logas cliff at Peroulades
- Exploring the hill villages of Pagi among olive groves and traditional mills
- Tasting bourdeto, pastitsada and kumquat liqueur in the local taverns
FAQ
Come si arriva ad Arillas da Corfù città?
Qual è il periodo migliore per visitare Arillas?
Cosa vedere in un giorno partendo da Arillas?
Dove si parcheggia ad Arillas?
Arillas è adatta alle famiglie con bambini?
Si possono portare gli animali in spiaggia?
Getting there
- Aeroporto Internazionale di Corfù 'Ioannis Kapodistrias' (CFU), circa 38 km
- Da Corfù città si segue la strada principale verso nord-ovest in direzione Troumpetta-Pagi, attraversando l'entroterra collinare fino alla costa di Arillas; il tragitto richiede circa 45-55 minuti in auto.
- Noleggiare un'auto o uno scooter è quasi indispensabile per raggiungere Capo Drastis, Angelokastro e i villaggi di Pagi, poco serviti dai trasporti pubblici fuori stagione.
Perfect for
Spiaggia sabbiosa esposta a ovest, ideale per il bagno e per i tramonti sul Mar Ionio.
Capo Drastis e le calette rocciose circostanti offrono paesaggi costieri tra i più selvaggi di Corfù.
Il castello bizantino di Angelokastro e i villaggi veneziani dell'entroterra raccontano secoli di dominazioni.
Punto di partenza ideale per escursioni verso le remote isole Diapontie.
Cucina corfiota di influenza veneziana, dal bourdeto al liquore di kumquat.
