The Greece Guides

Corfu vs Zakynthos: Which Ionian Island Should You Visit?

· 6 min read Practical
Navagio Shipwreck Beach with turquoise water and white cliffs, Zakynthos, Greece

Contents

  1. Quick Verdict
  2. Beaches
  3. Corfu
  4. Zakynthos
  5. Corfu Town vs Zakynthos Town
  6. Nightlife
  7. Scenery and Interior
  8. Wildlife
  9. Cost Comparison
  10. Accommodation
  11. Getting There
  12. Our Verdict
  13. Related Island Comparisons
  14. Plan Your Trip

Corfu and Zakynthos (also known as Zante) are the two most popular Ionian islands for British and northern European tourists. Both have verdant green landscapes, clear Ionian Sea water, and a history marked by Venetian and British occupation. They suit different types of travellers.

Quick Verdict

CategoryCorfuZakynthos
Beach drama★★★★★★★★★
Beach variety★★★★★★★★
Scenery★★★★★★★★
Historic capital★★★★★★★★
Nightlife★★★★★★★
Family-friendly★★★★★★★★
Budget value★★★★★★★
Quieter areas★★★★★★★★★

Go to Corfu if you want a historic capital city, more diverse landscapes, better family options, and a wider range of accommodation. Go to Zakynthos if Navagio Shipwreck Beach is on your list, you want dramatic cliff scenery, or you’re looking for a party scene (Laganas) or loggerhead sea turtle watching.

Beaches

Corfu

Corfu has dozens of beaches covering all moods:

  • Paleokastritsa: The most famous - a series of six small coves in a bay of extraordinary blue-green water, backed by forested hills and an 800-year-old monastery. Very crowded in July and August but genuinely beautiful.
  • Glyfada: The largest sand beach on the west coast, organised with sunbeds and water sports, popular with families.
  • Canal d’Amour (Sidari): Sandstone rock formations with channels carved by the sea; the legend holds that swimming through the canal guarantees you’ll find love.
  • Agios Gordios: A long sandy beach with a relaxed atmosphere and good tavernas.
  • Avlaki: A quieter pebble beach in the north, popular with people who want to escape the crowds.
  • Halikounas/Lake Korision: A sand spit beach backed by a freshwater lagoon - one of the best kite-surfing spots in Greece.

Zakynthos

Zakynthos has fewer beaches but more dramatic ones:

  • Navagio (Shipwreck Beach): The iconic view - a rusting shipwreck on a perfect white sand crescent, accessible only by boat. One of the most photographed spots in all of Greece. Boat trips from Porto Vromi cost approximately €20–25 per person return.
  • Navagio viewpoint: The cliff top view of Navagio is also accessible by road - one of the best views in Greece, free to access.
  • Xi Beach: A red-sand beach in the south, unusual and photogenic.
  • Makris Gialos / Planos area: Good beaches in the north with clear water and less development.
  • Laganas: The main party beach - long, sandy, and very busy. The broader bay is a protected area for loggerhead sea turtles (nesting May–October). Water sports, banana boats, and nightlife bars abound.
  • Porto Zoro: A quiet cove with excellent water clarity in the south.

Verdict: Zakynthos for individual beach drama; Corfu for overall variety.

Corfu Town vs Zakynthos Town

This is where Corfu has a clear advantage. Corfu Town (Kerkyra) is one of the most beautiful towns in Greece - a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a Venetian Old Town, two fortresses, elegant 18th-century buildings along the Liston (a colonnaded arcade modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris), and a network of narrow lanes called kantounia. The quality of the town as an independent destination adds real value to the island.

Zakynthos Town (Chora) was largely destroyed in the 1953 earthquake and rebuilt in a functional style. It has pleasant waterfront restaurants and some art museums, but lacks the historic architecture and character of Corfu Town.

Nightlife

Zakynthos/Laganas is known as one of the British package-holiday party zones - Laganas beach road has dozens of bars and clubs with happy hours running from 5pm. This is the appeal or the deterrent, depending on your perspective.

Corfu has its own nightlife concentration around Kavos in the south (the other major British party zone in Greece, alongside Malia in Crete). The northern and central parts of the island are much calmer.

Scenery and Interior

Both islands are unusually green by Greek standards - the Ionian humidity supports lush olive groves, cypress trees, and wildflowers. Corfu’s interior has more varied scenery: mountain villages in the north, Lake Korision in the south, and the wooded hills around Paleokastritsa. The island is larger (592 sq km vs Zakynthos’s 406 sq km) and rewards exploration by car.

Zakynthos has dramatic cliff scenery on its western coastline (best seen by boat) and the Vasilikos peninsula in the south has some of the island’s best beaches and least development.

Wildlife

Zakynthos is Greece’s most important nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). The National Marine Park of Zakynthos protects the nesting beaches in Laganas Bay. If you’re lucky and respectful (keeping distance, no flash photography), you may see turtles in the water or on the beach at dusk during nesting season (June–August). This is a genuine wildlife experience and a reason to choose Zakynthos that has nothing to do with beaches.

Corfu also has good birdwatching, particularly at Lake Korision (migratory birds) and the olive groves.

Cost Comparison

CategoryCorfuZakynthos
Midrange hotel (per night)€60–160€70–180
Villa/apartment (per week)€600–2,000€700–2,200
Dinner per person€20–40€22–45
Boat trip (Navagio/Paleokastritsa)€15–30€20–30
Car hire (per day)€35–65€35–70

Both islands are in a similar price bracket. Corfu is marginally cheaper in the midrange category. Both are significantly cheaper than the Cycladic islands.

Accommodation

Corfu: Kontokali Bay Resort & Spa (5-star, €200–500/night), Ikos Dassia (all-inclusive, €350+/night), Bella Venezia Boutique Hotel in Corfu Town (midrange, €90–160/night), Pink Palace (popular backpacker hostel in Agios Gordios, from €25/night).

Zakynthos: Lesante Cape Resort & Villas (5-star, €400+/night), Ionian Blue Hotel (midrange, €90–180/night), Zante Maris Hotel (from €70/night).

Getting There

Corfu: Flights from UK (Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham) with Jet2, TUI, easyJet - typically 2.5–3 hours. Seasonal charter flights April–October. Year-round flights via Athens. Ferry from Igoumenitsa: 1.5 hours.

Zakynthos: Similar UK charter flight options (Gatwick, East Midlands, Bristol). Year-round via Athens. Ferry from Kyllini (Peloponnese): 1.5 hours; not as simple to reach by land as Corfu.

Our Verdict

For most travellers, Corfu offers more. A UNESCO historic capital, greater beach variety, more accommodation options, better family credentials, and an island large enough to explore over 1–2 weeks without exhausting it.

Zakynthos wins if Navagio Shipwreck Beach is a priority, if you want to see loggerhead turtles, or if you specifically want Laganas nightlife. It’s a smaller island that can feel limited if you’re there for a week without a car.

See our complete island guides: Corfu and Zakynthos.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Corfu or Zakynthos better for families?
Corfu is generally better for families. It has a wider range of accommodation types including self-catering villas, calmer beaches on the west and east coasts, a historic capital worth exploring, and more diverse day trip options. Zakynthos has excellent beaches but Laganas beach on the south coast is very much a party zone that many families prefer to avoid. The north of Zakynthos (around Agios Nikolaos and Makris Gialos) is quieter and more suitable for families.
Which is better for beaches - Corfu or Zakynthos?
Zakynthos has the edge for iconic beach scenery - Navagio (Shipwreck Beach) is one of the most photographed beaches in Europe, accessible only by boat. The beaches in the north of the island have excellent clear water. Corfu has a greater quantity of beaches with more variety in character, but fewer standout individual beaches in the Navagio class. For the overall beach experience, Zakynthos wins on drama; Corfu wins on variety.
How do I get to Corfu and Zakynthos?
Both islands have airports with flights from the UK and European cities (mainly April–October). Corfu Town (Kerkyra) airport is one of the busiest in Greece. Zakynthos airport is close to the capital. By ferry: Corfu is reached from Igoumenitsa on the mainland (1.5 hours) and from Patras (7 hours); Zakynthos is reached from Kyllini on the Peloponnese (1.5 hours). There is no direct ferry between Corfu and Zakynthos.