Corfu Town
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Corfu Town
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| 39°37.68′N, 19°55.18′E |
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| Chartlet |
Corfu Town is the largest port in the Greek Ionian and a major transport hub for ferries across the Adriatic to Italy and to the Greek mainland at Igoumenitsa. Its international airport is also one of the busiest in Greece, with daily flights to most European destinations. The island has long been popular with European tourists, especially British as a consequence of British rule in the 19th century, and Corfu Town reflects this long tradition, with more tavernas, shops and cafes per square mile than almost anywhere else in Greece. Its architecture is a hectic mix of Venetian, classical and British colonial and in spite of the huge numbers of tourists that throng the town’s streets in summer, Corfu Town is still a delight to explore, with its narrow, sleepy passageways lined with atmospheric Italianate apartment blocks. The visiting yachtsman is perhaps less well served than the land tourist, with limited berthing opportunities consisting of the grimy east basin of the commercial harbour, the cramped, yacht-club managed basins of Mandraki on the N side of the Venetian castle and NAOK on the S side, a couple of reasonably sheltered anchorages and the marina at Gouvia three miles to the NW.
Charts
- BA
- 189 Nisos Sapiénza to Nisos Paxoi
- 203 Zakinthos to Paxoi
- Imray-Tetra
- G11 Nísos Kérkira to Nísos Levkas
- NIMA
- 54280 Corfu Channel to Nisis Proti
- Greek
- 212 Othonoi I. to Amvrakikos Gulf- Kerkyra I. And Paxoi I. Inset: Northern Kerkyra Strait
Radio Nets
Also see Cruiser's Nets
- Coast Guard - VHF channel 12
Local Weather
- See Ionian Sea Weather
- Also see Ionian Sea Currents & Tides
The approach to Corfu Town from all directions is largely free of dangers, though there are shoals to the N of Nisos Vidho, the small island half a mile due N of Corfu Town.
Check-in facilities
Corfu Town is a port of entry. The customs and immigration and port police are situated on the W side of the commercial harbour. Note that there is no longer any customs office at Gouvia Marina, so it will be necessary to travel into Corfu Town if clearing into or out of Greece.
Offshore Islands and Groups
- Paxos
- Othonoi
- Erikoussa
- Mathraki
Berthing options
As mentioned above, the visiting yachtsman has four main berthing options: Mandraki harbour; NAOK yacht club harbour; the commercial harbour or Gouvia Marina to the NW of the town.
Mandraki Harbour
39°37.6′N, 19°55.6′E
Situated right under the N wall of the prominent Venetian fortress on the headland of Corfu Town, Mandraki harbour is protected from the prevailing NW winds by a long breakwater enclosing laid moorings tailed to buoys or the quay for around 60 yachts. The berths are distributed between the harbour’s S quay and N breakwater. Yachts usually go stern-to the quay and bows-to the breakwater in view of the depths at the latter. Depths at the quay are 1.5 and 3.0 metres (the deepest water being in the centre) and at the breakwater 1.25 – 1.5 metres. The moorings are owned by two separate yacht clubs and visitors are only permitted when members have temporarily vacated their berths. Access to the harbour is through the Venetian Castle and access may be restricted outside the castle’s opening hours. Shelter here is good in the prevailing winds but is likely to be uncomfortable in very strong NW winds.
NAOK harbour
39°37.33′N, 19°55.66′E
The harbour of the NAOK yacht club lies on the S side of the Venetian castle, next to the anchorage of Garitsas Bay, and is protected from S by an L-shaped breakwater. The harbour is relatively shallow, with depths of 2.5 to 3.0 metres at most. Visiting yachts can moor stern or bows-to on the easternmost part of the breakwater quay, where there are 4-5 laid moorings in depths of 3.0 metres, or use their anchors to moor to the quay towards the eastern end. On the outside of the breakwater are moorings for superyachts. Water and electricity are on the quay. Showers and toilets at the yacht club. Wifi. Café. Shelter is good in the prevailing winds but the harbour would become very uncomfortable and possibly untenable in strong southerlies. The moorings are occasionally affected by swell from large ferries. Contact Andreas at 0030 6972 117001 to enquire about a berth.
Commercial harbour
39°37.68′N, 19°55.18′E
The only place a yacht may find space here is in the E basin, where there are a number of laid moorings occupied by fishing and other commercial boats. A couple of yachts can, however, go alongside on the end of the rough breakwater, where the depths are around 4.0 metres. However, this is a dirty and depressing place to be and only recommended if you wish to visit customs and immigration and the port police to clear in. Plans have been in place for several years for construct a small marina just E of the commercial harbour and so far a small basin had been completed and mooring bollards installed. However, nothing further has been done to protect the basin from the prevailing winds and the site is currently (September 2012) fenced off as a construction site.
Gouvia Marina
39°39.52′N, 19°51.36′E
See separate Wiki entry for Gouvia Marina.
Anchorages
Garitsas Bay
Garitsas Bay lies just S of the Venetian Castle and the NAOK yacht club harbour and has good access to the old town and nice clear water. It offers good shelter from the prevailing NW winds, but is open E and S. Anchor in 5.0 – 8.0 metres wherever there is space. Holding is good in mud, but only once you are well dug in (look for the sandy patches to drop the anchor in). There are steps from the sea up to the road at the root of the NAOK YC mole. Note that these are commonly used by older people to go swimming, and dinghies are a nuisance for them. There are also steps at the elbow of the NAOK YC breakwater and these are better for dinghies. Exit from the YC breakwater to the street is no problem.
If there is space, even better shelter can be obtained by anchoring under the castle walls just E of the NAOK harbour, taking a line ashore to the rocks if necessary. Depths here are 3.0 – 5.0 metres and holding is good in sand and weed.
Kammeno Bay
39°39.56′N, 19°51.37′E
Kammeno Bay lies 400 metres N of the entrance to Gouvia Bay and Gouvia Marina. It is a handy anchorage for visiting the shops and chandleries of Gouvia without having to berth at Gouvia Marina. Shelter is good from the prevailing winds but the bay is open E and S. Anchor in 5.0 – 8.0 metres. The bottom is mud and weed and good holding.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
Yacht Repairs and Services
Numerous repair facilities at Gouvia Marina and in the town.
Boat Yards
See Gouvia Marina.
Fuel, Water, & Electricity
- Fuel
- Fuel station in Gouvia Marina. It is also possible to arrange tanker delivery to NAOK yacht club harbour.
- Water
- At Gouvia Marina and NAOK harbour.
- Electricity
- At Gouvia Marina and NAOK harbour.
Things to do Ashore
Tourism
Corfu Town has several good museums, including an archaeological museum and a museum of Asian Art. The Venetian Castle is a must; although there is not much to see inside, the views from the battlements are spectacular. The church of St Spiridon in the town houses the remains of the saint in an ornate silver sarcophagus and boasts a beautifully painted ceiling. Further south, the villa of Mon Repos, the birthplace of the Duke of Edinburgh, consort of the British Queen, can be visited. At the end of the peninsula on which it sits is the view everyone knows, out over the tiny former monastery of Kanoni on its island joined to the shore by a narrow causeway. With transport, it is possible to visit the Achilleon 6km S of the town, a pseudo-Hellenic palace contructed for Empress Elizabeth of Austria in the 1890s and filled with specially commissioned statuary and colonnades.
Grocery & Supply Stores
- It is hard to find provisions in Corfu Town, since most of the supermarkets are out of town.
- Good supermarkets on the road outside Gouvia Marina.
Eateries
- Enough bars, cafes and tavernas in the town to satisfy all tastes.
- While Italian not Greek, Del Sole south of the Liston in Corfu Town is excellent
Internet/WiFi
- At several of the bars and tavernas around the castle.
- Wifi in Gouvia Marina.
Laundry
- At Gouvia Marina.
Motorbike & Car Rentals
- All the usual rental outlets in the town.
- Car and motorbike rental through Gouvia Marina office.
Garbage Disposal
Bins at Mandraki and NAOK harbours and in Gouvia Marina.
Transportation
- Internal and international flights from Corfu airport.
- Ferries to Igoumenitsa on Greek mainland, Paxos island and to Bari, Ancona and Venice.
- Hydrofoil to Saranda in Albania and Paxos island (seasonal)
- Long distance buses to Athens and Thessaloniki.
- Local buses to most island destinations.
Useful Contacts
Routes/Passages To/From
Popular passages/routes, timing, etc.
Cruiser's Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forum Discussions
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
External links
References & Publications
See Ionian Sea.
Personal Notes
Personal experiences?
Last Visited & Details Checked (and updated here)
Date of member's visit to this Port/Stop & this page's details validated:
- July 1988 --Istioploos
- June 2005 --Atheneoflymington 17:29, 12 January 2010 (UTC)
- August 2010 --Wayward
- July 2011 -- Monterey
- September 2012 --Athene of Lymington 17:40, 16 September 2012 (BST)
Contributors to this page |
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Names: Lighthouse, Istioploos, Atheneoflymington, Wayward, Haiqu,Monterey |
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| HOMEPAGE | Wiki Contents | Mediterranean | Ionian Sea | Greece | Corfu | Corfu Town |