Remember my last article about Milos? Milos has a very barren landscape, and the fascinating part about it is all the different rock formations. Corfu is another Greek island farther north, close to the Albanian border. In contrast to Milos and the other Cycladic islands, trees cover most of Corfu. Photographing it was much different, as I share in this landscape photography guide.
This guide will not cover all of Corfu but will focus on its northwest. We stayed in Liapades for one week, which gave me enough time to visit some of the spectacular beaches and viewpoints in this area.
How To Get To Corfu
Corfu has an international airport. From different countries throughout Europe, you can find direct flights to the island, often operated by budget airlines. The airport is located next to Corfu town. You can reach every part of the island within a one-hour drive from it. And although buses operate on Corfu, I'd strongly suggest renting a car to explore Corfu on your schedule.
Since we were already exploring the mainland of Greece by car, we went to Corfu by ferry. You can get a ferry from Igoumenitsa to Corfu town, which is what we did, or to Corfu's southern tip. For the trip to Corfu, we used Kerkyra Seaways, and for the way back Kerkyra Lines and paid a bit more than 30 Euros for two people plus a car for each route. Booking tickets via the provided homepages is straightforward.
If you decide to get on such a ferry, be prepared: They will stuff those boats with cars and trucks, and when you park your car on the deck, make sure to exactly follow the employees' instructions. The cars will be parked so close to each other that they nearly touch.
It's a bit like Tetris the employees are playing here, and for me, it's a marvel how they plan such a load. Each time we were on the ferry, it was packed to the brim, and neither at the back nor the front one more car or motorbike would have fit.
Where To Stay On Corfu
If you want to reduce your time on the narrow roads that span most of Corfu, you should do some research before booking a hotel. I usually try to first find interesting photo spots, then mark them on Google maps, and finally book a hotel or Airbnb from which I can reach a few of those spots by foot and the rest within an hour's drive.
The Liapades area is very well situated for landscape photography. Rovinia beach is within walking distance, and places like Paleokastritsa or Angelokastro are only a short drive away. Porto Timoni can be reached within 45 minutes by car, the same as most of Corfu's north.
The Oliveways apartment was the perfect home base for me. The surrounding forest is full of photogenic olive trees, and the coast is just a 15-minute walk away.
Photographing Corfu
Corfu's western coast is home to some beautiful beaches. Many of those beaches are surrounded by cliffs and can only be accessed by boat. It reduced my photo options significantly because I couldn't get there for sunset. So I focused my efforts on locations I could reach either by foot or car.
Liapades Forest
Close to Liapades, I found many beautiful olive groves during some runs I did in the area for scouting. Those are the perfect subjects for cloudless days, which I had plenty of during my stay. Especially in the morning, those groves look magical when the sun begins lighting up the forest floor.
If you ever stay in this area, spend some time hiking through the forest south of Liapades close to the coast. You'll not be disappointed.
Rovinia Beach
At Rovinia beach, you can find a beautiful cave at its southern end. I tried to take some photos from within, looking out across the bay during sunset and sunrise. Unfortunately, the light never touched the cliffs around the cave, and the clear skies didn't provide the drama I was hoping to capture. But later during the year, this cave might be a worthy photo spot.
What I ended up photographing was not Rovinia beach itself. Once you reach the last parking lot, follow the little path through the trees on the right. At its end, you'll find a secluded cove much less crowded than the beach.
This view, with its cliffs, cypress trees, turquoise waters, and rocks, is quintessential for Corfu.
Corfu Countryside
One morning I drove to Canal d'Amour in the north of Corfu. I didn't take a photo because I wasn't excited about the subject and the light that morning. On my drive back to Liapades, I encountered a much more interesting photo opportunity. As mist drifted through one of the valleys, I captured some beautiful light rays with my long lens.
I don't know the exact location, from which I took this photo. It was a spontaneous stop. But if you let Google guide you from Liapades to Canal d'Amour you will encounter several views similar to this one as you drive across the mountain paths.
Other Places of Photographic Interest
I visited several other places during my week on Corfu, trying to find more photogenic views. Porto Timoni offers two main viewpoints, which weren't suited for landscape photography very well. There was not enough foreground interest, and the vantage points were restricted. The upper view might hold some potential in spring when flowers bloom along the ridge, but I didn't find a composition worth photographing in June.
Canal d'Amour is another popular photo spot on Corfu. But I didn't find this area very inspiring. If you want to take the same photo that others have taken before, feel free to check it out. Maybe you are lucky with light and weather and capture a good photograph. But for me, this location was very disappointing.
Then we have the Angelokastro, which I thought would make a great subject - a castle in the clouds. It might be worth heading there for sunset in spring or autumn with more dynamic weather. You can find a few viewpoints walking around the hills close to the car park. But similar to Porto Timoni, the vegetation during summer didn't provide any interesting foreground, and the weather no clouds.
The Paleokastritsa viewpoint teased me with spectacular sea stacks. But I couldn't get close enough to photograph them. There might be a steep, hidden path further down. But if it exists, I didn't find it.
I went to Agios Petros beach instead. Walking along the shore on the left, I found some interesting rocks. What this scene would have needed was some stormy weather and drama to complement the scenery.
Conclusion
As you can see, my one week on Corfu wasn't very productive. Most of my explorations didn't yield any photos. Part of the reason for that might be the season I visited. Summer and its clear skies aren't ideal for photographing Corfu or Greece in general. I also found much of the terrain difficult to deal with. If I visit Corfu again, I think I'll explore more along its western center, which also boasts some spectacular seascapes.
To close this article, I have an announcement: I created a calendar containing my best photos from Greece. You can find more information on my shop page.