WHAT IS KANONI, CORFU LIKE?

On the other side of the Mon Repos bay adjacent to Corfu town, rises a lush green hill that you most definitely want to visit!

The neighbourhood of Kanoni on the Paliopoli peninsula is possibly Corfu’s most photographed spot and it’s easy to see why.

Visiting Kanoni, Corfu – Guide For Day-Trippers

Arrive mid-afternoon on the Corfu City Bus 2 from Spianada Square/Linton and head straight to Cafe Kanoni for a Frappe. From this vantage point you’ll get one of the best views in Corfu – over the harbour and any incoming planes to Corfu airport too. Take your time and peruse the panorama – get your bearings for your visit to Kanoni.

Kanoni takes its name from an old canon that sits on top of the hill (next to Cafe Kanoni) placed there by the French in 1798, but Kanoni’s history goes further back. The monastery of Vlacherna that you see below on its own little island dates back to the 17th century.

Head on down to the quayside below and take a look around the stunning old church (free entry) which has been shot in several movies including James Bond – For Your Eyes Only. The Panagia Vlacherna church (or monastery) was once a nunnery but nowadays it’s a sleepy little church where stray cats and dogs guard the premises.

Boat Trips To Mouse Island

Mouse Island, or Pontikonissi, is the island you can see just out to sea from Kanoni. Boats leave from the church and it only takes 5 minutes to reach and costs €2.50 each.

According to mythology, this lush green island is the ship of Ulysses that was stoned by the god Poseidon.

In the center of Mouse Island there is another church from the 13th-century, Pantokrator. There’s also a quirky little gift shop that sells coffee too.

Dinner In Kanoni

There are two really nice options for dinner in Kanoni. One is the sushi restaurant up on the hill, Kukutsi, for a more formal setting – although very reasonable prices. And the other is a little beach bar in the harbour called Flisvos. The latter is very popular with locals and tourists, first off for the freshly caught fish of the day and secondly for the chilled back vibe. There’s a small sandy beach next to Flisvos and a DJ plays cafe del mar tunes in time to the beat of the lapping waves: idyllic.

The Kanoni Corfu Sunset

If you google ‘where is the best sunset in Corfu?’ you might expect to discover some beautiful spots on the west of the island, and you’d be correct. But on most Corfu sunset lists, despite its location on the east, is the beautiful peninsula of Kanoni!

Instead of losing the sun to the Ocean though, it slowly disappears behind the hills further west. There’s often a smattering of light clouds taking on an orange spectrum and of course, there are the aeroplanes! It will never get old for me to see these huge chunks of metal come into land. And, if you station yourself on the footbridge that joins Kanoni to the Perama peninsula, they’re so close you should brace, brace. And hang on to your hats!

Spending the evening in laid-back Kanoni and watching the sun go down is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Corfu!

GREAT PLACES IN KANONI TO WATCH THE CORFU SUNSET…

• On the beach at Flisvos. Laid-back vibes with a soundtrack but more limited views.
• For free on the pedestrian bridge across the bay, great for plane shots!
• Sipping a cocktail from one of the Sky-Bars; Cafe Kanoni or Skyview.

Make Kanoni Your Base For A Corfu Holiday

How come we know so much about Kanoni in Corfu? We happened to stay in this little neighbourhood for 1 week on our recent Corfu holiday. And we’d go back in a heartbeat!

We stayed at The Royal Grand which is a great little 3 star and isn’t often available, but The Corfu Holiday Palace gets our vote too.

We had a good look around, chatted to some staff and had a peek at the rooms. It’s a special hotel. It comes in two parts – the main hotel, and some more exclusive villas which are more secluded and have their own private pool. There’s evening entertainment, a gorgeous beach and the food is very good. There are also some ‘Lake View’ rooms too which give you the best views of the flight path. For the best deals click here.

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Corfu made it into our recent post “The 10 Best Weekend Breaks in Europe You’ve Not Thought of Yet” – you might want to take a look if you’re wanting some inspiration for your next European short break!

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