The northwest of Corfu provides some of the island's most dramatic coastal scenery, heralded by the resort of Paleokastritsa, 23km from Corfu Town and linked to it by a fast road that snakes in between rugged mountains.
Despite not having the greatest beaches, Paleokastritsa is at once the largest, most attractive and diverse of the resorts in this corner of the island. Those further north are fairly developed, though not on the same scale as the north and east coasts of the island, probably because the craggy northwestern landscape doesn't have much accessible terrain. Ayios Yeoryios, across the large headland northwest of Paleokastritsa and overlooked by the hilltop village of Afionas, boasts the longest beach on this stretch of coast, but there are decent strands to be found further north at Arillas and Agios Stefanos too. In the far northwest corner the quiet villages of Avliotes and its smaller neighbour Peroulades guard the stunningly beautiful Longas beach. Inland between the coastal resorts and the capital, the interior contains some imposing mountain backdrops to the verdant countryside, dotted with numerous villages barely touched by tourism. Although each of the resorts has bus connections of varying frequency to Corfu Town, they are not inter-connected by public transport at all, making travel along the coast difficult for those without their own transport. Paleokastritsa is the best served, with seven buses daily Agios Georgios and Arillas both have two buses every day except Sunday, there are six daily buses to Agios Stefanos, while Avliotes is actually the terminating point for most of the services to Sidari on the north coast. The majority of the interior villages lie on one or other of these routes, though Ano Korakiana has its own service six times daily.

Arillas and Agios Stefanos
Around 5km north of Agios Georgios, the two northwesternmost resorts of Arillas and Agios Stefanos lie on either side of wedge-shaped Cape Kefali. The popularity of both places, in particular the former, has been gradually increasing in recent years, as people learn of their excellent beaches. They remain good places to head for an inexpensive and fairly low-key base.

Avliotes and Peroulades
The far northwest of Corfu is an appealing corner that's not at all developed for tourism. The largest village in this neck of the olive groves is Avliotes, barely 3km northeast of Agios Stefanos. Little over 1km further on, the even sleepier hamlet of Peroulades possesses a real gem in the shape of Longas beach.

The northern interior of Corfu island
The wild mountain landscapes of northern interior Corfu conceal numerous villages which provide ample opportunities to witness the traditional ways of life that are sadly dying out in other parts of the island. Widows invariably dress in black and some people still use donkeys as transport, while the kafenio remains the preserve of men in ill-fitting jackets and caps playing cards or tavli. The villages mentioned in this section are just a few of the more easily accessible places - indeed, one of the joys of an island as large as Corfu is getting off the beaten path and discovering gems for yourself.
The main route through the northwest peels off from the Paleokastritsa road about 12km from Corfu Town and rises through the craggy southwestern ranges of Mount Pandokrator to Skripero and Troumbeta. Shortly before Skripero, you can detour north to Ano Korakiana, one of the largest interior settlements. Northwest of Troumbeta, the terrain becomes a little gentler as you enter one of the richest olive-growing regions of the island. The roads are a maze in this part of the island and it's a great area for getting lost in - near, yet so far, from the resorts.