The most northerly of the west coast's resorts, and the furthest from Corfu Town, Agios Stefanos is a familyoriented place that remains very low-key, even in high season, despite the presence of tourism for decades. The terrain militates against too much development as the bay is tucked into an amphitheatrical hillside that precludes any further building.
Arillas village takes its name from the beautiful eighteenthcentury chapel (invariably locked) at the southerly end of the seafront. Rolling hills give onto a large sandy beach, although there's a small marshy area at the centre of the beach with a stream running into the sea. The road in from Arillas carries straight on until just before the sea, bending back south behind and above the beach, in the direction of the chapel and the harbour, a full lkm from the main village.
The majority of touristic enterprises are along the road that runs along the south end of the beach or on the main village street. This central strip starts at the junction with the Arillas road, 200m back from the seafront, and runs north through the village, parallel to the beach, before climbing sharply uphill towards the village of Magoulades. Despite having a good selection of eating and drinking venues, Agios Stefanos preserves a low-key atmosphere, which is probably one of the place's strengths, and it is a quiet base from which to explore the northwest and the Diapondia islands, visible on the horizon. Aspiotis Lines run services on most days to Mathraki, Othoni and Erikoussa, return fares costing €6-ti, or you can take a more expensive excursion through a travel agent for around €75. The distance from any major settlements - and hence from any major traffic flow - makes Agios Stefanos a particularly good base for walking. As well as Avliotes and Peroulades to the north, Magoulades, 3km to the east, and other small villages in the gently undulating hinterland, are well within hiking distance.